Some have seen this section as dealing with a new subject, the relationship of faith and works, whereas the previous one dealt with partiality (vv. 1-13). It seems to me, however, that this section relates to the preceding one in the same way 1:19-27 relates to 1:2-18. It deals with a larger, more basic issue that connects with and underlies the practical problem just discussed.
"In this section St. James proceeds to enlarge on the meaning and nature of that faith in Jesus Christ which was spoken of in ver. 1 as inconsistent with prosopolempsia[respect of persons]."98
In his discussion of favoritism James argued for genuineness and warned of superficial self-deception. The larger issue is the whole matter of faith in God. James wrote this section to challenge his readers to examine the vitality of their faith in God. Were they really putting their faith into practice, applying their beliefs to their behavior? Their preferential treatment of some people raised this question in James' mind.
"Not only is the mature Christian patient in testing (James 1), but he also practices the truth. This is the theme of James 2. Immature people talk about their beliefs, but the mature person lives his faith. Hearing God's Word (James 1:22-25) and talking about God's Word can never substitute for doing God's Word."99
There have been three primary interpretations of this passage of Scripture. The first view is that it refers to a person who was a believer but has lost his salvation. He used to have saving faith but does not have it any longer.100The second view is that it refers to an unbeliever who professes to be a Christian but has really never exercised saving faith in Christ. His faith is only intellectual assent, not saving faith.101The third view is that it refers to a believer who is not living by faith. He is not behaving consistently with what he believes.102The first two views say this passage describes unbelievers whereas the third view says it describes believers. By examining the passage we should be able to decide which view is correct.
The Arminian interpretation of this verse (view one above) is as follows. If a person claims to be a Christian but gives no evidence of true faith by the way he lives, he may never have been saved or he may no longer be saved. One Reformed view (view two above) is that if a person claims to be a Christian but gives no evidence of true faith by the way he lives, he was never saved.103The third interpretation (view three above) is that if a person claims to be a Christian but gives no evidence of true faith by the way he lives there are two possibilities. He may not be saved, or he may be saved, but he is not living by faith.
James just dealt with the Christian who professed to love others but by practicing personal favoritism demonstrated that he did not. Now he raised the larger issue of the believer who gives no evidence of his faith in the way he lives. He began by questioning the vitality of that faith. The form of this question in the Greek expects a negative response. If we translate it, "Can that kind offaith save him,"or, "Can suchfaith save him,"we may mislead the reader. The same construction exists in 1:2-4; 2:17, 18, 20, 22, 26; and 1 Corinthians 13:4 where the addition of "kind of"or "such"gives a more obviously improper translation. The presence of the definite article "the"with the abstract noun "faith"emphasizes the noun. James was saying that faith without works cannot save a person. Works area condition for some kind of salvation.
This statement seems to contradict Paul's affirmation that works are nota condition for salvation (e.g., Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 11:6; et al.). However, Paul and James were talking about different aspects of salvation. This is clear from James' earlier assertion that his Christian readers (1:18) would be able to save their "souls"(better "lives") if they obeyed God's Word (1:21). Jesus also gave similar warnings that if His disciples did not continue to follow Him they could lose their "souls"(i.e., lives; cf. Matt. 16:24-26; Mark 3:4; 8:34-37; Luke 9:23-25). He used the same Greek word as James did to describe the life (i.e., psyche). The translation "life"for "soul"may mislead us, however, into concluding that only the physical life is in view whenever we read this word (psyche). Rather it is the total person that psychedescribes, not just our eternal life (cf. 1 Pet. 1:9). Any aspect of our life may be in view, and the context will help us determine what it is.
In verse 14 James returned to his thought in 1:21-22 about saving one's life from death. His point here was that faith is no substitute for obedience. Orthodox faith without good works cannot protect the Christian from sin's deadly consequences in this life (i.e., a deadening of fellowship with God at least, and at most ultimately physical death; cf. 5:20; 1 John 5:16). That faith cannot save him from God's discipline of him as a believer. Good works in addition to faith are necessary for that kind of deliverance (salvation).104
"It would be difficult to find a concept which is richer and more varied in meaning than the biblical concept of salvation. The breadth of salvation is so sweeping and its intended aim so magnificent that in many contexts the words used defy precise definition. Yet these difficulties have not thwarted numerous interpreters from assuming, often without any contextual justification, that the words used invariably mean deliverance from hell' or go to heaven when you die.' It may come as a surprise to many that this usage of salvation' (Gk. soteria) would have been the least likely meaning to come to the mind of a reader of the Bible in the first century. Indeed, in 812 usages of the various Hebrew words translated to save' or salvation' in the Old Testament, only 58 (7.1 percent) refer to eternal salvation."105
As he did before (vv. 2-4), James provided a hypothetical though not uncommon situation to illustrate his point (vv. 15-16).
James envisioned a situation that may very well have taken place in his church in Jerusalem where there were many poor saints (Rom. 15:25-31; 1 Cor. 16:3). All the people in the illustration are genuine Christians as seems clear from the terms James used to describe them (cf. "brethren"in 1:2; 2:1, 14; 3:1). The situation he described highlights the absurdity of claiming vital faith but at the same time not working (i.e., not obeying the Word of God; cf. 1 John 3:17-18). A benediction cannot save a starving man from death; only bread can do that.
One Greek scholar paraphrased verses 14-17 as follows.
"What good does it do, my Christian brothers, if someone among you says he has faith and yet does not act on that faith? Faith certainly cannot preserve his life, can it? It would be the same thing as if one of you spoke to some Christian brother or sister who was destitute of the necessities of life and you said, Go home peacefully and get warmed and filled.' But if you did not give them the very things they needed for bodily life, what good would it do? Would their lives be saved by your confident words? In the same way when faith stands all by itself, because you fail to act on it, your inactive faith is as dead as your useless words to your destitute Christian brother. It has no life-preserving power at all!"106
James was not saying that a person who responds to another Christian's need, as in verses 15-16, shows that he has failed to exercise saving faith and is devoid of eternal life. He was saying that faith, if work (i.e., obedience to the Word of God) does not accompany it, is dead.
"We can make statements in all sincerity of mind and emotion: I feel sorry for the poor; I don't condone racism.' But James will say, What good is that if you aren't doing something to help the poor or to heal the distrust and injustice between races?' Some Christians attempt a stance of personal belief without personal action, saying, for example, I personally disagree with abortion, but I won't try to change others' minds.' James persists in asking us: What are you doing to protect the victims--both the victimized baby and the victimized mother?"107
"Dead"does not mean non-existent but inactive, dormant, useless (cf. v. 14). This is a very important point.
"It has not usually been considered too deeply why James chose the term dead' to describe a faith that is not working. But the moment we relate this to the controlling theme of saving the life,' everything becomes plain. The issue that concerns James is an issue of life or death. (He is notdiscussing salvation from hell!) The truth which he has in mind is that of Proverbs: Righteousness tendeth to life . . . he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.' [Prov. 11:19; cf. Prov. 10:27; 12:28; 13:14; 19:16] Can a deadfaith save the Christian from death? The question answers itself. The choice of the adjective dead' is perfectly suited to James' argument."108
James next introduced an objection to his thesis that faith is dead without works. He put it in the mouth of a hypothetical objector. This literary device of objection and response was a common one that Paul also used (Rom. 9:19-20; 1 Cor. 15:35-36). It is the diatribe.109The form of the diatribe helps us identify that what follows is the statement of the objector and what follows that is James' response to the objector.
The NIV has the objector saying only the first part of this verse, "You have faith; I have deeds,"and James responding in the last part of the verse. The NASB has the objector saying the whole verse. Which is correct? There were no punctuation marks in the Greek text so we have to determine on the basis of what James wrote. The objector seems to be making a point by way of argument rather than making a simple statement. This fact seems clear from the context in which James responds with a rebuttal (vv. 19-23). Consequently I prefer the NASB punctuation of this verse.
The objector claims that good works are the necessary sign of saving faith. He says, "You cannot prove you have faith unless you have works, but because I have works you can see that I have faith."110This is the argument that many evangelicals have used: the necessary evidence that a person has been saved (justified) is his good works (sanctification). If he is not doing good works, he is unsaved. Works alwaysevidence faith, they say. If this view is true, why did Jesus teach his disciples that some who are "in Me"bear no fruit (John 15:2, 6)?
The idea that evidence of sanctification must be present before the sinner can have full assurance of his justification is one that certain Reformed preachers after the time of John Calvin popularized. This idea is neither scriptural nor did John Calvin hold it. Theodore Beza in Geneva and William Perkins in England were leading figures in the Calvinists' departure from John Calvin's own teaching concerning faith and assurance.111
The basis of our assurance that we are saved is primarily the promise of God in Scripture (John 1:12; 3:16, 36; 5:24; 6:47; 10:27-29; 20:31; et al.). It is not the presence of good works (fruit) in our lives. Jesus taught that some branches of the vine do not bear fruit (Matt. 13:22; Mark 4:7; Luke 8:14; John 15:2, 6). Nevertheless they still share in the life of the vine. It seems clear that every true believer experiences a radical transformation in his life when he trusts Jesus Christ as his Savior (Gal. 2:20; Rom. 6:13; Eph. 5:8; Col. 1:13; et al.). However the Scriptures do not say that every true believer's lifestyle will inevitably experience external transformation. That depends on the believer's response to God's will. Carnal Christians (1 Cor. 3:1-4) are those who choose to indulge the flesh rather than submitting to the Spirit's control. Fruit is the outwardevidence of inner life. Just as some fruit trees bear little or no fruit, it is possible for some genuine Christians to bear little or no external evidence of their eternal life. The Holy Spirit affects inner transformation in every believer. Normally He will produce outer transformation as well unless the believer quenches and grieves Him as He seeks to manifest the life of Christ through us to others.
2:19 James refuted the argument of the objector stated in verse 18. Genuine faith does not alwaysresult in good works. The demons believe that what God has revealed about Himself is true. The Shema(Deut. 6:4) was and is the pious Jew's daily confession of his faith. Nevertheless the demons continue practicing evil works. They understand what their behavior will bring upon them, but rather than turning from their evil ways they only shudder as they anticipate their inevitable judgment. I think James selected the demons as an illustration because they are the most extreme and clear example of beings whose belief is correct but whose behavior is not. He did not select them because they are lost. Throughout this book James was speaking about genuine Christians (cf. vv. 14, 15, 21, 23, 25, et al.). Just so Christians can persist in rebelling against God's will even though they know they will stand before the judgment seat of Christ someday (2 Cor. 5:10).
Some people have concluded that James' reason for using the demons as an illustration was to show that intellectual ascent to the truth is not enough. To experience regeneration a person must not only accept the gospel message as true but also rely on the Savior to save him. Whereas it is true that intellectual ascent to the facts of the gospel is not adequate for regeneration, that does not appear to be the point James was making in this illustration. His point seems to be that good works do not alwaysresult from correct belief. They did in Abraham's case (vv. 21-22), but not in the case of the demons. Further evidence that this is the correct conclusion is that what James said the demons believe is not the gospel message. James was not talking about what is necessary to become converted.
". . . this verse which is often quoted to show that some creatures can believe but not be saved is irrelevant to the issue of salvation, for it says only that demons are monotheists."112
Some scholars believe that the objector is speaking in verse 19 as well as in verse 18.113Some of them base this conclusion on the fact that the Greek word choris (translated "without") is ek(translated "by") in some ancient Greek manuscripts. Most Greek scholars believe chorisis the proper word and that James is speaking in verse 19.114I agree with them on this point.
2:20 James thought his objector's argument was foolish. He still asserted that without good works a person's faith in God is useless, not non-existent but useless (Gr. argos, ineffectual, lit. without work; cf. Matt. 20:3, 6).
A Christian who has stopped living by faith day by day is similar to a person who has a non-functioning organ in his body. As the organ is dead, so the faith is dead, useless. Furthermore, his dead faith will contribute to his physical death, as a dead organ will shorten physical life.
James then proceeded to explain what he meant by "useless"in verses 21-23. Note how often James said that he was writing about the uselessnessof faith unaccompanied by works, not the absenceof faith unaccompanied by works (1:26; 2:14, 16, 20).
2:21 This verse at first seems to contradict other verses that say God declared Abraham righteous when Abraham believed God's promise (Gen. 15:1-6; Rom. 4:1-5). The solution to the problem lies in the meaning of "justified."This word always means to declaresomeone righteous, not to makesomeone righteous (cf. Exod. 23:7; Deut. 25:1; 1 Kings 8:32).115The NIV translation "considered righteous"is a bit misleading (cf. v. 25). Abraham was declaredrighteous more than once. Most interpreters understand the first scriptural statement of his justification as describing his "new birth,"to use a New Testament term (Gen. 15:6). This is when Goddeclared Abraham righteous. About 20 years later James says Abraham was justified again. Scripture consistently teaches that believers whom God declares righteous never lose their righteous standing before God (Rom. 5:1; 8:1; et al.). They do not need to be saved again. Abraham's subsequent justification evidently refers to a second declarationof his righteousness. James said this time Abraham's worksdeclared him righteous. They gave testimony to his faith.116Works do not alwaysevidence faith (v. 19), but sometimes they do. They do whenever a person who has become a believer by faith continues to live by faith. Abraham is a good example of a believer whose good works (obedience to God) bore witness to his righteousness.
2:22 Abraham's faith was "perfected"by his works in the sense that his works made his faith stronger. This is another way of expressing the same idea that James stated in 1:2-4. Maturity comes as we persevere in the will of God when we encounter trials.
"The faith which justifies . . . can have an active and vital role in the life of the obedient believer. As with Abraham, it can be the dynamic for superb acts of obedience. In the process, faith itself can be perfected.' The Greek word suggests development and motivation. Faith is thus nourished and strengthened by works."117
The singular "you"in this verse in the Greek text indicates that James was still addressing his objector.
2:23 Genesis 15:6 was "fulfilled"when Abraham offered Isaac in the sense that Abraham's faith became abundantly clear on that occasion.
"In the sacrifice of Isaac was shown the full meaning of the word (Gen. 15:6) spoken . . . years before in commendation of Abraham's belief in the promise of a child."118
James seems to have included the fact that God called Abraham His friend for this reason. He wanted to show that continued obedient faith, not just initial saving faith, is what makes a person God's intimate friend (cf. 4:4; 2 Chron. 20:7; Isa. 41:8).
"When a man is justified by faith he finds an unqualified acceptance before God . . . (Rom. 4:6). But only God can see this spiritual transaction. When, however, a man is justified by works he achieves an intimacy with God that is manifest to men. He can then be called the friend of God,' even as Jesus said, You are my friends if you do whatever I command you' (John 15:14)."119
2:24 The use of the plural "you"in this verse in the Greek text shows that James had completed his response to the objector. He was now addressing his readers directly again (cf. vv. 14-17).
Works declare us righteous in the sense that our works testify to onlookers that we have exercised saving faith. They are the external fruit that bears witness to the eternal life within. "You see . . . by [his] works."However, James previously said that not every believer will bear visible fruit (v. 17; cf. John 15:2). Such a believer's faith is not productive but "dead."Nevertheless he has faith. Some unbelievers appear to bear the fruit of saving faith, but God will one day expose their "wheat"as "tares"(Matt. 13:30).
". . . Paul and James are best understood as addressing quite dissimilar situations . . . Whereas Paul's audience is in danger of relying on works' for salvation, James' readers are excusing themselves from good works, thereby showing only a faith that is dead . . ."120
2:25 James could have ended his argument about the "revered patriarch"Abraham. He chose to add the illustration of Rahab, the "redeemed prostitute,"to borrow the terms of another writer.121
"Rahab . . . is superbly suited to tie the strands of his thoughts together. This passage had begun, as we have seen, with an allusion to his theme of saving the life' (2:14; 1:21). Not surprisingly, therefore, Rahab is selected as a striking example of a person whose physical life was saved' precisely because she had works."122
Apparently Rahab trusted in God before the spies ever arrived at her door (cf. Josh. 2:9-13). Rather than being originally part of the Israelite nation she was a proselyte to Judaism. Thus with these two examples James showed the necessity of works for believers regardless of one's background and origins. Abraham and Rahab were poles apart.
"The contrast is neat: Abraham, a major Bible figure; Rahab, a minor participant. Abraham the father of the faithful; Rahab a foreigner. Abraham the respected; Rahab the disreputable. Abraham a man; Rahab a woman. As so often, the contrast is intended to alert us to the fact that a fully comprehensive statement is being made--as it were, covering the situation all the way from Abraham to Rahab and back again. The primary works of faith, then, are the works of Abraham and Rahab and they apply to all without exception.
"What was the work of Abraham? He held nothing back from God. God said, I want your son' and Abraham rose early in the morning' (Gn. 22:3) in prompt obedience. What was the work of Rahab? She reached out and took into her own care those who were needy and helpless, regardless of the cost to herself."123
2:26 Faith without works is as dead as a body without a human spirit. It is of no practical value. This is James' final illustration and affirmation on the subject. Our faith becomes only dead orthodoxy when we stop obeying God. Vital faith then becomes dead faith. Both a dead body and dead faith were alive at one time.
"Does James then contradict Paul's doctrine of full grace, or John's insistence on faith as the single condition for eternal life? Far from it. But neither does he offer support to the widespread notion that a dead faith' cannot exist in the life of a Christian. Ironically, that is exactly what he is warning against. Thus the misconstruction of his words has not only bred unnecessary confusion about the terms for eternal life, but it has also deprived the church of a much needed and salutary warning.
"The dangers of a dying faith are real. But they do not include hell, and nothing James writes suggests this. Nevertheless, sin remains a deadly nemesis to Christian experience which can end our physical lives themselves. To that, the wisdom of the Old Testament adds its witness to the warnings of James. And if a man is to be saved from sucha consequence, he musthave works."124
"Never once does James question whether the rich--or poor--have been saved. Neither does he admonish them in such a way that should cause them to question whether they have been saved. He never says, for example, The trouble with you people is that you are not saved.' He does not come forward with a plan of salvation; he does not warn them of a false assurance; he does not go over the basis of saving faith."125
The key to understanding this passage is a correct understanding of what dead faith is. James used "dead"(vv. 17, 26) as a synonym for "useless"(vv. 14, 16, 20). He was not saying the person with dead faith has no faith, that he is unsaved. He meant that the person with dead faith has saving faith, but he is not living by faith now. His faith has no vital effect on the way he presently lives. He is not trusting and obeying God day by day.
"The faith which is mentioned in this section [2:14-26] can be presupposed in every Christian . . . [James'] intention is not dogmatically oriented, but practically oriented: he wishes to admonish the Christians to practice their faith, i.e. their Christianity, by works."126
To summarize, I believe what James wrote in verses 14-26 means this. Good works are not necessary to keep us from going to hell. However they are necessary to keep us from falling under God's disciplinary punishment that may even result in premature physical death. It is possible for a Christian not to use his or her faith, to stop "walking by faith."In such a case his or her faith is of no practical use here and now. Therefore we who are Christians should be careful to continue to keep trusting and obeying God day by day. It is possible for a Christian to exercise "saving faith"and then to stop "walking by faith."That is what James is warning us to avoid. He is dealing with sanctification primarily, not justification, here and throughout this epistle. This is Christian life teaching, not teaching on how to become a Christian.
"James' emphasis on faith alone shows that he affirms the necessity of faith; what he is opposing is a faith that denies the obligation to obey Christ as Lord."127
