Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does James Chapter 2 mean?

James continues with the main theme of his letter: genuine faith in God results in genuinely changed lives. This includes the “works” that we do, which involves our actions and our thoughts. Those who have a saving belief in God, who receive the gift of salvation through trusting in Christ, are expected to act out that trust while making choices about all of their actions. In other words, according to James, belief which leads to no change, or no works, is not saving faith at all. The works do not save us, but they do reveal the character of our trust in God.

What does that look like in our daily lives?

James’s prior words in chapter one were a command to live out the Words of God. He compared the absurdity of hearing the Word, then ignoring it, to a man looking at his face in a mirror and then immediately forgetting what he looks like. Here, in chapter 2, James urge his readers not to show favoritism or partiality. As a specific example, he refers to rich people, including any wealthy people that might come to Christian gatherings. To show more love and kindness to the rich than to the poor is not consistent with our professed faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

James asks the reader to consider a scenario in which a wealthy-looking man and poor-looking man come to their Christian gathering. Why should the rich man be given a place of honor and the poor man be made to stand or to sit on the floor? This is exactly what would have happened in the typical non-Christian environment of James’s day. Sadly, it happens in various ways even today. James is clear that it must not happen in the church.

Those who trust in Christ should trust God to provide for and protect them instead of hoping they will gain the favor and protection of the rich. After all, as James writes to his mostly poor Christian readers, it’s the rich who are currently oppressing them!

In fact, James writes, to favor the rich over the poor is a sin. It is breaking the command to love your neighbor as yourself. And since breaking any command makes one a lawbreaker, showing favoritism to the wealthy is as much a breaking of the moral laws of God as murder or adultery. We all stand in need of God’s mercy, therefore we should speak and act as people who honestly believe they will be judged by the law that brings freedom. Christians are obligated to be merciful to everyone.

Next, James lays out his case that it is not enough to simply have “belief” in God. In this notorious passage, he questions the value of a “faith” which is mere mental agreement with the truth. Any religious “faith”—or simple intellectual agreement—which doesn’t result in good works is a dead faith. To have biblical, saving faith in God, to really trust Him, is a mindset which invariably leads one to obey God.

As an example, James describes an encounter with someone who doesn’t have enough to wear or eat. Is it enough to simply tell them to stay warm and get something to eat and to go in peace? No, James insists, those words accomplish nothing. What we say in our minds is meaningless if it does not matter enough to influence our actions. More to the point, the actions prove the truth—or falsehood—behind the claimed belief.

Some read James’s arguments as a contradiction to the teachings of Paul. It’s not a necessary disagreement, as this passage actually complements the message of Paul very consistently. The reason for confusion involves a mistaken view of the biblical definition of “faith.” Saving faith is not merely agreement; it is trust. James makes it clear that the “faith” which he says cannot save is mere intellectual belief. True faith saves, but it also results in works.

Paul was eager to make clear that salvation cannot be achieved by human effort. Freedom from the eternal penalty of sin is available only to those who trust in Christ. It is not something we can earn by keeping of the law (Ephesians 2:8–9). But those saved through faith and by God’s grace will, without fail, step into the good works God has prepared for them to do (Ephesians 2:10).

James agrees. In fact, he is saying, theologically, exactly the same thing as Paul. However, while Paul emphasizes the “cause,” which is trusting faith, James emphasizes the “effect,” which is good works. James stresses that so-called-“faith”, which is merely mental agreement and does not produce good and loving works, is not a genuine, saving faith. He points to the Old Testament examples of Abraham and Rahab to show that their faith saved them—and we know this because their “faith” resulted in obedience and courageous good works for God and His people.

James summarizes this with the explicit comparison to a dead body. A body which exhibits no spirit or breath is not alive. In the same way, a “faith”—in this case, meaning “intellectual belief”—with no resulting works is also dead.

Chapter Context
In chapter 1, James taught that a saving belief in God changes how a Christian looks at trials in their lives. It affects where they turn for help, and who they credit for good. Believers hear the Word and do it. In this chapter, James insists that our faith in God should keep us from showing favoritism to the rich and powerful on earth and should provoke us to love our poor neighbors as ourselves. He also makes the case that so-called-”faith” which does not result in works, is not saving faith, at all. Despite controversy, this does not clash with Paul’s view of salvation by grace alone. James refers to good works as an expected outcome of salvation, not the source of it. In the following chapters, he will continue to show what a life of genuine faith looks like.

Verse by Verse

Verse 1. My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.

In the previous chapter, James urged his Christian readers to believe God thoroughly. Their trust in Christ should change the way they think about money in this life (James 1:9–11). If we really believe that eternal riches await God’s children in heaven, and that this life will be over in a moment, we should drastically reduce the importance we attach to money. In those verses, he showed how the poor should rejoice in their future rewards, and the rich should not rely on their possessions. This lead into a description of how Christians ought to obey the Word of God, not merely hear it.

Here, James starts to unpack the implications of those ideas. James begins with the issue of giving better treatment to wealthy people than to poor people. Apparently, this human tendency was a problem even in the early church. Christians were under heavy persecution. “If we treat the rich and powerful people well,” they may have thought, “they will treat us well.” James will insist that shows a lack of faith in the God who provides for us.

He begins in this verse with a command to Christians to do the opposite: show no partiality or favoritism. Period. True believers trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Lord of Glory (or the glorious Lord).

The implication here is that the Lord of Glory is fully capable of providing all we need at all times and forever. His glory will be ours for eternity. If you are trusting the Lord to meet all of your needs, why show favoritism to anyone in hopes that they will provide for you (or avoid harming you)?

In the following verses, James will paint a picture of what faithless favoritism might look at a gathering of believers.

Context Summary
James 2:1–13 continues the prior passage’s focus on Christians living out what the Word of God says. Those who hold the faith of Christ should obey the command to love our neighbors as ourselves. This includes not showing favoritism to the rich over the poor. Christians should trust God to provide for and protect them, instead of seeking the favor of the very group of people who were oppressing them in the first place. According to the gospel, all of us are lawbreakers. Christians, as people who believe they will be judged by the law that gives freedom, should treat all others as equals.

Verse 2. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in,

In the previous verse, James urged his Christian readers to avoid favoritism towards one group of people over another. Specifically, the rich over the poor. Why would anyone do such a thing? As we’ll see, the temptation is to treat wealthy, powerful people well in hopes of earning their favor. In some cases, it’s as simple as hoping to receive some of their money. Poor people can’t do much for us, after all, at least not materially. But these are extremely worldly, non-Christian attitudes. James means for those who claim to trust in Christ to treat everyone well.

In verse 2, James begins to describe an example of when believers might be tempted to favor one person based only on wealth. He poses the idea of a rich man and a poor man, both attending the “assembly,” meaning the gathering of Christians. This refers to what we would think of as a church service, where Christians would gather to worship God and hear from His Word. Some scholars suggest this might be a reference to some other kind of meeting, where Christians gathered to resolve disputes.

In either case, these two men are very different. One shows all the signs of earthly wealth: expensive jewelry and clothing. The other is wearing ratty clothing. How will the assembled believers treat these two men based only on their external appearances? James continues that thought in the following verses.

Verse 3. and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,”

In the prior verses, James suggested the idea of two men coming into a gathering of Christians. Outwardly, these men are very different. One shows all the signs of earthly wealth and power: expensive jewelry and clothing. The other one is literally wearing filthy clothes. James began this section by telling believers not to show favoritism as they trust in Christ. Or, put another way, that Christians should reflect our ultimate trust in Christ by not showing favoritism to one group of people over another. Trust Christ to provide, instead of buttering up the wealthy in hopes of gaining powerful allies.

Here in verse 3, James gets specific about what sinful favoritism looks like. It involves attention and honor. If you give extra attention to the wealthy man, while engaging with the poor man as little as possible, you are showing favoritism. If you give the wealthy man one of the best seats, while directing the poor man to stand or to sit on the floor as a servant would, you are showing favoritism.

Even more so than in the modern day, the place a person was seated reflected their status in that group. It wasn’t just about having a good view of the platform or being on the aisle. It was about recognizing a person’s social status. One’s social status in the world, James will insist, should not determine their status within the family of Christ.

Verse 4. have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

James has been painting a picture of favoritism or partiality. Today, we might call it discrimination. In this particular example, James is commanding Christians not to discriminate against poor people in favor of rich people. In the previous verses, James wrote that those who trust in Christ—the Lord of Glory—must not show favoritism. He then describes a scenario that may well have happened at some gatherings of Christians: people of wildly different status arriving at the meeting. After all, it’s what would happen in their culture at any normal gathering of any group of people.

Rich, powerful people in that society were given places of honor and special attention at gatherings. Poor, dirty people would have been glad just to be allowed to stand in the corner or even to sit on the floor. This was for many of the same reasons rich people are unfairly favored today. Rich people could do things for you if they liked you. They could provide money and influence and even protection. Poor people couldn’t do anything for you, at least not in terms of material help.

James’s point, in the end, will be that people who trust the Lord of Glory should be confident that He will provide. They don’t need the favor of the rich. They can afford to give their favor to the poor and rich equally. Imagine the shocking contrast that would be in a culture where poor people were treated so badly.

Now, in the form of a question, James states that this kind of favoritism is deeply sinful. Christians who show this kind of bias reveal their lack of faith. They fail to trust in God’s equal love for all His children in Christ. Acting in prejudice shows they didn’t really believe that Christians who are poor in this life will be equal heirs of the riches of glory forever. Instead, they made themselves the judges, distinguishing who was worthy of honor and attention and who was not. Their discrimination revealed their evil, earthly way of thinking.

Verse 5. Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?

James still calls his Christian readers “beloved,” though he is rebuking them for giving favor to rich people over those who are poor. He began this section by urging Christians not to show partiality, painting a picture of what illicit favoritism looks like in practice.

In the culture of these early Christians, it would be perfectly normal to give a wealthy man a place of honor at a gathering. It would be equally typical to expect a poor, dirty man to stand in the corner, or to sit on the floor. James insists, though, that our belief in Christ should change the way we treat everyone. We must not let the prejudice of culture, or the allure of money, to determine our standards.

In fact, demonstrating favoritism for the rich over the poor reveals that we don’t really trust what we claim to believe. In this verse, James makes his point with a very specific question: Hasn’t God chosen some who are poor in this life to be rich now in faith and rich forever in His kingdom? Isn’t that the promise He makes to those who love Him?

Every Christian reading James’s words should answer “yes.” That’s what we believe. But if that’s what we believe, James asks, why don’t we treat each other that way when we get together? Why don’t we treat poor Christians with the same respect, honor, and attention we give to the wealthy ones?

Verse 6. But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court?

James continues his thought from the previous verse. There, he reminded readers that God had made Christians who are poor in this life rich in faith right now, and rich in His kingdom forever. That is the promise God has made to those who love Him. He phrases this in the form of a question. James’s Christian readers would, of course, answer “yes” to that question.

James’s goal is to convey a crucial point: treating Christian brothers and sisters, rich or poor, as men and women worthy of equal honor only makes sense. When we fail to do so, he writes, we dishonor those who are poor.

Then James expands his argument. To give the rich special treatment makes no sense for another reason: As a group, the rich of the first century treated Christians very badly. We don’t know all of the specific circumstances James is referring to here, but it seems clear that most of James’s readers, and most Christians of this time, were poor people. They lived in a society where the wealthy became wealthier and more powerful. They often did so, in part, by using their money to influence the courts, in order to gain land that wasn’t theirs. They used their riches to force the poor to work that land, often under terrible conditions.

Of course, not every rich person of James’s era was guilty of all of these things. Nor are rich people today all guilty of such abuse. In this particular time and place, however, James writes that the rich had been guilty of oppressing and exploiting his Christian readers. The rich have been guilty of taking them to court, abusing them, and taking advantage of them.

This makes the force of James’s point about favoritism clear, both spiritually and practically. It’s foolish for Christians to give preferential treatment to the rich, in the hopes of getting better treatment, when the rich are the very ones mistreating them!

Verse 7. Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?

James has been discussing the sin of Christians who were showing favoritism to wealthy people over the poor. Prior verses showed how such discrimination reveals a lack of trust in God. If the Creator gives eternal honor to all who are in Christ, including those who are poor in this life, then there is no reason to treat people differently based on wealth. James also made a very practical point to his first-century readers: It’s the rich people who are oppressing you, why would you expect them to treat you well? Apparently, most of James’s readers and most Christians of the time were poor people. Their favoritism for the rich may have been about trying to gain favor from wealthy and powerful men instead of trusting Christ to provide for them.

Here, in verse 7, James makes an additional point about the abusive rich people the early Christian church was dealing with. This group of wealthy oppressors also blaspheme the name of Christ. But their actions are more personal than that. These persecutors blaspheme the noble (or honorable or fair) name by which believers are called: “Christian,” those who belong to Christ.

Phrased another way, James is asking, “Why seek the favor of the rich who reject your Savior when your Savior is capable to provide all you need both now and forever?”

Verse 8. If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.

In the previous verses, James made the case that favoritism to the rich over the poor is doubly foolish. First, it is a sin because it ignores the equality of all men, and the reality of our true destiny in heaven. It shows a lack of faith in the God who provides. Second, it’s ridiculous to discriminate against the poor and favor the rich when it’s the rich who are causing their oppression. Clearly, the rich of James’s culture aren’t interested in giving Christians a fair shake.

Now, in verses 8 and 9, James takes his argument to another level. He references the famous love command found in the Old Testament Law and in the teachings of Jesus (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:39). Favoritism, James claims, violates this clear and crucial mandate from God.

In the context of James’s teaching here, to love our neighbor as we love ourselves means treating our neighbor as we would want to be treated. More specifically, we will treat our poor Christian brothers and sisters with the same honor and respect we would give to any rich man or woman who might show up at our gatherings.

James writes that believers are doing well when we really (or genuinely, authentically) fulfill that royal law. What makes it a “royal” law? Either James means that it is part of the “king” of all the commands in the Old Testament law, as Jesus said it was (Matthew 22:36–40), or he calls it royal because it was endorsed by Jesus, who is the King of Kings. In either case, this command is the only thing that should guide the honor we show to every person, no matter their status in the larger community.

Verse 9. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

James now declares that to show favoritism to someone because of their wealth or power in society is, simply put, a sin. In doing so, we break the command to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. We become lawbreakers. James is clearly concerned that his readers understand how serious this issue of giving preferential treatment is. God cares deeply that His children refuse to judge each other based on the standards of the world. James’s focus here was on showing favoritism to wealthy, powerful people, but the same can be said of discriminating based on race, gender, or other factors.

Within the community of Christians, there must be no castes of people: we are not to divide the world into levels or ranks of human beings. As Paul wrote in Colossians 3:11, “Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.”

This teaching was one of the reasons Christianity attracted so many people so quickly. The world was dominated by the Roman caste system that defined the relative value of every person. The idea that in Christ everyone is of equal value in the eyes of God and the eyes of His children was revolutionary. It’s essential that Christians show each other that we genuinely believe this is true.

Verse 10. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.

In the previous verse, James insisted that to show favoritism to a wealthy person over a poor one is a sin. It is a failure to obey God’s command to love others as we love ourselves. We become, by definition, lawbreakers.

James recognizes that our human tendency is to dismiss our sin. But he’s not going to let us off of the hook. To sin in this area of favoritism and prejudice, James reveals, makes us just as guilty as if we had systematically broken every single command in the Law. The point is not that all sins are equally heinous. Rather, it is that on God’s legal scorecard, for those He will judge according to the Old Testament Law, even one sin is damning. A person either is perfect, or they are not. One “stumble,” as James describes it here, earns us the same “fail” rating as a lifetime of deliberate disobedience.

In a few verses, James will make the point that such a reality should make us depend all the more on God’s mercy. This grace is available to all who trust in Christ for the forgiveness of our sins. For now, though, James wants us to understand that this sin of discriminating against others, based on the world’s standards, is just that: a sin. The laws we follow do not make up for the ones we break.

Verse 11. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

James continues his thought from the previous verse regarding the eternal consequences of sin. Whoever stumbles over any single command in God’s Law is just as imperfect, and therefore guilty, as the one who breaks all of the commands in God’s Law. Both have failed to keep the Law. Both are lawbreakers.

Now James drives the point home. Adultery? Murder? We might think of one as profoundly worse than the other. James says that’s irrelevant when it comes to our salvation. Break either one of these commandments, and you are a lawbreaker. You are guilty. “But I didn’t commit that other sin” is not a valid defense for the sins we do commit.

Paul wrote something very similar in Romans, but went a bit further: Everyone is a lawbreaker. Everyone has sinned and, by definition, fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). That’s why we need for God to forgive us, to judge us according to Jesus’ goodness and not our own. Paul’s declaration that all have sinned continues in the next verse: “and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:24).”

In the next verse, James will urge us to carry with us an awareness that we are all lawbreakers in need of God’s mercy.

Verse 12. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.

In the previous few verses, James made the point that anyone who stumbles in obeying any command in the law is, by definition, a lawbreaker. He is equally as guilty as if he had broken every command in the law. James’s point wasn’t that we’re all doomed to experience God’s eternal wrath in hell. James agrees with Paul (Romans 3:23–24) that, solely through faith in Christ, we find forgiveness from all of our sins. Nothing in his letter contradicts that truth.

Rather, James is urging us to carry with us an awareness that we are lawbreakers. We must acknowledge the fact that we are sinners. Perhaps some of his readers believed themselves to be superior to other Christians. Maybe that’s why they tended to show favoritism to the wealthy. They may have believed themselves to be more spiritual, or closer to God, because of their relatively “better” obedience to the law.

James says that attitude is wrong. All Christians are equally guilty of sin: none are perfect. All of us are fully depending on God’s mercy to save us. Our good works are not what make us righteous in the eyes of God. We should treat each other as if that is true. We should speak and act as those who will, in fact, experience God’s judgment.

However, God will not judge those who trust in Christ under the absolute standards of the Old Testament Law. Instead, He will judge us under the standards of the law of liberty, or the law that gives freedom. In Christ, forgiven from our sin, we are free to obey the God who loves us and shows us mercy. We must speak and act toward each other as people also in need of great mercy from God, fellow sinners forgiven by the blood of Christ. In that humility, we are very unlikely to show favoritism based on the world’s standards.

Verse 13. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

James’s statement in this verse hints toward the theme he will use for the rest of this chapter: Those who trust in God live like it. As he wrote in prior verses, true believers speak and act in ways consistent with what they believe to be true. It isn’t really such a radical idea, but it is an easy one to confuse.

In this verse, James writes that God will judge without mercy people who have shown no mercy to others. First, it’s important to understand what this does not mean. It does not mean that a Christian who has been unmerciful at times will go to hell. It does not mean an unbeliever who is merciful will go to heaven.

What James means is that those who trust in God, who are in Christ, will show mercy to others. Of course, they won’t be perfect. Christians still sin, in this and other ways. But trust in the God of mercy causes Christians to show mercy, at least as a matter of habit. One who never shows mercy, or rarely shows it, is not one who trusts in Christ, and God will not judge that person with mercy.

God will show mercy to those who are in Christ. His mercy is far superior to His judgment. In a similar way, it is far superior for us to show mercy to each other than to judge each other. And it is consistent with how God is treating us.

Verse 14. What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?

This verse begins a controversial passage, one often misunderstood. Here, James will begin to make the case that genuine faith in Christ results in genuine change in the actions of believers. On the surface, it’s really not such a radical idea. Human beings tend to act on what we truly believe. Those who believe God is right and good and powerful will most naturally obey Him. Those who believe God has called them to meet the needs of others will most naturally look for ways to do that.

The controversy comes with what appears, at first glance, to be a contradiction with the teachings of Paul and the other New Testament writers. Paul says in Ephesians 2:8–9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” James’s question in this verse seems to be questioning whether or not a person can be saved without works.

That, however, is not what James is asking. It’s crucial to note that, in the original Greek, James uses the phrase hē pistis for “that faith.” The word hē is important, because it narrows the scope of what James is referring to. In this case, it points back to what was said in the phrase just before. James specifies a person who “says he has faith but does not have works.” James then questions whether or not that faith—one which does not result in good works—can save. This is why most translations translate this as “this faith,” or “such faith.”

It will become clear in the following verses that James’s point complements what Paul says. James never suggests that we are saved by our works. This verse does not question the saving value of faith. Rather, it questions the saving value of “so-called-faith,” or a mere belief which doesn’t produce good works. James’s criticism is specifically aimed at a belief in God which does not cause a changed life.

It’s essential to see the full context of what James has to say here. He is not questioning all definitions of “faith.” He is not disputing that faith alone saves. He is not claiming that works save. James is most definitely saying that a faith which saves, by its very nature, is something which produces works. As later verses will show, works are evidence of salvation, not the source of it.

Two critical verses for understanding this point are James 2:19 and James 2:26. There James clearly describes how mere mental “belief” is not the same as saving faith, and that a faith without works is as dead as a body without breath.

Context Summary
James 2:14–26 makes the case that how one acts—their ”works”—are a sign of the kind of ”faith” they possess. So-called-”faith” which doesn’t lead a person to participate in good works is not a saving faith; it is a dead thing. It is pointless and meaningless to believe, or ”wish,” a poverty-stricken person to be well, if such an opinion leads to no action. In exactly the same way, James insists that it is not enough to mentally agree about certain facts of God. If what a person believes about God does not lead them to act accordingly, then their ”faith” is not saving faith. It is merely opinion. James never says that faith is not essential for salvation. He never claims works are required to obtain or keep salvation. He is, however, crystal clear that truly saving faith cannot be separated from the evidence of good works.

Verse 15. If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,

James began this controversial section, in verse 14, by asking a potent question: Can a claimed faith in Christ, which does not lead to good works, be the kind of faith that leads to salvation? The question is very narrow: James specifies that he is only questioning the “faith” he just defined: that which produces no good works. As these next verses will show, James’s answer to that question is, “No, it does not.”

The point is not that faith is not enough to save us. The verses which follow will flesh out the point James is attempting to make. In short: that the same faith which grants us salvation is the same faith which produces good works. “Faith” which is only mental agreement is not saving faith.

Here in verse 15, James begins to paint a picture to illustrate his point: a fellow believer in Christ who lacks enough clothing or food. This would have been an easy thing for James’ readers to imagine. They saw people like that on a regular basis. Bitter poverty was rampant among the poorest of the poor in that era. It’s not a hard thing for us to picture, either, though we may not have met anyone in such dire circumstances in person.

But suppose we did. James will ask us to consider what we might think about such a person, and what we might do about their condition. In verse 16, James will make the point that what a person does is the result of what they truly believe. In other words, a claimed “belief,” or “faith,” which produces no corresponding actions is pointless and dead.

Verse 16. and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?

James is building an illustration to flesh out the answer to his question in verse 14. His question was whether or not a so-called-“faith” which produces no good works was a saving faith. Critically, we should note that James is not asking whether or not doing good works is a requirement for salvation. He is speaking only of faith, but from the standpoint of what faith results in, in the life of the one who claims it.

In verse 15, James proposed an analogy: seeing a fellow Christian lacking food and clothing.

Here in verse 16, he continues the thought. Suppose another Christian offers that needy brother or sister warm words but nothing else. They express an emotion, or a belief, or a “faith,” in the well-being of that person, but do nothing in the real world about it.

The words James quotes were probably a normal, everyday phrase used in polite conversation, similar to “have a nice day,” in the modern world. Looked at another way, James might be describing an insensitive brush off. Telling someone with no access to food or clothing that you “wish them” to be warmed and filled and to go away with peace is the opposite of helpful. It is deeply hurtful. It’s even worse to say it to a family member, a brother or sister in Christ.

This brings up the point James is making about the relationship between the “faith” a person claims, and the “faith” a person actually has. If someone says they want to see a hungry person fed, but does nothing to feed them, do they actually want to see them fed? The hard truth is, no, deep down, they don’t. Because if they really wanted to see it, they’d act on those beliefs.

James pointedly asks: what good is that kind of works-less sentiment? It is clearly no good. In the next verse, James will expand this into a larger point that faith—a mere claim to belief, as he is using the word—without works is dead. At the same time, James is echoing his recent command to care for the needs of the poor, rather than favoring the rich.

The point James makes is clear: what we do is a clear indication of what we actually believe. The person who says they want to see a poor man helped, but who does not help them, doesn’t really want to help. In the same way, a person who claims to have saving faith in Christ, but who does not act accordingly, does not actually have saving faith.

Verse 17. So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Many years ago, Christian musician Rich Mullins summed up this verse in a song called Screen Door. In it, he says “Faith without works is like a song you can’t sing. It’s about as useless as a screen door on a submarine.”

The teaching of Christianity was revolutionary, and it still is. The emphasis of the gospel is on grace, through faith, and not by the good deeds—works—which we do. Instead of demanding sinless perfection and sacrifice, or some subjective judgment, God was offering forgiveness of sins and an eternal home with Him for all who believe in Christ. That leads to an all-important question: “What does it mean to have a saving belief in Christ?” This is the issue James is tackling in this part of Scripture.

Reading James in context with the rest of the New Testament helps us to answer that question. In this particular case, James is making a crucial point about the gospel: simple mental agreement is not enough. “Knowledge” is not “trust.” Salvation does not come when a person agrees to the facts of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. Accepting Christ is not like agreeing that the city of Lincoln is the capital of Nebraska. Such a “belief” requires no response, no action. In verses 15 and 16, James also pointed out that merely claiming something does not make the claim true. A person who says “I believe,” but does nothing to support such a belief, does not actually believe what they have claimed.

James makes clear that saving faith in Christ is active and transformative. Salvation is about placing our trust in Christ; this necessarily transforms us in such a way that we begin to make new and different choices. Living faith in Christ changes the direction of a person’s life. It always results in the believer beginning to participate in good works. Where there are no works, there is only a dead “words only” faith—the kind James refers to in the first part of verse 14.

It’s important to note here what James is not saying. He is not in any sense claiming that salvation requires good works. He’s not talking about following the law or being perfectly sinless. He’s talking about doing good works that are consistent with loving other Christians and obeying the Father. That’s what those who trust in Christ begin to do.

In other words, we are saved only by faith, and this faith which saves will produce good works. According to James, those who lack works are not saved—not because they lack works, but because their lack of works proves that they lack saving faith.

Verse 18. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

James continues making the point that genuine, living faith in Christ results in a believer beginning to participate in good works. That is, Christians begin to obey their Father and love other believers as they love themselves. Those who don’t do so have a dead faith (James 2:17). In verses 14 through 17, James gave a very specific teaching that so-called-“faith” which does not result in good works is just that: phony. At no point does James require works to earn salvation, or to keep it. Rather, James points out that what we do is the result of what we truly believe. Simply claiming to have faith in Christ is meaningless; saving faith is a faith which results in action.

Not all Bible scholars agree on how we should read this verse. It’s clear that James is quoting someone, but there are no quotation marks in the original Greek language. The problem this presents is knowing where exactly the quotation stops, and where James’ response to it begins. There are many different options, with a tremendous amount of material which could be discussed. In short, all possible interpretations point to the same fundamental teaching: the works a person does are the proof of the nature of their faith. Saving faith produces works, and those without works fail to show evidence that they are saved.

The majority of scholars and Bible translations believe James means the quote to be from someone objecting to his teaching. In that view, the quotation would end after the first sentence, with the phrase “I have works” in this verse. This view presents someone objecting to James by claiming that faith and works are completely unrelated. This might be a claim that some believers have “faith” and some have “works.” It might be the claim that not every Christian needs to have them both—that some Christians are “faith” Christians and some Christians are “works” Christians.

James’s argument here is entirely practical: show me. Show me any evidence for your faith without any works. It can’t be done. People who truly believe something act on what they claim to believe. Faith that doesn’t cause a person to act is a dead faith, not a saving faith. On the contrary, James writes, I can show you what I believe by the good works that I do.

Again, it’s important not to read the wrong message into James’s words. At no point does James disconnect salvation from faith. On the contrary, this entire passage is about the fact that we are only saved by faith—but that this faith is more than simply agreement. Saving faith produces works. So, while works do not save, those who are saved will, naturally, demonstrate good works.

Verse 19. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe — and shudder!

James continues making his point that genuine saving faith in Christ results in doing good works. This includes loving other believers, and obeying our Father. It is not enough to simply agree to certain facts about God. It is not enough to claim to be a believer. Saving, living faith is a trust in God which naturally results in certain actions. It means living out the truth with our everyday choices.

This verse is perhaps the strongest statement in Scripture on the difference between “knowing about” God and “trusting in” God. This is key to the concept of saving faith. The question James asks in verse 14 goes hand-in-hand with his statement here. Knowledge is not the same as trust, or obedience, or saving faith. After all, James argues, even demons believe that “God is one”—and they shudder in fear of Him. It’s not enough to agree that the thing is true. Real faith in God personally responds to that truth with trust and obedience.

The statement that “God is one” may have been a reference to one of the central ideas of Judaism. Known as the Shema, it is found in Deuteronomy 6:4: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” Every one of James’s Jewish readers would have grown up agreeing with that truth.

James’s point is that it is not enough to just agree. That puts those who talk about God, but fail to act in ways consistent with that belief, in the same category as demons. It means knowing, but not trusting. It means “dead faith,” rather than “saving faith.” The danger of this condition is that a self-assured “religious” person can spend their entire lives in simple agreement without ever crossing over into true and living faith.

Verse 20. Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?

In prior verses, James has attempted to make a clear distinction between a so-called-“faith” and a truly saving faith. False faith is one which results in no good works. The works do not save us, and there is no sense in which James requires works for salvation. But, he points out that even demons have a sort of “faith,” by believing that God exists. Faith which saves is faith which results in action.

James is not arguing that faith doesn’t matter. Nor is he denying that through faith alone we are saved by God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8–9). He is simply noting that the “faith which saves” is something more than an opinion. Instead, James is arguing for exactly what Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:10: That the God who saved us by His grace through faith—and not in any sense through works—planned all along for His believing children to do good works, “that we should walk in them.” That’s what true believers do.

With this short verse, James prepares to make his final arguments that genuine faith always results in good works. He asserts in rather blunt terms that those who disagree are foolish. He asks his hypothetical, foolish “someone,” the source of the challenge of verse 18, if he wants to be shown or see evidence that faith without works is a useless, dead faith.

Verse 21. Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?

James continues to make the case that saving faith in God results in the believer doing good works. Works do not save, but they are the natural result of a faith which does. Now James turns to two examples from the Old Testament, stories his Jewish readership would have known well.

It’s important that we read this verse in the context of the verses that will follow. James’s point throughout this section has been that works flow naturally from saving faith. His teaching complements that of Paul in Ephesians 2:8–10, where Paul is clear that we are saved through faith by God’s grace and end up, inevitably, doing the good works that God has planned for us all along.

Some see a contradiction between Paul and James in this and the following verses. The confusion is understandable, but in the context of each passage, we can see that there is no such error. Paul writes in Romans 4:1–5 that Abraham was justified by faith, not works. Here, James states clearly, in the form of a question, that Abraham was justified by works when he obeyed God’s command to sacrifice Isaac—until the moment God said “stop,” in Genesis chapter 22.

Context, however, is crucial. All of James’s words leading up to verse 21 have been about how works demonstrate saving faith. Paul used the term “justify” to describe the formal process by which God declared a person righteous. This is clear from the context of his other words. James, in this passage, has been describing the difference between a living faith and a dead faith. James is using the term “justify” to refer to proof, in the eyes of people. Paul and James are not contradicting each other; they are speaking of two different things.

James is pointing to Abraham’s faith as the motivating power behind his works. James will also show that it was Abraham’s belief that allowed him to be counted as righteous. His works were evidence of that faith, and therefore evidence of his salvation.

Verse 22. You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;

James continues to make the case that genuine faith in God always leads to the believer obeying God. Having a false faith, one which is only intellectual, or pretended, results in a person not doing what God has called us to do. Having an actual, trusting, saving faith results in that believer participating in good works.

As seen in the previous verses, James’s words complement Paul’s teaching that we are saved through faith by God’s grace. Both James and Paul agree that those who are saved through faith inevitably end up doing good works. The two, faith and works, cannot be separated. Only faith saves, a point James never questions. However, saving faith is the kind of trust which results in good works. Those who lack works prove that they lack saving faith.

James cited the example of Abraham’s obedience to God, even when commanded to sacrifice his only son Isaac. He trusted God all the way through the moment where God said “stop,” in Genesis 22. James asserted in verse 21 that Abraham was justified by his actions. Based on context, James is referring to a different kind of “justification” than Paul uses in passages such as Romans chapter 4. According to James, Abraham’s faith saved him, but his actions—his works—demonstrated his faith in God. In this verse, James makes that all the more clear: Abraham’s obedience showed his active, working faith.

In fact, his obedience completed, or “perfected” his faith. The Greek word is eteleiōthē, which literally means, “to carry through to the end,” or “to complete.” As James has been saying, the natural result of saving faith is good works. Works don’t cause saving faith, but saving faith causes good works. Those with saving faith in God will act on that belief.

Verse 23. and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness” — and he was called a friend of God.

James cites the example of Abraham, making his case that genuine saving faith in God always leads to participating in good works. Specifically, James points to the moment when God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac. In obedience, Abraham set out to do exactly that, right up until the moment God told him to stop (Genesis 22).

Some see a contradiction here between James and Paul. Paul’s writings are renowned for emphasizing that we are saved by grace, through faith, and without any contribution from our good deeds. James does not dispute this; rather, this entire passage is James’s discussion of what kind of faith is “saving faith.” James’s point is that faith alone saves, but the faith which saves is the kind which leads to good works. Paul emphasizes our eternal salvation in God, James highlights how our actions prove the nature of our faith.

The fact that these two men are in agreement is shown in other similarities. For example, both Paul and James quote Genesis 15:6. Paul quotes it in Romans 4:3 as part of his teaching that salvation is available only through faith. James quotes it here in support of his teaching that genuine faith always leads to good works. James and Paul present arguments which do not contradict, but rather complement each other.

One must be counted by God as “righteous” in order to be in relationship with Him. Paul and the rest of the New Testament writers are clear that our only hope of being found righteous by God is to trust in Christ. That is “saving faith”—a submissive, repentant trust in Jesus Christ. When we express that faith, God forgives our sin and gives us credit for the righteous life Jesus lived while on earth. No good deeds can earn this, and none are required to keep this.

Here in this extended passage, James reminds us that those made righteous by faith in Christ will proceed to do good works. James also adds that Abraham was called a friend of God. Jesus, too, called His disciples friends (John 15:15). It’s hard to imagine being God’s friend, but that is available to those who trust in Christ and, in faith, obey the Father who loves us.

Verse 24. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

James continues to make the case that those who truly trust in God naturally end up participating in good works. As James showed in prior verses, no one can be saved by good works. Works are not required for salvation—they are a “symptom” of saving faith. In verse 22, he used the Greek word eteleiōthē to explain good works as the “completion,” or the natural end result, of saving faith. James is urgently making the case that all those who are saved through faith by God’s grace will participate in good works.

It is in that spirit that James writes that a person is “justified” by works and not by faith alone. In verse 21, James used the concept of “justification,” which some see as a contradiction to Paul’s use of “justification” in passages such as Romans 4. Here, it is common for a reader to assume a contradiction with Romans 3:28: “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.”

It’s important to remember two things, however. First, James is not claiming works are required for salvation. His entire argument has been about what kind of faith actually saves. He is on the attack against the attitude that one can be saved by a faith that has no works. He has stated repeatedly that such a faith is dead, useless. He is not saying that faith is not the means through which we receive God’s grace; he is saying that a so-called-“faith” which results in no actions is not a genuine faith. A “works-less” faith cannot justify anyone.

The other thing that is important to remember is this: James has been consistent in upholding faith as necessary for salvation. This includes his quote in verse 23 that Abraham was counted as righteous for believing God.

Context is the key to all Bible study, and especially for resolving apparent contradictions. In Paul’s writings, it is clear he is describing “justification” in the sense of salvation: being declared righteous by God. James, according to this context, is referring to “justification” in the sense of proof for human beings. Faith saves, says James, but “saving faith” cannot be a mere intellectual opinion, which produces no resulting actions.

Verse 25. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?

James is wrapping up his case that genuine faith in God naturally results in a believer participating in good works. After showing how Abraham’s saving faith caused him to act, James cites one more example from the Old Testament: Rahab the prostitute.

Rahab’s story is told in Joshua chapter 2. She was a citizen of Jericho who had heard the stories of Israel’s mighty God and believed them: “The Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath” (Joshua 2:11). So when Israel’s spies showed up to prepare for the battle against Jericho, Rahab hid them and helped them escape. Because of her actions, God spared Rahab and her family from the destruction to follow.

It’s important not to read something into the Bible which the author does not actually say. James point is not that Rahab’s salvation was accomplished by what she did. The entire context of his discussion has been knowing what kind of faith it is that actually saves. Rahab’s actions revealed that her faith in Israel’s God was more than simply opinion: it was trusting, genuine faith. It’s one thing to claim belief (James 2:14), or to have knowledge (James 2:19), but Rahab demonstrated that she had real saving faith—she “was justified,” as James is using the term here—by courageously trusting the God of Israelites. This trust led inevitably to her good deeds. This is in perfect harmony with other New Testament passages such as Hebrews 11:31: “By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.”

Genuine faith in God and good works always go together. Works do not save, but they naturally flow from a legitimate relationship with Christ.

Verse 26. For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Here James completes his case for an often-misunderstood teaching. His point is that genuine faith in God naturally leads the believer to participate in good works. This isn’t a particularly radical idea, even from a non-spiritual point of view. If we actually believe that God is truly God and that He has saved us through our faith in Christ, why would we not obey Him? Our deeds don’t earn our salvation, but what we do proves whether or not we really have saving faith.

James drives the point home here with one last illustration. James makes a clever word-play here, similar to one Jesus uses in John chapter 3. James claims that a faith without works is just as dead as a body without pneumatos. This Greek term can mean “wind,” which is a euphemism for breathing, or it can mean “spirit,” or even capital-S-“Spirit,” meaning the Holy Spirit. The wordplay is key to seeing how serious James is about the implications of this teaching. A body without breath is dead. A person without “the Spirit” is spiritually dead. James ties together a lack of breath, a lack of spirit, and the presence of death with the concept of a works-less faith.

Bodies which don’t breathe are dead. In the same way a so-called-“faith”—whether in the form of religion, or family identity, or intellectual knowledge—that is not accompanied by good works is not a living thing. It’s dead. The spiritual implications are clear; works-less faith is not saving faith.

Good works can take many forms. In this chapter, James emphasized the good works of Christians loving each other as we love ourselves. He specifically emphasized meeting each other’s physical needs. He has also stressed obedience to God.

James’s teaching, for all the debate it generates, can be summarized briefly: We are saved by faith, and saving faith produces good works. Those who lack works prove that they lack saving faith.

End of Chapter 2.

Please Note:

The material use in this post, video is from BibleRef.com which is from Got Questions Ministries and is posted here to be read by Immersive reader in the Edge Browser. If you copy this material please follow these rules:

•Content from BibleRef.com may not be used for any commercial purposes, or as part of any commercial work, without explicit prior written consent from Got Questions ministries.

•Any use of our material should be properly credited; please make it clear the content is from BibleRef.com.

•BibleRef.com content may not be altered, modified, or otherwise changed unless such changes are specifically noted.