THE USELESS FAITH: JAMES 2:18 - 20

Verses 18-20: But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?

The word ‘but’ continues the case in point which James made in the previous verses, particularly in response to the one who says “Go in peace,” etc. in verse 16. We may presume that the individual in verse 16 has faith and is saved; for the issue is not to determine whether they are saved but what type of faith do they have. James states what someone might say by way of a challenge to the ‘one’ mentioned in verse 16: “You have faith and I have works.” This challenge can be paraphrased as follows: “You have ‘faith’ (the type described as being dead in verse 17) but I have works (a faith that is active).” Dr. C.C. Ryrie maintains that:

The challenger’s statement ends before the first occurrence of the word show. James’s reply begins there.1

And the reply James gives is a decisive resolution to the essential issue of faith and works: “Show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith with my works.” The word “show” in this context means to display, to demonstrate the genuineness of one’s faith.2 This is addressed to James’ readers and to all of us today. Anyone who states that they have faith that is absent of works—producing divine good; fruit of the Spirit—they are directed to give evidence of how their faith can be observable to others. And then James states that he will manifest evidence of his faith by (with) his works, the production of divine good.

It should be noted that this is a purely hypothetical challenge. It is not a challenge designed to be employed by us with others. We should apply the challenge to ourselves asking: what type of faith do I have? Do I have the correct Biblical understanding of faith and the Christian way of life? We should not be judgmental about others, except in special instances, such as with our children (Proverbs 6:20, 23:22; Ephesians 6:1-3; Colossians 3:20) and for those who are seeking church leadership positions (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:6-9).

God is One

He now challenges the thinking of those who are relying on a belief that merely asserts that God is ‘one’, that is, the one true God. This refers to the recitation of the creed by the Jews known as the Shema found in Deuteronomy 6:4: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one."3 And to believe that God is one is splendid, for James applauds them that they ‘do well.’ The Greek word for ‘well’ means good. James is saying that they have come to a good and true conclusion about God.

However, just because they have arrived at a true understanding of God, it does not mean that their faith is productive. James is suggesting that to believe in God’s existence does not really substantiate that your faith is functioning as God intended—a life of love, submission and obedience towards Him. It is almost as if he is saying “Bully for you! The demons also believe.” However the demons’ belief “does not lead to love, submission, and obedience; instead it leads to hatred, rebellion, and disobedience.”4 In addition, the demons believe and shudder. This word ‘shudder’ is found nowhere else in the New Testament. It literally means “to bristle, to have one’s hair stand on end,”5 just like a cat that has been frightened. The movies have demonstrated this quite well when they depict exorcisms and show demons shaking and quaking.

The Useless Faith

In light of what James has stated in verse 19, he now questions whether they are willing to begin to distinguish what truly constitutes this life of faith. He characterizes them as a ‘foolish fellow.’ The word foolish means empty or hollow—and it is not meant to be very complimentary.6 Dr. Wuest notes that this person “is one in whom the higher wisdom has found no entrance, but who is puffed up with a vain conceit of his own spiritual insight.”7 What this implies, in essence, is this person is empty of accurate Biblical truth and is satisfied with and persuaded by the content of what he believes, however erroneous.

James is appealing to their volition asking if they are willing to recognize that faith without works is useless. He has already stated that faith having no works is 'dead'—inactive, inoperative (v.17). Now he wants to know if they will accept the Biblical truth that a faith without works is 'useless'—idle or unproductive.8 Robertson equates this to “money with no interest and land with no crops.”9

The bottom line is this: James maintains that a believer who does not produce good works, their walk of faith is unproductive in fulfilling the plan of God for their life. God’s plan for the believer to avoid being useless or unfruitful is provided in a condensed form by the Apostle Peter:

Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:5–8)

The issue of faith and works has divided many believers throughout the ages, and still perplexes many even today. James is not attempting to determine whether a certain faith can bring about salvation—eternal life. But instead his intention is demonstrate that the productive faith is evidenced by divine good and the unfruitful faith is inactive, being idle and unproductive.

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[1] Ryrie, C. C. (1995). Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Bible, 1995 update. Chicago: Moody Press, p. 1970 note.

[2] Beetham, Christopher A. (Ed.) (2021). The Concise New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, p. 197.

Schlier, Heinrich (1964–). In Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Kittel, G., Bromiley, G. W., & Friedrich, G., eds.)Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2.27 note₄.

[3] “The confession that God is One was the most basic confession of Judaism, found in the Shema and taken up into earliest Christianity (Mk. 12:29).” Burdick, Donald W. (2006). The Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 13.240.

[4] Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version. Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, (Jas 2:19).

[5] Zodhiates, S. (2000). The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, G5425

[6] The New American Bible translates this word as ignoramus.

[7] Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English Reader. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 21.139.

[8] Arndt, W., Gingrich, F. W., & Bauer, W. (1957). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, p. 104.

[9] Robertson, A. (1997). Word Pictures in the New Testament. Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, James 2:20

© 2023 David M. Rossi

Pontius Pilate vs. Truth

Holy Week which began March 28th (Palm Sunday), includes Good Friday and followed by Easter Sunday commemorating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

But it is Good Friday which has always been an important day to me because of its stark reminder of the reality of the Passion of Jesus Christ. I recall from my youth, when my brother and sister and I, at our father’s direction, would pause on this day between noon and three o’clock and read aloud from our Catholic Bible History book and quietly reflect upon those solemn events.

In the years since, I have studied these events in more detail. I am intrigued at the number of trials that Jesus had to endure, especially the one with the Roman Procurator, Pontius Pilate. Jesus was brought before Pilate having been charged by the Sanhedrin of proclaiming to be the Christ and a king:

And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.” (Luke 23:2)

The intention of those who accused Him was to characterize Jesus as a threat against the Roman Government. In the Gospel of John chapter 18, we observe Pilate questioning Jesus concerning this charge against Him. In verse 33, Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?” While Jesus avoided answering yes or no, instead He answered:

 “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” (John 18:36)

Pilate answered as if annoyed, “So you are a King?” To which Jesus replied:

“You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” (John 18:37)

In apparent frustration, Pilate asked, “What is truth?” Nevertheless, even though he found no guilt in Jesus but because of political expediency, Pilate sent Him to be scourged and crucified.

This question of Pilate’s has reverberated throughout the ages: What is truth? Theologians have suggested various ideas of what Pilate meant by his question, although the context shows that Pilate was certainly perplexed by the situation that confronted him. As he saw it, there was the truth of Jesus’ testimony, the ‘truth’ statement of His accusers, and there was also that which he thought to be ‘truth’—that none of this mattered to him outside of how this unpleasant incident could affect his political standing with Rome. And while Jesus indeed spoke the truth to him, Pilate was confused and would not believe what he heard from Jesus.

So, what is truth? Even today it is very difficult to separate fact from fiction. We have trouble differentiating what is truth within every segment of society: in the workplace, our government, the media, entertainment, and even within the Church. How are we to know what is truth? Are we even able to know what is truth?  Happily we can. For there is a standard which God has provided man—His Word. It was devised to enable all mankind to distinguish fact from fiction and therefore to know what is truth.

In the opening verses of his Gospel account, John proclaimed the truth of who Jesus Christ is:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:1, 14).

Little did Pilate know that standing before him was the embodiment of truth in the person of the Son of God. Jesus himself testified to this fact in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” And He declared as He prayed to the Father: “Your word is truth” (John 17:17).  Pilate literally had a close encounter with the “Truth” and turned instead to his own wisdom.

The truth of God, revealed in His Son, Jesus Christ, and explained by His written Word, is what we see being rejected in our own culture today. His truth is meant to give meaning and purpose for all mankind, and to answer the questions that men have concerning God and His creation. For the truth is that God provided redemption all mankind by the death of His Son on the cross. Jesus Christ bore the penalty for our sins, as Peter wrote:

And He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)

 We Christians should endeavor to make known His truth by permeating His truth into every area of our present culture—with family, in the workplace, with all who we come in contact. We should aspire to ensure that no one ever asks: “What is truth?”

 

THE DEAD FAITH: JAMES 2:15-17

Verses 15-17: If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, And one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

James continues in these three verses with an illustration of what constitutes faith without works.

He begins with a hypothetical1 scenario: a brother or sister who is without clothes (i.e. poorly dressed or insufficiently clothed) and are lacking daily food. This is a picture of those who are at the very bottom of the social ladder or those having unfavorable conditions which transpired in their lives. Their status may be either an on-going problem or one which occurs repeatedly in their lives. It is as if James is saying: “Suppose you discover someone who is in these dire conditions.”

He goes on and asks if you see someone lacking sufficient clothing and obviously wasting away from the lack of food and all you do is say “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” what good is that? Have you demonstrated compassion? Have you produced divine good? And if this individual were a fellow believer, it would be just as unthinkable for us not to help one of our own.

Now we could advance the issue and change the phraseology. Let’s presume that this individual is an unbeliever, what if instead of saying, “Go in peace,” we share with that person the gospel and then say, “Be warmed and be filled”? Would that be compassionate or even pertinent to the situation? Would this be an effective witness of the gospel? No.

This is not to minimize the presentation of the gospel, but the correct order as James indicates, would be to “give them what is necessary for their body”—to clothe and feed the individual. And then maybe while they are eating it would be a more appropriate time to present the gospel. 

The main emphasis is this: if a person has believed in Christ as his Savior, it should be a distinct characteristic of that person to respond by means of a pure demonstration of love, a work of compassion to help someone in need, just like the Good Samaritan did (Luke 10:25-37).

Verse 17 as correctly translated in the English Standard Version from the original Greek: “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” Note that James is not disparaging “faith by itself” as such; for faith—belief in Jesus Christ as Savior—is God’s ultimate aspiration for mankind (2 Peter 3:9). God’s divine intention is that the believers’ faith should include not just the moment of belief in Christ, but the comprehension of the Biblical principles of His Word and the execution of His plan for their lives. This was the Apostle Paul’s directive:

Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. (Colossians 2:6–7; cf. Jude 20)

However, for the believer in Jesus Christ, if their faith is without any outward manifestations to substantiate its reality, that faith is deemed ‘dead.’ The word dead in the Greek is a descriptive adjective used to characterize the type of faith that ‘has no works’—an inactive or an inoperative faith, one which produces no divine good works.

This is an often misunderstood verse. Many have wrongfully interpreted this verse in reverse: If a believer has no works, he has no faith and therefore he is not a believer. It is not what James intends. The individual who initially believes in Jesus Christ as Savior will obtain the irrevocable free gift of eternal life, period. This is the unfettered gospel of salvation as the early church understood. For example, when Peter stated simply: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). The free gift of salvation is in no way contingent upon whether or not the individual produces good works in the future.

The reality is that believers who do not produce divine good (works) may have made a decision at the point of salvation or even during their Christian lives not to undertake a personal relationship with Christ as is God’s objective which Paul described:

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)

The phrase to ‘walk in them’ means precisely that we are to perform the good works which God has designated for us to execute. The apostles and Paul did not advocate an idle, inactive relationship, but one which is vibrantly evident with fruitful good works (Acts 9:36; Galatians 5:22-23; Colossians 1:10; 1 Timothy 6:18).

However, there is a major difference in James’ argument between verse 14 and these verses under consideration. In verse 14 he discussed a particular belief system: that faith which indeed provides salvation but where the individual refuses God’s life of fellowship and service to the Creator as was His divine objective from the beginning of creation. It was established in that verse, that salvation was not in view, but instead deliverance from the divine discipline as detailed in verse 13.

But in these verses, James exhibits hypothetically why that particular faith—the belief system that embraces a relationship with God lacking evidential proof—is in practice a stark contrast to God’s divine objective of salvation. That without the production of divine good it is merely an inactive faith—it is idle, inoperative.

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[1] The if in verse 15 introduced the hypothetical. 

 

© 2023 David M. Rossi