Jam 2:14-26 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Jas 2:14-26: 2:14-26 James explains why Christians need to be concerned about the judgment of their actions (2:12-13 ): Real faith must be accompanied by good deeds (see 1:22-25 ). 2:14 if you say you have faith: James writes to Christians who need to be stimulated to produce actions that should arise from genuine faith. Paul makes the same point (see, e.g., Gal 5:6 ) but often criticizes people for trying to base their relationship with God on what they do (Rom 3:20 , 28 ; 4:3-5 ; Gal 2:16 ; 3:1-14 ).

Summary for Jas 2:14-26: 2:14-26 ^a James explains why Christians need to be concerned about the judgment of their actions (2:12-13 ^b): Real faith must be accompanied by good deeds (see 1:22-25 ^c). 2:14 ^d if you say you have faith: James writes to Christians who need to be stimulated to produce actions that should arise from genuine faith. Paul makes the same point (see, e.g., Gal 5:6 ^e) but often criticizes people for trying to base their relationship with God on what they do (Rom 3:20 ^f, 28 ^g; 4:3-5 ^h; Gal 2:16 ⁱ; 3:1-14 ^j).
Summary for Jas 2:15-16: 2:15-16 ^k Suppose you see: As in 2:2-4 ^l, James gives an illustration of “faith” that is useless.

• no food or clothing: In first-century Palestine and the Roman world in general, many poverty-stricken persons lacked the bare necessities of life.

• stay warm and eat well: This sentence probably expresses a presumption that God would provide the needs of the poor person. The speaker might suppose that what is needed is simply an expression of faith that it will happen. But without participation (action), it is an empty wish.
Summary for Jas 2:18-19: 2:18-19 ^m James demonstrates the futility of believing that something is true without acting upon it.

• Now someone may argue: James presents another diatribe (see study note on 1:13), in which he presents a hypothetical counterargument that one person may have the gift of faith while another person has the gift of works (see 1 Cor 12:7-9 ⁿ).
2:19 ^o that there is one God: This is the basic confession of Israel’s faith (see Deut 6:4 ^p).

• the demons believe: They know that there is one God, and he is their enemy (Mark 1:24 ^q).
Summary for Jas 2:20-26: 2:20-26 ^r James demonstrates from Scripture that genuine faith finds expression in action.
2:22 ^s This verse explains 2:21 ^t so it won’t be misunderstood: Abraham was not justified by his actions alone; instead, his faith and his actions worked together. This describes the full scope of Abraham’s faithful response to God throughout his life (see Gen 12:1-4 ^u; 18:1-27 ^v).
2:23 ^w it happened just as the Scriptures say (literally the Scripture was fulfilled): James saw the offering of Isaac (Gen 22 ^x) as the fulfillment of Abraham’s pledge of faith and God’s declaration of Abraham’s righteousness (quoted from Gen 15:6 ^y).

• He was even called the friend of God: James emphasizes the nature of faith as a relationship of undivided loyalty (Jas 1:5-8 ^z; 4:4 ^aa; John 15:15 ^ab).
2:24 ^ac not by faith alone: That is, not like the demons who merely believe something is true (2:19 ^ad), but by a belief that results in generous deeds like those of God himself (1:17 ^ae). Though some have thought that this teaching contradicts what Paul taught, it does not. Paul does not speak against good deeds themselves, but about trying to receive forgiveness of sins through good deeds (Rom 3:28 ^af; Gal 2:16 ^ag). Just as Paul understands that love and generosity necessarily issue from a true faith (Gal 5:6 ^ah), so also James knows that good deeds can result only from authentic faith that results in a commitment to God (Jas 2:18 ^ai, 26 ^aj).
2:25 ^ak James presents Rahab the prostitute (see Josh 2:1 ^al) as his second example of how good works must accompany genuine faith. She declared her belief that the Lord God of Israel was the only God (Josh 2:9-11 ^am), and her faith was made perfect by her actions when she provided hospitality and a means of escape to the Israelite spies (Josh 2:1-6 ^an; 6:25 ^ao; Heb 11:31 ^ap).
2:26 ^aq Good works are as necessary to faith as breath is to a physical body (Gen 2:7 ^ar). We cannot have one without the other.