1. Exegetical Paperon James 2:14-26by Ethan S. Smith(Hermeneutics)
Is the apostle James (in his epistle) consistent withthe Protestant/biblical
doctrine of justification by faith alone?
Introductionto paper
This paper seeksto demonstratethe controversialverses in Jamesch. 2 (e.g. vv.24,26)areperfectly
consistentwith Paul’sview onjustification by faith apart from works(e.g. Rom. 3:28)anddo notteach
works-salvation(ormeritoriousworks). This paper will assume the apostlePaul believed in the classical
Protestantdoctrineof justification by faith alone (or justification by faith onthe merits of Christalone).
The focus unit/passagethis paperwill addressis James2:14-26 butitwill also deal with otherrelevant
verses within the epistle of James. Thispaper will alsoassumethe consistency of divine
revelation/Scripture andwill reference certain Bible verses at any given time that are relevant. All
quotationsofScripture will be from the NASBunless otherwise noted.
Introductionto the epistle of James
The epistle of Jameswas probably writtenaround49 AD makingit one of the earliest, if notthe earliest,
New Testament book. Itwas probably written as a pastoral/exhortingsermonto be read aloudin the
churches anddiscussesthe relationshipbetween true savingfaith and active worksof obedience. The
purposeof the authorwas to emphasizethe actual living out (“be a doer”) of the Christian life rather than
just the hearing of the Word (e.g. Jam. 1:22).
Somesay thatJames was deliberately usinglanguage (particularly “justified,” “faith,” and “works”) from
Paul’sepistles in order to addressandrefute the heresy knownas Antinomianism (meaningagainstthe
law).1
However, if Jameswas indeed the first New Testamentbook to be written, thistheory becomes
less likely.2
And Jamesnever mentionsanythingaboutaddressingthosewhoabuse the apostlePaul’s
theology.3
There are several different personsnamed“James” in Scripture butthis epistle was almost certainly a
work written by Jamesthe Just, the brotherof Jesus. The authorassumesa positionof authority in the
church andit was the Jameswho seems tolead the JerusalemCouncil in Acts 15 who’scalled “the Lord’s
brother”by Paulin Galatians1:19. He was considered one of the pillars of the churchalongside Peter and
John(Gal. 2:9). James was an unbeliever before he became an eyewitnessof the resurrected Lord. He
was martyredviolently in AD 62.
1 John Wesley wrote in his notes on James 2:14, “Wherefore St. James, purposely repeating(Jas 2:21,23,25) the
same phrases,testimonies,and examples,which St. Paul had used, Rom 4:3, Heb 11:17,31, refutes not the
doctrine of St. Paul,but the error of those who abused it. There is,therefore, no contradiction between the
apostles:they both delivered the truth of God, but in a different manner, as havingto do with different kinds of
men. On another occasion St.James himself pleaded the causeof faith,Acts 15:13 - 21; and St. Paul himself
strenuously pleads for works,particularly in hislatter epistles.”
http://biblehub.com/commentaries/wes/james/2.htm
2 Since Paul’s letters wouldn’t have existed yet. He couldn’t be addressingPaul’sletters atall.
3 The same Paul he supported and commissioned (Gal.2:9, Acts 15:25). Why would he leave out such an important
detail? It was probably common in those times to link justification,faith and works together.
2. Exegetical Paperon James 2:14-26by Ethan S. Smith(Hermeneutics)
Forewordbefore entering to unit
It’simportantfor the interpreter of the unitto take the apostle Jamesas a whole rather than isolating
James2:14-26 fromeverythingelse he wrote or did. This includes the controversy withthe Jerusalem
Council in Acts 15 which showsJameshavingthe final word of judgment (v.13)4
as well as hisentire
epistle. The Jerusalem Council is importanttonote because it showsJames completely agreeing with the
other apostles, includingPaul, on salvationandjustification for the Gentiles (See vv.1, 7-11).5
Inother
words, James defendssalvationby grace throughfaith apart from worksfor Jews andGentiles alike and is
againstinsisting Gentiles shouldbe circumcised (or perform works) to be saved.
The following versesare also noteworthy before addressingourprimary passage:
Every goodthinggiven and every perfect gift is from above, coming downfrom the Father of
lights, with whomthere is no variationor shifting shadow. Inthe exercise of His will He brought
us forthby the word of truth, so thatwe would be a kindof first fruits amongHis creatures.6
Every goodthingand perfect gift comes from God’smerciful hand. This includes the gift of salvation. A
gift is free and cannotbe merited. The phrase“He broughtusforth” very likely refers to the new birth
andthis regeneration occurs “Inthe exercise of His will.” If Jamesis sayingbeing born againis only the
result of God’ssovereign choice to cause it (cf. 1Peter 1:3), then he cannotpossibly believe in works-
salvation.
Finally, the interpreter should takenote thatthe unit immediately precedes James’ discussion against
favoritism(v.1), doingwell by lovingyourneighbor(v.8), thatit’s impossibleto be righteousor earn
salvation(v.10)7
andhow vital it is to showmercy (v.13). This all relates to the unitunder scrutiny and
Jamesis continuingthesethemes by describing true living faith that all Christiansshouldpossess. Thus
begins ourdiscussion of this controversialpassage…
The Pilot
I believe verse 14 in the unit truly steers the context8
andthe strong pointJamesis making. It reads:
What useis it, my brethren, if someonesayshe has faith but he hasno works?Can thatfaith save
him?
Take note of the terms, “What use” and“if someonesays.”Right off the bat, Jamesis makingit clear
aboutthe kindof faith he wishes to address:someonewho “says”(or “claims,” NIV) they have faith. If
4 Implyinghe led the Jerusalem Council (instead of Peter) as Protestant tradition often claims.
5 Especially notev.11: “But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as
they also are.” – Acts 15:11. Simon Peter was the speaker and James has nothingto disagree only two verses later.
6 James 1:17-18
7 “For whoever keeps the whole lawand yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.”– James 2:10
8 John MacArthur would agree, “2:14 if someone says. This important phrasegoverns the interpretation of the
entire passage:James does not say this person actually has faith,butthat he claims to have it.” - The MacArthur
Study Bible,p. 2621, note on James 2:14.
3. Exegetical Paperon James 2:14-26by Ethan S. Smith(Hermeneutics)
they have a useless faith with zero works, can thatfaith save him? The Greek constructionin the sentence
necessitates the answer is ‘No.’9
The Reformation Study Bible wouldagree:
“2:14 Canthat faith save. Thisintroducesthecrucial issueof the relationshipbetween faith and
works. The questionunder scrutiny is, Whatkindof faith is savingfaith? James’squestionis
rhetorical; the obviousanswer is thatfaith withoutworkscannot save. Faiththat yields nodeeds
is not savingfaith. The New Testamentdoes notteach justification by the professionof faith or
the claim tofaith; it teaches justification by the possessionoftrue faith.”
We live in a world where many people claim to be Christian. They give honortoHim with their lips, butdo
they honorHim in their hearts? Many claim to love Jesusbutdon’tknowthe first thingaboutthe gospel
anddon’tlive outtheir faith with obedience.
Adding tothe problem, there are “Christian” evangeliststoday who removerepentance and obedience
from the gospel entirely andreduce the gospelto a mere intellectual assentor confessionof faith. They
would argue a dead faith can still be a savingfaith.10
In otherwords, their “gospel”is a gospelwhich
grantsa license to sin, i.e. Antinomianism. Thiswas the dangerousheresy andfalse gospel Jameswas
addressingandrefuting. And it is a gospelthat Christianstoday need to attack and kill.
I’mwith the Westminster scholarswhen they wrote, “Repentanceuntolife is an evangelical grace, the
doctrine whereof is to be preached by every minister of the Gospel, as well as thatof faith in Christ."11
Apparently even in their day (the 17th
century) negligence in the preaching of repentance still existed.
Every preacher of the gospelmustpreach repentance and the newness of life in Christand the fact that it
is closely related to andinseparable from genuine faith.
Verses15-16 further support the interpretationthatJames is referring to a useful faith asopposed toa
useless faith:
If a brotheror sister is without clothingand in need of daily food, andoneof yousaysto them,
“Go in peace, be warmed andbe filled,” and yet youdonot give themwhat is necessary for their
body, whatuse is that?
It is almostas though“Go in peace, be warmed and be filled” represents the empty, professionof faith –
it is theologically sound, butunhelpful. Here Jamesis clearly using ananalogy of what uselessfaith is like.
Youcan’t just tell people something;youmust do somethingaboutit. Inthe same way, youcan’tjust tell
people you’rea Christian;youmust live it by following Jesus(Mk. 10:21).12
9 “In Greek the way you state a question implies the expected answer. In this casethe answer James expects is
clearly,‘No, it cannotsave him’.” – Dr. Peter H. Davids,New BibleCommentary: 21st Century Edition,p. 1361.
Greek scholar,Dr.James White, also supported this in his debate againstDr.Robert Wilkin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOHg1FhyGOs
10 KJV-Onlyist,pastor Steven Anderson, argued such in his discussion with James White
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INtIF-a_nO0
11 Chap. XV, Sec. I
12 Paul also wrote, “Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “The righteous man shall live
by faith.”” – Gal.3:11 (emphasis added). Justifyingfaith involves a lifestyle of faithfulness.
4. Exegetical Paperon James 2:14-26by Ethan S. Smith(Hermeneutics)
What about the Greek word for “save” (sōzō) in v.14?
The Greek word, sōzō, is useda total of four othertimes in the epistle of James:13
James1:21:Therefore, puttingaside all filthiness andall that remainsof wickedness, in humility
receive the word implanted, which is able to save yoursouls.
James4:12:There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the Onewho is able to save andtodestroy;
butwho are youwho judge yourneighbor?
James5:12:andthe prayer offered in faith will restore theonewho is sick, and the Lord will raise
him up, andif he hascommittedsins, they will be forgiven him.
James5:20:let him knowthat he who turnsa sinner from the error of his way will savehissoul
from death andwill cover a multitudeof sins.
What can we concludefrom this? Does James always use the word sōzō to mean eternal/spiritual
salvationfrom hell? It’spossible he’susingit in the sense of restoration/preservation;particularly from
chapter 5, verse 12. But the otherinstances doseem to pertain to spiritual salvation. Althoughitmay be
appealing or an“easy way out”to interpret sōzō in the context of James 2:14-26 tomeansomething
other thaneternal salvation, the evidence from James onthis Greek word is inconclusive. AlthoughJames
5:12 doescast doubton sōzō definitely/alwayspertaining toeternal salvation.
Verse 17. The start of the controversy:
Even sofaith, if it hasno works, is dead, being by itself.
The Reformation Study Bible once again providesexcellent commentary:
2:17 faithby itself . . . is dead. WhenLutherandthe Reformers insisted onthe formula
“Justificationby faith alone,” they meant toinsist that justification rests uponreliance on the
merit of Christalone. The “alone” does notmean thatthe faith exists alone withoutany
subsequentfruit of obedience. Lutherinsisted thatsavingfaith is a living faith. “Dead” faith does
notmean a faith thathas perished. Rather, the image suggestsa faith thatnever had any true life
in it. A deadfaith cannotmakeone alive, cannot “saveyoursouls”(1:21), and is therefore false
anduseless.
The verse can be paraphrasedtosay, “Even sofaith, if it hasworks, isalive, since it is accompanied with
works.”We are justified by faith alone on the merits of Christ alone but it is nota faith thatis alone. The
momentsomeoneputstheir faith in JesusChrist, goodfruit andsanctification immediately beginand
grow. Therefore the authorof Hebrews can say, “Pursue…the sanctification withoutwhich no one will
see the Lord.”– Heb. 12:14.14
Verse 18. What is the manifestationof invisible faith?
13 Emphasis added on the word translated from sōzō
14 In other words everyone who goes to heaven would have begun the process of sanctification even if it was only
for a few brief moments likein the caseof the thief on the cross.This necessary and required sanctification is by
no means meritorious for salvation.
5. Exegetical Paperon James 2:14-26by Ethan S. Smith(Hermeneutics)
But someonemay well say, “You havefaith andI haveworks; showme your faith without the
works, andI will showyoumy faith by my works.”
Once again this verse illustratesthe interpretation thatJames is talkingaboutsavingfaith being a faith
thatis demonstratedorshown(“I will showyoumy faith by my works”) outwardly or visibly before men.
Two typesof faith are comparedandcontrastedhere. It is much more useful andmeaningful to have
someoneprovetheir faith with works thanthe other personmerely claiming it: bothpersonsclaim faith
butonly one actually demonstratesor manifestsit.
Verse 19. The demons are Orthodox in their theology:
Youbelieve that Godis one. You dowell; the demonsalso believe, and shudder.
The demonsare soundintheir theology of God:they affirm the onenessof God (i.e. Monotheism. See
Deu. 6:4)and thatHe exists andcreated everything. They even knowthat Jesusis Lord, Messiah(Lk.
4:41), Sonof God (Mk. 5:7)and rose from the dead. But mere acknowledgmentof God’struth and
existence doesn’tresultin salvation. Thedemonsknow of God but they do notpersonally knowGod.
They don’tsubmittoHim, honorHim or trustin Him. The same can easily apply to humanbeings:there
may be thoroughly Orthodoxtheologianswhoare brilliant at exegeting Scripture and explaining the
truthsof God’sWord butif they donot personally trustGod, their knowledgeis in vainand cannotsave
them. As the Reformation Study Bible says, “Savingfaith includes cognitiveknowledge butgoes beyondit
to personaltrustand submission.”15
Verse 20. The rebuke:
But are you willing to recognize, youfoolish fellow, that faith without worksis useless?
Jamesgives a strongrebuke here (cf. Mt. 23:17, Gal. 3:1). The demonsbelieve true thingsaboutGod but
have noworks andthis is useless. This empty ‘faith’ cannotsave the demonsandit cannotsave human
beings either.16
Verse 21. The example of Abraham. The debate continues:
Was notAbraham ourfather justified by workswhen he offered up Isaachis sonon the altar?
Here’s where the debate comes in again. The RomanCatholic may claim, “See, the salvationand
justification of Abraham was notby faith alone as youProtestantsclaim: he was justified by his works
according to thisverse!” But of course the questionmustbe answered, “How doesJames usethe word
‘justified’ in this verse?”It seems the following theories are the mostcommonly offered from Protestant
scholars:
(1) Justified in the sight of men rather thanGod alone.
(2) Justified meaningvindicated;shown or proventobe true.
(3) A mixture of numbers2 and3.17
15 Partof its note on James 2:19.
16 “faith without works is useless. Lit. “the faith without the works.” James is not contrastingtwo methods of
salvation (faith versus works).Instead,he contrasts two kinds of faith: livingfaith thatsaves and dead faith that
does not (cf. 1Jn 3:7-10).” – The MacArthur Study Bible,p. 2622,note on James 2:20.
6. Exegetical Paperon James 2:14-26by Ethan S. Smith(Hermeneutics)
And was Abraham really justified only when he offered uphis son?Was he unsaved, unjustifiedand an
enemy of God before then? Surely not as we’re going to see James demonstrate. Andwe know from
Genesis that Abrahamwas already a friend of God andfound favorwith Godlong before Isaacwas born
(Gen. 12:1-3, 17:1-8).18
Verse 22. Faithperfected:
Yousee thatfaith was workingwith his works, andas a result of the works, faith was perfected;
Jamesnever saysworks were workingwith faith which would be expected if he believed in meritorious
works. Faith andworks are inseparable: true faith is perfected (or “completed,”ESV) when accompanied
with obedience/fruit. Faith withoutworks is incomplete andinsufficient. Faiththat resultsin a legal right
standingbefore our holy God (i.e. Justification) is always accompaniedby worksand newnessof life.19
Faith is the rootand goodworksare the fruit. A goodtree’s goal is to producegoodfruit. The tree is
completed (or perfected) when its fruit flourish. But the goodfruit don’tmake the tree inherently good
butdemonstratethatthetree is indeed good. And God is the One who has made the tree andcaused it
to be goodand producedits fruit. Goodworks are the inevitable, necessary and immediateresult of
savingfaith,20
producedin the people of God by God Himself (Eph. 2:10). We cannoteven boastabout
our sanctification.
Verse 23. Scripture fulfilled:
andthe Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abrahambelieved God, andit was reckonedto
him as righteousness,”andhewas called the friend of God.
The word ‘fulfilled’ is very important. Jamesclearly sees Abraham’soffering of Isaac asa fulfillment or
demonstrationthatAbrahamwas already credited as righteousfrom Genesis 15:6. Takenote that the
offering of Isaac (Gen. 22) was some30 yearsafter Genesis 15:6. Abrahamwas already in right standing
before the true Godby trustingin Him. His willingness to offer up Isaac was the mostpowerful evidence,
for bothGod21
and men, that hisfaith was genuine. And yet it wasn’t the only manifestationof Abraham’s
imputedrighteousnessthroughfaith:his lifestyle of faithfulness and goodworksreveal hisjustification to
God andmen. Verse 21 mentions‘works’ inthe plural rather thanthe single ‘work’ of offering Isaac.
Verse 24. Key question: Were the Protestantswrong?
Yousee thata manis justified by works andnot by faith alone.
Scholarship, contextualreasonsand the word for ‘justified’ (dikaioō)in othercontexts give excellent
reasonsas to how thisverse is perfectly consistentwith the Reformed/Pauline view of justification from
the righteousnessof Christalone (throughunionwith Him by faith). Bible commentatorssuchas T.
17 We will discuss theevidence for each of these in more detail below under verse 24.
18 Isaac was born in Genesis 21,years later.
19 If faith is a gift from God (Php. 1:29, Heb. 12:2, John 6:65, Eph. 2:8-9) then He is notgoing to give a poor, useless
faith to His people: He is goingto give a life-changingfaith thatbrings forth results and perseveres until the end.
20 Regarding ‘immediate result’;the very moment someone is united to Christby faith, good fruitbegin to be
produced in them by God (e.g. repentance, a desirefor Christ,a new attitude towards sin etc.). This fruitis the
required resultof the new heart God gives to His people (Ez. 36:26).
21 “…now I know that you fear God, sinceyou have not withheld your son, your only son,from Me.” – Gen. 22:12.
7. Exegetical Paperon James 2:14-26by Ethan S. Smith(Hermeneutics)
Carson, MatthewPoole, JohnWesley, Grant R. Osborn,22
Peter H. Davids, JohnMacArthurand the
ReformationStudy Bible all agree thatJames used the word ‘justified’ in a different sense thatPaul was
usingit in his epistles. But what evidence do they give? Is it sound?
Take note of the following verses:
Yet wisdom is justified by allher children.” - Luke 7:35, ESV
And withoutcontroversy great is the mystery of godliness:God was manifest in the flesh,
Justified intheSpirit, Seen by angels, Preachedamongthe Gentiles, Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory. - 1Tim. 3:16, NKJV
"The Sonof Man came eating and drinking, andthey say, 'Behold, a gluttonousmananda
drunkard, afriend of tax collectors andsinners!'Yet wisdomis vindicated by herdeeds." -
Mt. 11:19, NASB
The words in boldare all dikaioō inthe Greek. The same Greek word foundin James2:21,24 and25. The
NASBtranslated all three examples aboveas ‘vindicated.’23
Dikaioō istranslated‘provedright’ in Luke
7:35 in the NIV, ‘showntobe right’ in the NLT,24
and‘vindicated’ againin othertranslations like the HCSB,
NET Bible, and ISV. MounceConcise Greek-EnglishDictionary of the New Testament givesa range of
meaningswith examples from Scripture:
pr. tomake or render right or just; mid. to act with justice, Rev. 22:11; to avouch to be good and
true, tovindicate, Mt. 11:19;Lk. 7:29;toset forthas goodand just, Lk. 10:29;16:15;inNTto hold
as guiltless, to accept as righteous, tojustify, Rom. 3:26, 30;4:5;8:30, 33;pass.tobeheld
acquitted, to be cleared, Acts 13:39;Rom. 3:24;6:7;tobeapproved, tostandapproved, tostand
accepted, Rom. 2:13;3:20, 2825
T. Carsonconcisely commentsonsome differences of the sameterms used by bothapostles:
In Paul‘justify’ means ‘toacquit the sinnerin the sightof a holy God’... inJames it means ‘to
vindicate’, ‘toshow to be righteous’ before God andmen. Then the deedsare different. In Paul
they are deeds of the law, regarded as a groundof merit; in James deeds of obedience and
love.26
Dr. Peter H. Davidsalso comments:
Paul usesthe term ‘justified’ to meanGod’sdeclaration that a sinner hasbeen acquitted. This
was a new meaningfor the term. James usesthe word in its original sense(the one foundin the
Greek OT), thata personis declared to be just or righteous. This declaration, he argues, doesnot
22 Commentator on James from the ESV Study Bible.
23 ‘Vindicate’ may be defined as showingor provingsomeone is just,rightor innocent.
24 It’s interesting how the New Living Translation reads in James 2:21: “Don’t you remember that our ancestor
Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaacon the altar?”and James
2:24: “So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.” (emphasis added).
25 Emphasis added.
26 New International BibleCommentary, p. 1541.
8. Exegetical Paperon James 2:14-26by Ethan S. Smith(Hermeneutics)
come aboutbecause of what is unseen in a person’sheart, but becauseof what is seen in a
person’sdeeds.27
So there is a subtle butimportantdifference between the way bothapostlesuse the term.28
If indeed
Jamesis usingthe word ‘justified' (and/or ‘works’)differently thanPaulthen this is already sufficient
evidence that Jamesis not contradictingPaul or the Protestantdoctrineof justification by faith alone. And
as we can see, the evidence is highly convincing. Pauluses it as a legal term in relation to reconciliation
(Romans5:1-2, 9-11)andJamesusesit as the outwarddisplay of the inner reality.
So regardingthe three mostcommontheoriesheld by Protestantscholars, we can see a lot of evidence in
favor from different angles. Since faith is invisible to men, it is testified to them throughgoodworks.
Abrahamwas justified before menbecause of hisaction of trustingGodeven untothe (almost) death of
his belovedson. And the same can be said of Rahab.
Verse 25. A pagan provesto be a hero of the faith:
In the sameway, was notRahab the harlotalso justified by workswhen she received the
messengersand sentthem outby anotherway?
It’sinteresting thatJames only gives two examples of specific individuals and pointsusto a Jew as well as
a Gentile. Butit’s importanttonote some key differences between Abrahamand Rahab:
1. Abrahamwas the father of the Jews – Rahabwas the citizen of Jericho, a heathencity, part of
Canaan, which God wished to destroy.
2. Abrahamwas the friend of God and perhapsthe first member of God’sbeloved chosenpeople:
Israel – Rahabwas a harlot andnon-Jew.
3. His act of faith was manifested mainly towardsGod while herswas manifestedtowards men.
4. His act of faith was like the triumphantculmination of his lifestyle of faithfulness toGod while
hers was the very first manifestationof a youngfaith in her heart.
It’spossibleJames briefly mentionedRahabto pointout the different levels by which faith can
manifest itself in works. Notall of us can be as faithful as Abraham, but all of usshouldmanifest
worksin someform or another.
Verse 26. The conclusion of James:
For just asthe body withoutthe spirit is dead, so also faith withoutworks is dead.
27 New BibleCommentary: 21st Century Edition,p. 1362.
28 I’m sure there are many Biblecommentators that agree that James and Paul areusingkey terms (even ‘faith’) in
different manners. One lastexamplewill suffice:“Paul and James take faith in different senses: Paul speaks of a
true, lively faith,which purifies theheart, and worketh by love, Galatians5:6.Whereas James speaks of a
profession,or presumption of faith,barren, and destitute of good fruits,such a faith as is dead, Jam 2:17… But
because James not only denies justification to the faith he speaks of, but ascribes itto works in this verse;
therefore itis to be considered,that justification istaken one way by him, and another by Paul.”– Matthew Poole,
some of his commentary on James 2:24. http://biblehub.com/commentaries/poole/james/2.htm
9. Exegetical Paperon James 2:14-26by Ethan S. Smith(Hermeneutics)
This is a fitting conclusiongiven by Jamesfor thissection against Antinomianism. Isthecorpse of a
mantruly a man?No. Is faith without workstruly faith? No. The spirit of a man makesthe man alive
andthe works within faith make the faith alive. We are not justified by a dead faith.
Conclusion
I believe I have presenteda strong exegetical case, along with scholarly support, that Jamesis
perfectly consistentwith the biblical/Protestantdoctrine of justification by faith alone. James2:14-26
hada specific andpastoral contextin which Jamessaw it necessary to attack anempty profession of
faith (v.14):a ‘faith’ or easy-believism thatlacks personaltrust, mercy (v.13), obedience or
subsequent fruit. Paul was also in perfect agreement with Jamesand defended the necessity of works
(Eph. 2:10, Rom. 6:1-2, Gal. 5:6, Rom. 2:13).29
Thegospel is indeed the power of God unto
transformation (Eph. 4:22-24). Ifyou’renottransformed, you’renota Christian(2Cor. 5:17).
29 Especially note:“for itis not the hearers of the Law who are justbefore God, but the doers of the Law will be
justified.”– Rom. 2:13
