Getting Job-ed
The following is an exegesis paper written on James 2:14-26. Often, James and Paul are pitted against each other with their stance on “justification” in their letters. However, under careful review, these authors are not opposed to each other but rather complimentary of each other.
I will place the passage that we are examining at the beginning of both articles for easy reference. James 2:14-26 ESV:
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 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? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
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. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 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. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 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? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
Here is part 1 of 2:
*Also, of note, the resources in the footnotes and bibliography are a wealth of knowledge!
Since the Reformation, seldom has one passage in Scripture brought up more controversy in the church than James 2:14-26.(1) However, was this controversy truly necessary? If we were to look deep into the concern of James (and Paul, as we will discuss), we would see that the feud is pointless and that there is actually coherency between the two inspired authors. The purpose of this paper is to discuss: the main point of James 2:14-26, how James develops and argues his main point in the passage, what the relationship between faith and works is, how this passage is consistent with Paul and how the passage does not contradict Pauline teaching (justification by faith alone), and finally, how this passage could be taught or preached.
The Book of James
To discuss the main point of James 2:14-26, we must discuss the original meaning of the Book of James as a whole. The Book of James was written by Jesus’ half-brother, James.(2) Written to “…the twelve tribes in the Dispersion…” (James 1:1 English Standard Version), the audience was more than likely persecuted Jewish Christians that fled Jerusalem while persecution from Jewish religious leaders broke out.(3) During James’ time as leader of the Jerusalem Christian church before his martyrdom, a severe famine caused great disparity between the rich and the poor.(4) All of this sets the stage for James’ writings to the church.
The form of James resembles both the teachings of Jesus (especially the Sermon on the Mount)(5) and wisdom written in the Book of Proverbs (especially Proverbs 1-9).(6) James 1 appears to give an introduction that sets up the topic for the rest of the book.(7) Both seeking wisdom through various trials and how our beliefs should be expressed outwardly appear to be a great concern of James to His audience. These two topics are addressed in the rest of the book in order to grow the Christian toward “wholeness” (repeated seven times as the word “perfect,” or “teleios” in Greek).(8) Underlying the Book of James is Jesus’ teaching on the two greatest commandments in Matthew 22:36-40: loving God with all that we have and all that we are, and loving people as ourselves. James is figuratively working out what this looks like in the life of the believer throughout his address.
To learn what the main point of James 2:14-26 is we have to look back to James chapter one.(9) Scripture states, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves… But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing” (James 1:22, 25 ESV). The author is referencing the Torah (meaning “Law”),(10) in particular, the Shema from Deuteronomy 6:4-5, which is calling the reader to both listen and act or respond to the law of loving God.(11) James continues this thought process throughout James 2:1-13 with how this type of listening/responding plays out in social situations with well esteemed/rich individuals versus the social outcast/poor.
The Main Point
With that context in mind, what is the main point of James 2:14-26? James is calling his audience to reflect on the type of faith that is claimed by the individual. True love, faithfulness, and devotion will always express themselves as following the two greatest commands set out by Jesus (as a culmination of the Old Testament teaching): loving God and loving your neighbor as yourselves (Matthew 22:36-40). If the faith that is claimed by the individual does not express itself in this fashion, that faith is “dead” (James 2:17, 26). James’ concern for his audience is that he wants his audience to have a certain “kind of faith,” and that faith will truly save someone.(12) Following the form of the book, James is calling his reader out of their complacency and reexamining the faith that they claim. (13)
As stated before, James develops and argues his point for James 2:14-26 from the context of 1:22-2:13. James 2:14 ESV opens up the section with two questions: “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?” The concern James has for his audience is over a certain “kind of faith.”(14) In James 2:15-16, the author continues this train of thought by presenting a case study: if a poor person comes lacking the basic necessity and we just give lip service to them stating “…Go in peace, be warmed and filled…” (James 2:16 ESV), did this really serve that person? The obvious answer is of course not. James demonstrates that a mere proclamation of something being done versus the reality of actually doing something is subpar in comparison. James concludes that such is the same with faith: “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17 ESV). A faith that is not alive and active is not true faith at all. (15)
In James 2:18, the author presents a different scenario in which someone claims to have works only and the other person has faith. In this verse, James makes a critical point for the passage: a person can not have proper works that please God apart from faith and someone with true faith will likewise have works that please God.(16) A person that has been truly changed by the grace of God through faith, in their innermost being, will produce an outward expression of an inward reality.(17) He continues in James 2:19-20 ESV: “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe－ and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?”James makes the point that mere intellectual ascent truly only makes us on the level of the demons because they also believe in God (and more than likely are very well versed in Scriptural doctrine).(18) So too, a “faith” that does not produce an outward expression of an inward reality is “useless” (James 2:20 ESV).
In James 2:21-26, the author presents two Old Testament figures that he uses to argue how their faith produced works that gave evidence to their faith (or “justified” them, as we will discuss later in this address). In verse 21, James presents Abraham as an example from Genesis 22 with the presentation of Isaac as the sacrifice that proved Abraham’s faith in God. It was this action that proved that Abraham’s faith in God from Genesis 15:6 was legitimate as an outward expression (James 2:22-23). The author concludes the discussion of Abraham’s faith with, “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone?” (James 2:24 ESV). James continues in 2:25 by presenting Rahab the prostitute and that by her actions she proved her faith also from Joshua 2. The author concludes the passage with, “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead” (James 2:26 ESV). The author has been moving his audience to show them that there is a certain kind of faith that is true saving faith: one that moves an individual from inward to outward transformation.(19) The only way true faith can be demonstrated is through our actions and deeds, not through intellectual assent or mere proclamation.(20)
In the next part, we’ll look at the relationship between Paul’s teaching and James’ teaching.
Footnotes
1. R.C. Sproul, Themes from James: Faith and Works (Part 1), accessed March 8, 2023, https://www.ligonier.org
/learn/series/themes-from-james/faith-and-works-part-1
2.Karen Jobes, Letters to the Church: A Survey of Hebrews and the General Epistles, (Michigan, Zondervan,
2011), 150-158.
3. Tim Mackie, Read Scripture: Illustrated Summaries of Biblical Books, 3rd ed., (Oregon, BibleProject, 2020), 138-139.
4. Mackie, Read Scripture: Illustrated Summaries of Biblical Books, 138-139.
5. Jobes, Letters to the Church: A Survey of Hebrews and the General Epistles, 162.
6. Mackie, Read Scripture: Illustrated Summaries of Biblical Books, 138-139.
7. Mackie, Read Scripture: Illustrated Summaries of Biblical Books, 138-139.
8. Mackie, Read Scripture: Illustrated Summaries of Biblical Books, 138-139.
9. George H. Guthrie, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews, James, Ed. Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland, (Michigan, Zondervan, 2006), 238.
10. Mackie, Read Scripture: Illustrated Summaries of Biblical Books, 138-139.
11. Mackie, Read Scripture: Illustrated Summaries of Biblical Books, 18-19.
12. John Piper, Does James Contradict Paul?, accessed March 7, 2023, https://www.desiringgod.org/messages
/does-james-contradict-paul
13. Mackie, Read Scripture: Illustrated Summaries of Biblical Books, 138-139.
14. R. C. Sproul, Paul vs. James?: Justified by Faith Alone with R.C. Sproul, accessed Marc 7, 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HMb9YjRq8Q
15. Guthrie, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews, James, 239.
16. Guthrie, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews, James, 239-240.
17. R.C. Sproul, Themes from James: Faith and Works (Part 2), accessed March 9, 2023, https://www.ligonier.org
/learn/series/themes-from-james/faith-and-works-part-2
18. Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, 2nd ed., (Michigan, Zondervan, 2020), 894-895.
19. Sproul, Themes from James: Faith and Works (Part 2).
20. Guthrie, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews, James, 238.
21. Sproul, Themes from James: Faith and Works (Part 2).
22. Sproul, Paul vs. James?: Justified by Faith Alone with R.C. Sproul.
23. Sproul, Themes from James: Faith and Works (Part 2).
24. Sproul, Themes from James: Faith and Works (Part 2).
25. Sproul, Themes from James: Faith and Works (Part 2).
26. Sproul, Themes from James: Faith and Works (Part 2).
27. Sproul, Themes from James: Faith and Works (Part 2).
28. Piper, Does James Contradict Paul?
29. Sproul, Themes from James: Faith and Works (Part 2).
30. Sproul, Themes from James: Faith and Works (Part 2).
31. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, 894.
32. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, 894.
33. Guthrie, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews, James, 241.
34. Sproul, Themes from James: Faith and Works (Part 1).
Bibliography
Grudem, Wayne, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, 2nd ed., (Michigan,
Zondervan, 2020).
Guthrie, George H., The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews, James, Ed. Tremper Longman
III and David E. Garland, (Michigan, Zondervan, 2006).
Jobes, Karen, Letters to the Church: A Survey of Hebrews and the General Epistles, (Michigan,
Zondervan, 2011).
Mackie, Tim, Read Scripture: Illustrated Summaries of Biblical Books, 3rd ed., (Oregon,
BibleProject, 2020).
Piper, John, Does James Contradict Paul?, accessed March 7, 2023, https://www.desiringgod
.org/messages/does-james-contradict-paul
Sproul, R. C., Paul vs. James?: Justified by Faith Alone with R.C. Sproul, accessed March 7,
2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HMb9YjRq8Q
Sproul, R. C., Themes from James: Faith and Works (Part 1), accessed March 8, 2023,
https://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/themes-from-james/faith-and-works-part-1
Sproul, R. C., Themes from James: Faith and Works (Part 2), accessed March 9, 2023,
https://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/themes-from-james/faith-and-works-part-2
