返回Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Jas. 2:1. My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.
Whoever does anything with partiality brings great disgrace upon himself as one who does not respect his fellow and, even before his fellow, himself, because the treatment of one like oneself is also directed back to the one who acts.
Jas. 2:2. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes,
Jas. 2:3. and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, "You sit here in a good place," and say to the poor man, "You stand there," or, "Sit here at my footstool,"
It seems that among the Jews it was especially customary to wear rings. But at this point someone may perhaps say: if James is a teacher of the covenant of Christ, then why does he not put an end to what belongs to the law but still elevates it, accepting those who remain in the piety of the law and not reproaching them? To such a person we answer that at this time James converses with them more closely and condescends to their weakness, so that by immediately abolishing the law he would not cause them to turn away from him on account of the novelty of his teaching. But he conducts matters with sound deliberation, yielding, insofar as it was harmless to him, to the rites of the law within the New Covenant. For how did the observance of the Sabbath or fasting and abstinence from certain foods turn him away from faith in Christ? Through this concession, having captured their attention for his own words, he gradually persuades them to depart from the rites of the law as useless and leading to bondage, not to the freedom given in Christ.
Jas. 2:3. Thus, wisely making use of small concessions, he presented what was fitting for Christians precisely when they were listening to his words without hindrance.
Jas. 2:4. have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
The conjunction "and" is placed here according to the custom of the ancient manner of expression, for here is a continuation of what was said above, which is why the conjunction "and" is superfluous. The flow of speech is this: "If there should come into your assembly" and so on, then "have you not shown partiality among yourselves" — this is the second part of the sentence, which is why the meaning of the speech should be: since you did not judge as you ought, you became judges with evil thoughts. "Have you not shown partiality," that is, you corrupted your judgment, not having made any prior investigation into whether the poor man is diligent or the rich man is lazy. But your lack of discernment led you to partiality, causing you to praise one as rich and despise another as poor.
Jas. 2:4. "And become judges with evil thoughts," that is, you became unjust judges, having succumbed to wickedness through partiality.
Jas. 2:5. Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
Jas. 2:6. But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts?
Since for many it is hard even to hear about poverty, having said "the poor of this world," he immediately added: "rich." Rich in what? In faith. For the undisturbed peace of the poor, when they come to faith, makes them mightier than the rich. Therefore the Lord also chose such men as His disciples and showed them to be heirs of the Kingdom.
Jas. 2:7. Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?
Jas. 2:8. If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well;
Jas. 2:9. but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
The new name — according to the words of the prophet: "Those who serve Me shall be called by a new name, which shall be blessed on the earth, for they shall bless the true God" ("His servants He shall call by another name; he who blesses himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth") (Isa. 65:15–16).
Jas. 2:10. For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.
Jas. 2:11. For He who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
Jas. 2:12. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.
Jas. 2:13. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Whoever sins in one thing becomes guilty of all, because he does not have perfect love, for love is the head of all that is good, and when the head is absent, the entire remaining body amounts to nothing. That he speaks about this is evident from the preceding instruction. The commandments "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder" are indicated as examples. Note that they too are taken from the law relating to the perfection of love, for whoever loves his neighbor will neither commit adultery nor murder, because such deeds are characteristic of an enemy. If this were not so, no one among men would survive, because no one keeps all the commandments; but whoever preserved purity is sometimes overcome by anger, and whoever gives alms not infrequently has envy. Therefore he speaks not of there being no deficiency at all in the virtues, but of love — that it must not be practiced with deficiency, with partiality, but wholly. The same may be said of the other virtues as well. Whoever imperfectly holds to chastity or justice but omits something, being lame in fulfillment, harms the entire work of virtue.
Thus, by "the whole law" one should understand the law of love, about which the apostle speaks preeminently, and he calls impartiality "the law of liberty," for one who acts with partiality is not free but a slave, because: "by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage" (2 Pet. 2:19).
Jas. 2:14. What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?
If we have forgiven our neighbors the sins they committed against us and from our possessions share a portion with the poor, then the mercy of God will also receive us when He judges our deeds. The accomplishment of this is important. On the contrary, severe condemnation awaits those who did not show goodwill toward their fellows. Those who did not have pity on their neighbors who sinned against them will be overtaken by the condemnation of the wicked servant (Matt. 18:32–35). With a recompense according to the prayer in which we ask God to forgive us "as we forgive" those who sin against us (Matt. 6:12), and those who are merciless or cruel to those in need of bodily help will meet judgment without mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment, for the merciful, according to the saying of the Lord, "shall obtain mercy" (Matt. 5:7).
Jas. 2:13. Or alternatively: "mercy toward the poor" could procure pardon even for idolaters, as we hear from the prophet (Dan. 4:27). What then will it not procure for believing people? It seems to me that the action of mercy is similar to what oil produces for those contending in the arena. Wrestlers, anointed with oil, easily slip away from being seized by their opponents. So too our mercy toward the poor will give us at the judgment the ability to escape the attacks of the demons.
Jas. 2:15. If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,
Jas. 2:16. and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?
Note the spiritual meaning. He did not say only: "if you have faith," but "what does it profit?" He speaks as if to say: show me a deed by which I might call you a believer, for in this lies the work of faith. His words mean: if someone does not prove by deed that he is faithful to God, then such a person need not even be called faithful, for the faithful one is not he who simply calls himself the Lord's, but he who loves the Lord so much that for faith in Him he is ready even for death. That this is his thought is evident from the examples, for he says that Abraham showed by deed that he was faithful to God when he offered up his firstborn as a burnt offering; similarly Rahab, believing, despised death.
Jas. 2:17. Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
Jas. 2:18. But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
Jas. 2:19. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe — and tremble!
This does not contradict the words of the blessed Paul, for the word "faith" is used in a twofold sense: sometimes meaning a simple agreement of the mind with a phenomenon, since we customarily call even this faith (which is why even the demons believe concerning Christ that He is the Son of God); and again, by the name of faith we mean a heartfelt following joined with firm assent.
Jas. 2:19. The divine James calls simple assent a dead faith as not having the deeds that enliven it. But Paul speaks of heartfelt faith, which is by no means devoid of works, for in one who lacks honorable deeds it would not even exist. And Abraham received it only after he resolved to reject paternal weakness, for which feat faith was given as a reward. But Paul esteems it above the works of the law, above Sabbath rest, circumcision, and the other purifications. For in the word "works" too, two meanings are discerned. Works are called the works that confirm faith, without which it remains dead. Works are also called the works of the law, without which Abraham and all Christians are justified, for who would contradict the fact that faith will not approach one who is impure (I mean the faith of works)? As myrrh cannot be preserved in a vessel full of filth, so in an impure person the faith of God will not dwell. Thus the divine apostles do not contradict one another, but, taking words in different senses, each uses them in his own sense where needed.
Jas. 2:20. But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
He calls the person empty who boasts of faith alone, because, not realizing it in deeds, he has acquired no fullness.
Jas. 2:21. Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
Jas. 2:22. Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
Both apostles cite Abraham in support of their teaching about faith. One, by the example of Abraham, proves that faith is above works, and the other, that works are above faith. But it was said above that each takes the words ("faith" and "works") in his own sense and selects what is useful to him in support of his thoughts. However, some fathers understood this in the following way: Abraham, separated by ages, is a type of both kinds of faith — that which is before baptism, which does not require works but only faith, the confession of salvation and the word by which we who believe in Christ are justified; and that which is after baptism and which is joined with works. Thus the Holy Spirit, who spoke in them, is shown not to contradict Himself. One faith justifies him who comes by confession alone, if he immediately departs from life, for he has no works, but for him the cleansing through baptism is sufficient; the other requires the display of good works from one already baptized. Paul also agrees with this. In another place he speaks and teaches that faith after baptism requires perfecting through works, when he says: "neither circumcision avails anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith working through love" (Gal. 5:6). But love for its fullness requires much wisdom.
Jas. 2:23. And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God.
Abraham was a type of justification through faith alone when he "believed and it was accounted to him for righteousness" (Gen. 15:6), and a type of justification through works when he laid his son on the altar, for he not only performed the deed but also did not fall from faith concerning Isaac — that his posterity would multiply like the stars — but considered "that God was able to raise him from the dead" (Heb. 11:19).
In a similar way Paul also calls David as witness, for David by the Spirit of God knew that one day faith in Christ would come, which is why he says: "Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin" (Ps. 32:2).
Jas. 2:24. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
Not by works of the law, as was said, for example circumcision and the like, but by works of righteousness and similar virtues.
Jas. 2:25. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
Jas. 2:26. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Jas. 2:1. My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.
Whoever does anything with partiality brings great disgrace upon himself as one who does not respect his fellow and, even before his fellow, himself, because the treatment of one like oneself is also directed back to the one who acts.
Jas. 2:2. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes,
Jas. 2:3. and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, "You sit here in a good place," and say to the poor man, "You stand there," or, "Sit here at my footstool,"
It seems that among the Jews it was especially customary to wear rings. But at this point someone may perhaps say: if James is a teacher of the covenant of Christ, then why does he not put an end to what belongs to the law but still elevates it, accepting those who remain in the piety of the law and not reproaching them? To such a person we answer that at this time James converses with them more closely and condescends to their weakness, so that by immediately abolishing the law he would not cause them to turn away from him on account of the novelty of his teaching. But he conducts matters with sound deliberation, yielding, insofar as it was harmless to him, to the rites of the law within the New Covenant. For how did the observance of the Sabbath or fasting and abstinence from certain foods turn him away from faith in Christ? Through this concession, having captured their attention for his own words, he gradually persuades them to depart from the rites of the law as useless and leading to bondage, not to the freedom given in Christ.
Jas. 2:3. Thus, wisely making use of small concessions, he presented what was fitting for Christians precisely when they were listening to his words without hindrance.
Jas. 2:4. have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
The conjunction "and" is placed here according to the custom of the ancient manner of expression, for here is a continuation of what was said above, which is why the conjunction "and" is superfluous. The flow of speech is this: "If there should come into your assembly" and so on, then "have you not shown partiality among yourselves" — this is the second part of the sentence, which is why the meaning of the speech should be: since you did not judge as you ought, you became judges with evil thoughts. "Have you not shown partiality," that is, you corrupted your judgment, not having made any prior investigation into whether the poor man is diligent or the rich man is lazy. But your lack of discernment led you to partiality, causing you to praise one as rich and despise another as poor.
Jas. 2:4. "And become judges with evil thoughts," that is, you became unjust judges, having succumbed to wickedness through partiality.
Jas. 2:5. Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
Jas. 2:6. But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts?
Since for many it is hard even to hear about poverty, having said "the poor of this world," he immediately added: "rich." Rich in what? In faith. For the undisturbed peace of the poor, when they come to faith, makes them mightier than the rich. Therefore the Lord also chose such men as His disciples and showed them to be heirs of the Kingdom.
Jas. 2:7. Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?
Jas. 2:8. If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well;
Jas. 2:9. but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
The new name — according to the words of the prophet: "Those who serve Me shall be called by a new name, which shall be blessed on the earth, for they shall bless the true God" ("His servants He shall call by another name; he who blesses himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth") (Isa. 65:15–16).
Jas. 2:10. For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.
Jas. 2:11. For He who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
Jas. 2:12. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.
Jas. 2:13. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Whoever sins in one thing becomes guilty of all, because he does not have perfect love, for love is the head of all that is good, and when the head is absent, the entire remaining body amounts to nothing. That he speaks about this is evident from the preceding instruction. The commandments "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder" are indicated as examples. Note that they too are taken from the law relating to the perfection of love, for whoever loves his neighbor will neither commit adultery nor murder, because such deeds are characteristic of an enemy. If this were not so, no one among men would survive, because no one keeps all the commandments; but whoever preserved purity is sometimes overcome by anger, and whoever gives alms not infrequently has envy. Therefore he speaks not of there being no deficiency at all in the virtues, but of love — that it must not be practiced with deficiency, with partiality, but wholly. The same may be said of the other virtues as well. Whoever imperfectly holds to chastity or justice but omits something, being lame in fulfillment, harms the entire work of virtue.
Thus, by "the whole law" one should understand the law of love, about which the apostle speaks preeminently, and he calls impartiality "the law of liberty," for one who acts with partiality is not free but a slave, because: "by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage" (2 Pet. 2:19).
Jas. 2:14. What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?
If we have forgiven our neighbors the sins they committed against us and from our possessions share a portion with the poor, then the mercy of God will also receive us when He judges our deeds. The accomplishment of this is important. On the contrary, severe condemnation awaits those who did not show goodwill toward their fellows. Those who did not have pity on their neighbors who sinned against them will be overtaken by the condemnation of the wicked servant (Matt. 18:32–35). With a recompense according to the prayer in which we ask God to forgive us "as we forgive" those who sin against us (Matt. 6:12), and those who are merciless or cruel to those in need of bodily help will meet judgment without mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment, for the merciful, according to the saying of the Lord, "shall obtain mercy" (Matt. 5:7).
Jas. 2:13. Or alternatively: "mercy toward the poor" could procure pardon even for idolaters, as we hear from the prophet (Dan. 4:27). What then will it not procure for believing people? It seems to me that the action of mercy is similar to what oil produces for those contending in the arena. Wrestlers, anointed with oil, easily slip away from being seized by their opponents. So too our mercy toward the poor will give us at the judgment the ability to escape the attacks of the demons.
Jas. 2:15. If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,
Jas. 2:16. and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?
Note the spiritual meaning. He did not say only: "if you have faith," but "what does it profit?" He speaks as if to say: show me a deed by which I might call you a believer, for in this lies the work of faith. His words mean: if someone does not prove by deed that he is faithful to God, then such a person need not even be called faithful, for the faithful one is not he who simply calls himself the Lord's, but he who loves the Lord so much that for faith in Him he is ready even for death. That this is his thought is evident from the examples, for he says that Abraham showed by deed that he was faithful to God when he offered up his firstborn as a burnt offering; similarly Rahab, believing, despised death.
Jas. 2:17. Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
Jas. 2:18. But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
Jas. 2:19. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe — and tremble!
This does not contradict the words of the blessed Paul, for the word "faith" is used in a twofold sense: sometimes meaning a simple agreement of the mind with a phenomenon, since we customarily call even this faith (which is why even the demons believe concerning Christ that He is the Son of God); and again, by the name of faith we mean a heartfelt following joined with firm assent.
Jas. 2:19. The divine James calls simple assent a dead faith as not having the deeds that enliven it. But Paul speaks of heartfelt faith, which is by no means devoid of works, for in one who lacks honorable deeds it would not even exist. And Abraham received it only after he resolved to reject paternal weakness, for which feat faith was given as a reward. But Paul esteems it above the works of the law, above Sabbath rest, circumcision, and the other purifications. For in the word "works" too, two meanings are discerned. Works are called the works that confirm faith, without which it remains dead. Works are also called the works of the law, without which Abraham and all Christians are justified, for who would contradict the fact that faith will not approach one who is impure (I mean the faith of works)? As myrrh cannot be preserved in a vessel full of filth, so in an impure person the faith of God will not dwell. Thus the divine apostles do not contradict one another, but, taking words in different senses, each uses them in his own sense where needed.
Jas. 2:20. But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
He calls the person empty who boasts of faith alone, because, not realizing it in deeds, he has acquired no fullness.
Jas. 2:21. Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
Jas. 2:22. Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
Both apostles cite Abraham in support of their teaching about faith. One, by the example of Abraham, proves that faith is above works, and the other, that works are above faith. But it was said above that each takes the words ("faith" and "works") in his own sense and selects what is useful to him in support of his thoughts. However, some fathers understood this in the following way: Abraham, separated by ages, is a type of both kinds of faith — that which is before baptism, which does not require works but only faith, the confession of salvation and the word by which we who believe in Christ are justified; and that which is after baptism and which is joined with works. Thus the Holy Spirit, who spoke in them, is shown not to contradict Himself. One faith justifies him who comes by confession alone, if he immediately departs from life, for he has no works, but for him the cleansing through baptism is sufficient; the other requires the display of good works from one already baptized. Paul also agrees with this. In another place he speaks and teaches that faith after baptism requires perfecting through works, when he says: "neither circumcision avails anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith working through love" (Gal. 5:6). But love for its fullness requires much wisdom.
Jas. 2:23. And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God.
Abraham was a type of justification through faith alone when he "believed and it was accounted to him for righteousness" (Gen. 15:6), and a type of justification through works when he laid his son on the altar, for he not only performed the deed but also did not fall from faith concerning Isaac — that his posterity would multiply like the stars — but considered "that God was able to raise him from the dead" (Heb. 11:19).
In a similar way Paul also calls David as witness, for David by the Spirit of God knew that one day faith in Christ would come, which is why he says: "Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin" (Ps. 32:2).
Jas. 2:24. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
Not by works of the law, as was said, for example circumcision and the like, but by works of righteousness and similar virtues.
Jas. 2:25. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
Jas. 2:26. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.