Chapter Two

Exhortation to impartial treatment of neighbors (1–13). Teaching on faith and good works in relation to justification (14–26).

James 2:1. My brothers! Hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, without partiality. The Apostle has just (Jas 1:27) indicated that true religiousness is expressed most of all in charitable, active love for the unfortunate. Now (Jas 2:1) he points out the true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as the source and foundation of this virtue, whom he here calls the Lord of glory, perhaps with the purpose of elevating the reverent disposition of the epistle’s readers, and at the same time showing the complete inappropriateness of that partial preference of the rich over the poor before the Lord of glory, which the Apostle immediately (verse 1) names, and then (Jas 2:2) denounces: “whoever does anything with favoritism dishonors himself, because he shows disrespect for his kinsman and, first of all, disrespect for himself, because the character of actions toward one similar to oneself is transferred to the one acting” (Blessed Theophylact).

James 2:2. For if a man comes into your gathering with a gold ring, in rich clothing, and a poor man also comes in shabby clothing, James 2:3. and you look upon the one dressed in rich clothing and say to him: you sit here in a good place, and you say to the poor man: you stand there, or sit here at my feet— James 2:4. are you not wavering in yourselves and becoming judges with evil thoughts? That the warning against favoritism (Jas 2:1) was prompted by the presence of this vice in early Christian society is shown by the example given here, verses 2–3, and apparently drawn from the actual life of the epistle’s readers, all the more censurable because it occurred in a worship assembly of believers (synagogue here, as in Heb 10 — a Christian worship assembly) before the Lord of glory, before whom all the glory and greatness of the world is nothing. Seeing in such conduct a clear violation of the perfect law of faith in Christ, St. Apostle remarks with rebuke: “You have become judges with evil thoughts” (verse 4), that is, “you have corrupted your judgment... have become unjust judges, yielding to deceitfulness from favoritism” (Blessed Theophylact).

James 2:5. Listen, my beloved brothers: did not God choose the poor of the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which He promised to those who love Him? James 2:6. But you have despised the poor. Do not the rich oppress you, and do they not drag you into the courts? James 2:7. Do they not blaspheme the good name by which you are called? The contradiction of favoritism to Christian duty is shown, first, by the fact that those who first believed and turned to Christ when he called were poor, unknown people, despised in the world (verse 5, see 1 Cor 1:26-28), and second, by pointing to the unworthy conduct of the rich, more specifically to the inclination of the rich toward violence and litigation, verses 6–7; Apostle Paul similarly denounced such conduct of strong members toward weaker ones in the Christian Corinthian community (1 Cor 6:8). According to the just judgment of the Apostle, the rich ones — apparently belonging to the Christian community (not pagans or Jews, as some commentators supposed) — through their conduct contrary to the law of Christ dishonor, disgrace the “good name” (to kalon onoma) — that is, the name of Christians, by which in early times were designated the followers of Christ (Acts 11:26; 1 Pet 4:16).

James 2:8. If you fulfill the royal law, according to Scripture: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”—you do well. James 2:9. But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. In concluding his denunciation of the vice of favoritism, the Apostle points to it as a violation of the chief law of moral life — the royal law of love for neighbors, known as such already in the Old Testament (Lev 19:18), but even more clarified in the New Testament (Matt 22:40; Rom 13:8-10; Gal 5:14).

James 2:10. Whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles in one point has become guilty of all. James 2:11. For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder”; so if you do not commit adultery but do murder, you are a transgressor of the law. In substantiation of the position stated in verses 8–9, that favoritism, being a separate sin, is nonetheless a violation of the royal law of love, the Apostle now, verses 10–11, presents a remarkable organic view of God’s law: transgression against any single commandment of the law is a violation of the whole law, precisely because the entire law with all its varied commandments is an expression of one will of the Lawgiver God, and transgression against a single commandment is transgression against the holy will of the one Lawgiver, and therefore against the whole law. Such an organic understanding of God’s law was characteristic of the Old Testament period, where every transgression of a person was judged from the perspective of one theocratic idea, and even more so is it intrinsic to the New Testament understanding of the all-encompassing significance of the fundamental principle of moral life — the principle of love. Blessed Theophylact remarks on verses 10–11: “Whoever sins in one thing becomes accountable for all, because he does not have perfect love. For love is the head of all good, and when there is no head, then all the rest of the body is of no account... The commandments ‘Do not commit adultery’ and ‘Do not murder’ are given as examples. Note that even these examples 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 belong to an enemy. If it were not so, then none of the people would be saved, because no one keeps all the commandments, but whoever kept purity is sometimes overcome by anger, and whoever shows mercy is often possessed by envy. Therefore, it is not said that there should be no lack of virtues at all, but about love — that it should be done without lack, with no partiality, but in entirety... So by the whole law must be understood the law of love...”

James 2:12. So speak and act as those who are to be judged by the law of freedom. James 2:13. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has not shown mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. In conclusion of the section following the denunciation of improper treatment of neighbors (Jas 2:2-4), the Apostle exhorts his readers to act according to the law of freedom (see Jas 1:25), which is the law of love: this law is both easy to fulfill and has such an absolutely binding significance for a Christian that by this very law of love, according to the measure of fulfillment of this law, Christians will be judged at the last judgment of Christ (Matt 25 following). And at this awesome judgment, charitable love according to the law of Christ has in itself and bears firm confidence (Church Slavonic “boasts,” Greek katakauchata), as if it triumphs beforehand, that it will overcome the awful, threatening power of the future judgment, will free the person from punishment and destruction. “If we have forgiven our neighbors their sins against us and have given from our possessions to the poor, then God’s mercy will receive us when he judges our deeds. On the contrary, terrible condemnation awaits those who have not shown kindness to those like themselves... It seems to me that the action of mercy is like what oil does for wrestlers. Wrestlers, anointed with oil, easily slip away from the grasp of their opponents. So our mercy to the poor gives us the ability at judgment to escape the attacks of demons” (Blessed Theophylact).

James 2:14. What benefit is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? The Apostle has already shown earlier that true faith is necessary and is essentially expressed in active love for neighbors, especially in help to those in need of various kinds: Jas 1:27; has also pointed to the high justifying significance of active love at the judgment of God, Jas 2:13. Now, from verse 14 to the end of the chapter (through verse 26 inclusive), the Apostle sets out in detail this same element of Christian piety — the element of active realization of the beliefs of mind and heart. Faith not testified to by corresponding action which should flow from faith as consequence from its foundation — such faith is nothing, dead (Jas 2:17). The Apostle directly, though in question form, places at the head of all his reasoning the fundamental position on the insufficiency of faith alone for the justification and salvation of a person. “He speaks as if to say: show me your works, by which I would call you a believer, for that is what faith is... If someone does not prove by works that he is faithful to God, then he should not even be called faithful. For it is not the one faithful who merely calls himself God’s, but the one who loves God so that he is ready even to die for faith in him” (Blessed Theophylact).

James 2:15. If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, James 2:16. and one of you says to them: “Go in peace, be warm and be fed,” but does not give them what is needed for the body—what benefit is it? James 2:17. So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself. The Apostle now, verses 15–16 (as well as above Jas 2:14), clarifies the indicated (Jas 2:3-4) uselessness of inactive faith alone for justification and salvation of a person with a concrete example of benevolent and sympathetic but not expressed in any good deed attitude of a person toward those in need of necessities — clothing and food; as such merely verbal sympathy to a neighbor’s misfortune brings no benefit either to the latter or to the person expressing his compassion only verbally, so faith not accompanied by good works in keeping with the nature of faith is useless, as devoid of internal vital force, as ghostly, dead faith: he pistis ean me eche, nekra estin kath eauten. From the last expression of verse 17 kath eauten, Church Slavonic “in itself,” as well as from the entire context of the Apostle’s discourse, it is evident that, according to his view, works (good) stand in organic connection with faith, flow or grow from faith as fruit from a life-giving root. Once there are not these fruits of faith, necessarily expected from the type of tree of faith, this is a certain sign that the root of the tree itself is dry, lacking vital juices. Thus, works are proofs of the vitality of faith (verse 17, see and Jas 2:26).

James 2:18. But someone will say: “You have faith, and I have works”: show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith from my works. James 2:19. You believe that God is one; you do well, and even the demons believe—and shudder. The position stated (Jas 2:14-17) on the organic relationship between faith and corresponding works the Apostle here secures with a dialogical form of speech: having in mind to give a proof of his thought a contrario, he brings forth (verse 18) his ally and opponent and, decisively striking down the latter’s incorrect judgments, thereby further clarifies his fundamental position (Jas 2:14 and following). In the accepted Greek text and Church Slavonic translation, verse 18 has an difficult reading: “from your works your faith,” — difficult because the defender of truth, to whom the Apostle gives the floor here in address to the supposed opponent who maintained the incorrect thought about the sufficiency for salvation of faith alone without works, could not have said: “show me faith from your works,” since this opponent considered works unnecessary with faith; but should have said: “show me faith without your works.” Indeed, the best Greek manuscripts (Alexandrian, Sinai, Vatican, Parisian, and others), as well as the translations: Syriac, Coptic, Vulgate, and our Russian Synodal, give the reading: “without works.” The sense of these words is that faith without works is something so empty and vain that its very existence can be subject to doubt, whereas the presence of good works itself proves the existence of faith. But even allowing the existence of such purely rational faith and even recognizing its theoretical correctness, it is still impossible, according to the Apostle (verse 19), to recognize such faith as saving. Such rational faith, for example, belief in God’s oneness, is present even in demons, but their faith, not united with love of heart and obedience of will, brings them no rest and salvation, but only trembling (phrissosin, they shudder) and despair in anticipation of God’s judgment. So, likewise, the faith of a Christian person devoid of fruits — good works — includes in itself no hope of salvation.

James 2:20. But do you want to know, foolish man, that faith without works is dead? The Apostle now transitions, verse 20, to proof of the truth he asserts from Old Testament Scripture and addresses the supposed opponent in such a form as to speak of the imminent complete refutation of the objector: “Do you want to know” theles de gno nai. In doing so, the Apostle calls him futile, empty, groundless, Greek kenos. “He calls a person empty who boasts of faith alone, because, not realizing it in works, he has not acquired a firm foundation for his activity” (Blessed Theophylact). In doing so, the Apostle repeats (compare Jas 2:17) his fundamental position “faith without works is dead,” he pistis ton ergon nekra etin. However, instead of the accepted nekra, dead, some authoritative Greek manuscripts (Vatican, Parisian, and some others), as well as some ancient translations (Armenian, Vulgate), have another word: argue, inactive, useless, futile. According to the connection with the preceding (Jas 2:19) and following (Jas 2 and following), this variant deserves attention and preference.

James 2:21. Was not Abraham, our father, justified by works when he placed Isaac, his son, on the altar? James 2:22. Do you see that faith worked together with his works, and by works faith was completed? James 2:23. 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. James 2:24. Do you see that a person is justified by works, and not by faith alone? Here the Apostle presents the most forceful and most decisive proof for Christians from Jews of the necessity of works for a person’s justification before God and for his salvation — proof from Abraham’s justification not by faith alone but by works, and among Abraham’s works the greatest is taken by the Apostle — his sacrifice of Isaac (verse 21, see Gen 22). This very work of Abraham’s self-denial in serving God served as the crown of works through which Abraham passed the path of moral purification and appeared truly righteous, holy: he was justified edikaioth e — namely he achieved righteousness in fact, not merely “was declared righteous,” as some Western commentators suppose. No, the accomplishment of the whole virtuous life of Abraham, finding its highest expression in the mental sacrifice of Isaac which he made, in short, all the righteous and pious works of Abraham made him a person of high righteousness and at the same time an heir of salvation. But Abraham’s works, according to the view of Apostle James, were not an independent principle of his justification; rather, his works were organically united with his faith: “faith worked together with his works, and by works his faith was made complete,” he pistis syner gei tois ergois autou; kai ek ton ergon he pistis eteleioth e, verse 22. “For clarity of understanding, faith can be compared to the root and trunk of a tree, and works to the branches and leaves... Between the root and trunk on one side and the branches and leaves on the other there is close mutual connection. The root and trunk nourish the branches and leaves, but the branches and leaves in turn nourish the trunk and root. As branches and leaves cannot exist without the root and trunk, so the root and trunk could not live if the branches and leaves did not conduct the sun’s ray to the root and trunk” (Bishop George). By virtue of such internal, organic mutual relationship between faith and works, St. Apostle in verse 23 interprets the testimony Gen 15 of Abraham being credited with righteousness for his faith in God’s promise about offspring in the sense that Abraham’s faith, manifested in the most vivid manner in the sacrifice of Isaac, at the same time served most fully and completely to his justification; consequently, Abraham was justified by faith that achieved perfection in his works. The seal of Abraham’s perfection, as the result of his faith and works, is recognized by the Apostle as the name “friend of God” (Hebrew evidence, Greek philos) ascribed to Abraham (in Isa 41:8; 2 Chr 20:7). Verse 24 presents a logically consecutive conclusion from the preceding reasoning of St. Apostle about the joint, equally necessary participation of works and faith in justification and salvation of a person: “Do you see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.”

James 2:25. In the same way, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the spies and sent them out another way? For even more vivid proof of the universality of that law in God’s kingdom, by which justification is accomplished through the long process of mutual relationship between faith and good works, St. Apostle brings a new example: the Gentile prostitute Rahab once showed great faith in the true God of Israel and proved this faith in deed — by hiding in her house and providing careful guidance to the Hebrew spies (Josh 2), and for this received both temporal deliverance (Josh 6:17) and eternal justification and salvation. Consequently, such is the general law — justification in God’s kingdom on earth.

James 2:26. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. St. Apostle concludes his teaching on justification by repeating the thought about the inactivity and uselessness of faith alone without works (compare Jas 2 and Jas 2:20), but to clarify adds a comparison: as the body without a spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead. Here “apparently there is no exact correspondence between the parts of the comparison. In the mutual relations between spirit and body, and between faith and works, it would seem that faith should be compared to the spirit, and works to the body, and then the comparison would be thus: as the body without the spirit is dead, so works without faith are dead... but the Apostle had in mind those who neglected the need and significance of the work itself, being content with faith alone. Therefore, with a view to his chief aim, he expresses only the general thought of the comparison — that faith in itself, if not expressed in works, is the same as a dead body, lifeless” (Bishop Michael). Once again, in conclusion of the section of discourse, St. Apostle expresses the thought of organic and therefore inseparable union of faith and works: the organism with preservation of connection of all its members is alive, with destruction of this connection — is dead. The teaching set forth by St. Apostle James in chapter II (Jas 2:14-26) on justification by works as testimony of faith has long been compared with the teaching of St. Apostle Paul on justification of a person by faith without the works of the law (Rom 3:28; Gal 2:16) — and the more so because Apostle Paul in substantiating his thought also appeals to Abraham (Heb 11:17-19; Rom 4:1-13) and to Rahab (Heb 11:31), whom he recognizes as justified by faith, whereas Apostle James assigns decisive significance in their justification to the works of both. On this basis, for a long time, especially since Luther and in connection with the Protestant teaching on justification by faith alone, contradiction has often been seen in the teaching of the two Apostles, James and Paul, on one and the same subject. In reality, however, between them there is essential agreement in recognition of the organic connection of faith and the works flowing from it, in which union or bond of faith and works both see the essentially necessary condition for justification and salvation. Apostle Paul, in full agreement with Apostle James, considers faith that saves not abstract faith, but “faith working through love” (pistis di agapes energoumene, Gal 5:6). The difference consists in the fact that the other and the other apostle, in revealing this teaching that is single in essence, struggle against different kinds of false thinking, and therefore each of them in the integral presentation of doctrine on justification by faith and works emphasizes one — such and another — a different moment. Apostle James struggles with cold, soulless correctness of belief and persistently insists on the necessity of activity demanded by faith (Jas 2:1 and others). Faith as a source of active love and virtue in general, St. James highly values and considers absolutely necessary, but purely theoretical and abstract faith, faith not proved and not manifested by anything, he calls inactive, dead, even demonic. St. Apostle Paul teaches no differently, but only, directing his epistles (especially epistles to Romans and Galatians) against Judaizers who looked upon the law of Moses and, in particular, upon its ceremonial prescriptions as absolutely necessary and in Christianity a means for salvation, he emphasizes in justification chiefly the moment of faith, asserts the independence of faith from the works of the law, and defends the complete sufficiency of faith testified by works of love as spiritual fruits of faith (Gal 5:6) — for justification and salvation of the Christian. It is clear that the “works of the law” about the uselessness of which Apostle Paul speaks are something as distinct from the works by which, according to Apostle James, faith achieves perfection (Jas 2:22). It is evident that the teaching of Apostle James and the teaching of Apostle Paul are mutually complementary and equally necessary in Christian doctrine theology. In clarification of the peculiarities of the one and the other Apostle, Blessed Theophylact says: “The word ‘faith’ is used in two senses: sometimes it means simple assent of the mind to an appearance. For we usually call faith also this (therefore demons believe that Christ is the Son of God), and again by the name of faith we call heartfelt following, united with firm assent. The Divine James calls dead faith simple assent as not having the works that animate it. And Paul speaks of faith of the heart, which certainly does not lack works, for in one not having honorable works there would not be such faith. For Abraham did not receive it before deciding to renounce his father’s weakness, for which exploit faith was given as a reward. But Paul considers it higher than works of the law, higher than Sabbath rest, higher than circumcision and other purifications. For in the word ‘works’ also two senses are seen. Works are called works that confirm faith, without which it remains dead. Works are also called works of the law without which Abraham and all Christians are justified... So the Divine apostles do not contradict one another, but, taking the word in different senses, each uses them, where necessary, in his sense... Both bring Abraham as proof of their teaching about faith. One example of Abraham proves that faith is above works, and another that works are above faith. But each takes the word (“faith” and “works”) in his sense and takes what is useful to him in substantiation.”