18
ButἈλλ’someoneτιςwill say:ἐρεῖYouΣὺhaveἔχειςfaith,πίστινand Iκἀγὼhaveἔχωworks.ἔργαShowδεῖξόνmeμοιyour faithτὴν πίστιν σουapart fromχωρὶςworks,τῶν ἔργωνand Iκἀγώwill showδείξωyouσοιmy faithτὴν πίστινbyἐκmy works.τῶν ἔργων μου
James 2:18
Study it in the app“But someone will say: You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith apart from works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”
James: show me your faith without deeds, and I will show mine by deedsFaith
With the Greek beneath
James 2:18, word by word
- will sayἐρεῖerei
say
To express something in words to others.
Where else “erei” appears- haveἔχειςecheis
have
To count something or someone as one's own: goods, family, faith, power.
Where else “echeis” appears- faithπίστινpistin
trust
Truly trusting in God or in Jesus.
Where else “pistin” appears- and Iκἀγὼkagō
and I, I also
And I, I too.
Where else “kagō” appears- worksἔργαerga
deed
What someone does, their conduct.
Where else “erga” appears- Showδεῖξόνdeixon
show
Show, point out.
Where else “deixon” appears- apart fromχωρὶςchōris
without, apart from
Without, apart from.
Where else “chōris” appears
Translation note
It is not known for certain where the words of this “someone” end and where James speaks again.
The context
17So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 · This verse (above)
19You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe, and shudder.
To study James 2 in a group
1. What it says
What situation does James describe with the man in the gold ring and the poor man, and what does he say about it (v. 1-4)?
2. What it means
James says faith without works is dead (v. 14-17). What example does he use, and what is he trying to show?
3. How I live it
Whom could you treat today with the same attention you would give to someone important?