20
Butδὲdo you wantθέλειςto know,γνῶναιOὦemptyκενέman,ἄνθρωπεthatὅτιfaithἡ πίστιςapart fromχωρὶςworksτῶν ἔργωνisἐστινbarren?ἀργή
James 2:20
Study it in the app“But do you want to know, O empty man, that faith apart from works is barren?”
James: show me your faith without deeds, and I will show mine by deedsFaith
With the Greek beneath
James 2:20, word by word
- do you wantθέλειςtheleis
want
To have the desire or the resolve for something.
Where else “theleis” appears- to knowγνῶναιgnōnai
find out
To find out something, to realize.
Where else “gnōnai” appears- Oὦō
O
O!
Where else “ō” appears- emptyκενέkene
vain
Of no use at all.
Where else “kene” appears- manἄνθρωπεanthrōpe
person
A person, man or woman.
Where else “anthrōpe” appears- faithπίστιςpistis
trust
Truly trusting in God or in Jesus.
Where else “pistis” appears- apart fromχωρὶςchōris
without, apart from
Without, apart from.
Where else “chōris” appears- worksἔργωνergōn
deed
What someone does, their conduct.
Where else “ergōn” appears- isἐστινestin
be
To be: says who or what something is.
Where else “estin” appears- barrenἀργήargē
idle, useless
Idle, without work; useless, careless, good for nothing.
Where else “argē” appears
Translation note· on the manuscripts
Many manuscripts read “dead.”
The context
19You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe, and shudder.
20 · This verse (above)
21Was not Abraham our father declared righteous by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
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?