James 2:18–20
James: show me your faith without deeds, and I will show mine by deeds
Study it word by word18But 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.
19You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe, and shudder.
20But do you want to know, O empty man, that faith apart from works is barren?
In its context
16and one of you says to them, Go in peace, be warmed and be filled, but you do not give them the things needed for the body, what good is it?
17So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
…
21Was not Abraham our father declared righteous by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
22You see that faith was working together with his works, and by the works faith was brought to completion,
Its words in the original
- ἐρεῖerei· say
Say, speak; in the passive, "be called".
- πίστινpistin· faith
Faith: firm trust in God; also faithfulness.
- ἔχειςecheis· have
Have, possess, hold.
- κἀγὼkagō· and I, I also
And I, I too.
- ἔργαerga· work
Work, deed, what someone does.
- δεῖξόνdeixon· show
Show, point out.
- χωρὶςchōris· without, apart from
Without, apart from.
- πιστεύειςpisteueis· believe
Believe, trust.
- εἷςheis· one
One.
- ἐστινestin· be
Be, exist.
- θεόςtheos· God, god
God. In the plural or in another sense, "gods".
- καλῶςkalōs· well
Well, rightly.
- ποιεῖςpoieis· do, make
Do, make, produce.
- δαιμόνιαdaimonia· demon
Demon, evil spirit.
- φρίσσουσινphrissousin· shudder
Shudder, tremble with fear.
- θέλειςtheleis· want, wish
Want, wish, be willing.
- γνῶναιgnōnai· know
Know, come to know, realize. Said of a man and a woman, have sexual relations.
- ὦō· O
O!
- ἄνθρωπεanthrōpe· human being, man
Human being, person, man (without distinguishing male or female).
- κενέkene· empty, in vain
Empty; empty-handed; vain, without result.
- ἀργήargē· idle, useless
Idle, without work; useless, careless, good for nothing.