American Standard Version
James 2:14
14What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but have not works? can that faith save him?
James 2:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
- New International Version (NIV)What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?
- English Standard Version (ESV)What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?
- New King James Version (NKJV)What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?
Context of James 2:14
12So speak ye, and so do, as men that are to be judged by a law of liberty. 13For judgment is without mercy to him that hath showed no mercy: mercy glorieth against judgment. What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but have not works? can that faith save him? 15If a brother or sister be naked and in lack of daily food, 16and one of you say unto them, Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; and yet ye give them not the things needful to the body; what doth it profit?
Read all of James 2James 2:14 word by word
Τί τὸ ὄφελος, ἀδελφοί μου, ἐὰν πίστιν λέγῃ τις ἔχειν, ἔργα δὲ μὴ ἔχῃ; μὴ δύναται ἡ πίστις σῶσαι αὐτόν;Read the interlinear
Cross-references for James 2:14
- James 2:16and one of you say unto them, Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; and yet ye give them not the things needful to the body; what doth it profit?
- Jeremiah 7:8Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit.
- Romans 2:25For circumcision indeed profiteth, if thou be a doer of the law: but if thou be a transgressor of the law, thy circumcision is become uncircumcision.
- 1 Corinthians 13:3And if I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profiteth me nothing.
- 1 Timothy 4:8for bodily exercise is profitable for a little; but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life which now is, and of that which is to come.
- Hebrews 13:9Be not carried away by divers and strange teachings: for it is good that the heart be established by grace; not by meats, wherein they that occupied themselves were not profited.
- James 2:18Yea, a man will say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith apart from thy works, and I by my works will show thee my faith.
- James 1:22But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves.
- Matthew 5:20For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.
- Matthew 7:21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.
- Luke 6:49But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that built a house upon the earth without a foundation; against which the stream brake, and straightway it fell in; and the ruin of that house was great.
- Acts 8:13And Simon also himself believed: and being baptized, he continued with Philip; and beholding signs and great miracles wrought, he was amazed.
- Acts 15:9and he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
- 1 Corinthians 13:2And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
- 1 Corinthians 16:22If any man loveth not the Lord, let him be anathema. Maranatha.
- Galatians 5:6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith working through love.
Commentaries on James 2:14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14What doth it profit - though a man say he hath faith - We now come to a part of this epistle which has appeared to some eminent men to contradict other portions of the Divine records. In short, it has been thought that James teaches the doctrine of justification by the merit of good works, while Paul asserts this to be insufficient, and that man is justified by faith. Luther, supposing that James did actually teach the doctrine of justification by works…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith? - The apostle here returns to the subject adverted to in James 1:22-27, the importance of a practical attention to the duties of religion, and the assurance that men cannot be saved by a mere speculative opinion, or merely by holding correct sentiments. He doubtless had in his eye those who abused the doctrine of justification by faith, by holding that good works are unnecessary to…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-26Verses 14-26 Those are wrong who put a mere notional belief of the gospel for the whole of evangelical religion, as many now do. No doubt, true faith alone, whereby men have part in Christ's righteousness, atonement, and grace, saves their souls; but it produces holy fruits, and is shown to be real by its effect on their works; while mere assent to any form of doctrine, or mere historical belief of any facts, wholly differs from this saving faith. A bare…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14If someone claims to have faith: James writes to Christians to urge them to actions that come from true faith. Paul teaches the same thing (see, for example, Galatians 5:6). But he often criticizes those who rely on actions to define their relationship with God (Romans 3:20, 28; 4:3–5; Galatians 2:16; 3:1–14).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1414. James here, passing from the particular case of "mercy" or "love" violated by "respect of persons," notwithstanding profession of the "faith of our Lord Jesus" (Jas 2:1), combats the Jewish tendency (transplanted into their Christianity) to substitute a lifeless, inoperative acquaintance with the letter of the law, for change of heart to practical holiness, as if justification could be thereby attained (Ro 2:3, 13, 23). It seems hardly likely but that…Read the comment
Topics related to James 2:14
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on James 2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries