James 2:14

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?
• 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?
• New Living Translation (NLT)What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?

Context of James 2:14

12Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?

James 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Whatτίςtis · which?G5101
• profitὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• profitὄφελοςophelos · gainG3786
• myἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• brethrenἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
• thoughἐάνean · ifG1437
• a manτιςtis · oneG5100
• sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• he hathἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• faithπίστιςpistis · faithG4102
• andδέde · thenG1161
• notμήmē · notG3361
• worksἔργονergon · workG2041
• canδύναμαιdunamai · be ableG1410
• saveσῴζωsōzō · to saveG4982
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846

Cross-references for James 2:14

• James 2:16If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?
• Jeremiah 7:8But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless.
• Romans 2:25Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised.
• 1 Corinthians 13:3If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
• 1 Timothy 4:8For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
• Hebrews 13:9Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by eating ceremonial foods, which is of no benefit to those who do so.
• James 2:18But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
• James 1:22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
• Matthew 5:20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
• Matthew 7:21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
• Luke 6:49But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”
• Acts 8:13Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.
• Acts 15:9He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.
• 1 Corinthians 13:2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
• 1 Corinthians 16:22If anyone does not love the Lord, let that person be cursed! Come, Lord!
• Galatians 5:6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself 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

• Faith
• Hypocrisy
• Religion
• Righteousness
• Vanity
• Works

In the dictionaries

• Convince
• Dead
• Draw
• Justify
• Offend
• Respect
• Rich
• Sister
• Faith
• Justification

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