James 2:18

But someone may say to me, “ God saves some people only because they trust in him, and he saves others because they do good deeds to people.” I would answer that person, “ You(sg) cannot prove to me that people truly trust in God if they do not do good things for others. But by doing good things for others I will prove to you that I truly trust in God”

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

In Context

17Similarly, those who do not do good things to help others, what they have said about their believing in Christ is as useless [MET] as a dead person is useless. They do not really believe in Christ.

19Think about it! You believe that there is only one God, and you are right to believe that. But the demons also believe that, but they tremble with fear because they know that God is going to punish them.

Read all of James 2

Cross References

Matthew 7:16So how will you know that they are false? Well, by seeing what plants produce, you know what kind of plants they are [MET]. For example, thornbushes cannot produce grapes, so ◄no one can pick grapes from thornbushes./can anyone pick grapes from thornbushes?► [RHQ] And thistles cannot produce figs, so ◄no one can pick figs from thistles./can anyone pick figs from thistles?► [RHQ]

Romans 4:6Similarly, it is as David wrote in the Psalms about people being happy whose record of sins God has erased even though they have not done things to earn it. David wrote:

Romans 14:23But some believers are not certain that God will approve of their eating a certain kind of food. So if they eat it, they think that God will punish them. And they truly will be punished { God truly will punish them}, because they have done things that they believe are not right. Those who do anything without being certain that God considers it to be right are sinning.

2 Corinthians 5:17The fact is that God makes every one of us who trusts in Christ to be completely different than we were before. Our old way of conducting our lives is gone. We now have a completely new way of conducting our lives.

Galatians 5:6As for us who have a relationship with Christ Jesus, God is not concerned whether we are circumcised or not circumcised. Instead, God is concerned about whether we trust in Christ, with the result that we love other people.

1 Timothy 1:5Teach them to have pure desires [MTY] and so to know that God approves of what they do, and to sincerely believe the true teaching. By doing that, they will love God well.

Matthew Henry on James 2:15-26

Faith and Works. ( a. d. 61.) 14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

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