James 2:14Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The faithful one is he who so loves the Lord in whom he has believed that, from love, he dares even to accept death. That this is the aim of the brother of the Lord's words is clear from the example he gives below. He speaks of Abraham and Rahab, who showed by works that they believed in God. On this point the God-bearing Ignatius spoke well: "Those who profess themselves Christians are known not only by what they say, but are revealed by their works. The tree is known by its fruit. It is better to be silent and to be, than to speak and not to be. The kingdom of God is not in word, but in power" (Epistle to the Ephesians). Basil the Great also says: "If anyone, having received the name of Christian, insults Christ, such a man gains no benefit from the name" (Rule 45). Again the divine Ignatius says: "It is fitting not only to be called Christians, but also to be such. It is not being called, but being, that makes men blessed" (Epistle to the Magnesians). The divine Chrysostom also says: "With such habits, that is, wicked and satanic ones, what profit is there for a man in being named a Christian? For as a maiden, so long as she preserves her virginity, is rightly and fittingly called a virgin, and truly is a virgin, but if someone deceives and corrupts her, and she loses her virginity, then she is no longer a virgin. So also the one called Christian, if he has transgressed the covenant, trampled down his vows, rejected the word of the holy Gospel, and lives like a pagan, gains no benefit from being called a Christian" (Homily on False Prophets). And again he says: "Right doctrines will bring no profit to a Christian if he neglects his life" (Homily 13 on Genesis).

“Israel,” he says elsewhere, “pursuing the righteousness of the Law, did not attain to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they sought justification not by faith, but by works of the Law” (Rom 9:31-32).

Called to be the Apostle of the Gentiles, who did not know the Law of Moses, the Apostle Paul desired to remove the yoke of the Law from the Gentiles. He did this with the approval of James himself, who presided at the Apostolic Council.

Paul proves that the Law alone is insufficient without faith, and that it is superfluous where faith is present. By faith he does not mean an abstract thing, or the mere recognition of some truth by the mind.

He means faith “working through love” (Gal 5:6).

The Apostle James warns Christians against drawing the conclusion that faith alone, without good works, is sufficient for salvation. He also warns that, along with rejecting the ceremonial Law, one must not or may not reject fulfillment of the moral Law.

He therefore tries to prove the necessity of precisely this moral Law.

Thus the two Apostles mutually complete one another. James proves the insufficiency of cold faith without good works of love. The Apostle Paul proves the insufficiency of works of the Law, chiefly circumcision and rites, without living faith.

“But does not have works”: that is, good works consisting in fulfillment of the law given by Him in whom faith is being discussed here.

Is such faith possible? The turn of phrase, “if someone says that he has faith,” without works, shows that the Apostle seems not to consider such faith to be faith, but only an imagination that it is faith.

It is as though he says: if he says that he has it, but in fact does not. Nevertheless, he still calls it faith, but dead faith (Jas 2:17, 20, 26).

This faith is abstract, mental, and theoretical. It is the recognition of the truth of the Gospel teaching about Christ, but it has not penetrated into the inner life of the spirit. Therefore it is not expressed in works of Christian love or, in general, in works fulfilling the law of Christ.

The possibility of such faith is already clear from the fact that the Apostle thoroughly proves its insignificance in the matter of salvation.

Strictly speaking, it is not faith in the proper sense, but only has the appearance of faith. Therefore it is called dead, as a breathless corpse has the appearance of a man but is not a living man.

“Save him”: that is, grant blessedness in the future Kingdom of Christ, as in Jas 1:21. The expression is taken from the fact that sinful man, by reason of his sinfulness, is threatened with perdition, or eternal condemnation.

To make him blessed, it is necessary to deliver, or save, him from this perdition.

They are two inseparable though distinct sides of one and the same reality. When these sides form one whole in the man being saved, faith has primacy and comes first, as the cause. Works follow as its effect.

But why does one Apostle speak chiefly about the importance of works, namely James, while the other speaks about the importance of faith, namely Paul?

Because the disciples of one Apostle, those of James, directed their attention more and more to one side, faith in Jesus, while neglecting the other, works.

The disciples of the other Apostle, those of Paul, were being drawn by false teachers in the opposite direction. They were drawn toward the works of the Old Testament law, and away from the first side, faith in Jesus.

Therefore each Apostle wished to explain to his disciples the importance of precisely that side of the matter which they had neglected, or at least had left without proper attention.

To the Judaizing Christians of the dispersion, who carelessly dreamed of being saved by the high rights of Christianity alone, proudly claimed for themselves, the holy Apostle James had special reason to explain the importance of moral works.

He also had reason to explain the necessity of labors, according to one's strength, for self-purification from sinful defilement.

To Christians converted from paganism, upon whom some wished to impose Jewish ritual and law, the Apostle to the nations, Saint Paul, had special reason to explain the decisive importance of faith in Jesus for justification.

He explained its superiority over the works of the Jewish ritual law, which are already superfluous in Christianity. He also explained its superiority over the works of the moral law in general, of which man does not possess enough for justification.

Apart from the concepts and disposition of their disciples, the holy Apostles James and Paul held exactly the same view of faith and works.

For if the holy Apostle James lowers faith before works, he lowers only that faith which even the demons have and tremble. That is, he means only an abstract, intellectual, cold, and superficial faith (Jas 2:19).

This, therefore, is not Paul's faith at all.

Conversely, if the holy Apostle Paul exalts faith before works, he does not mean the faith which the Apostle James lowers. He means faith working through love (Gal 5:6).

In other words, he means faith accompanied by works of Christian love. This is precisely the thing for which the holy Apostle James contends.

For what works does the holy Apostle James consider necessary for salvation? He names this: "to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world" (Jas 1:27).

He also names works like the deeds of Abraham and Rahab (Jas 2:21-25). These are works of mercy toward neighbors and unquestioning obedience to God.

And what works does the holy Apostle Paul declare indifferent and unnecessary for salvation? The works of the ritual law of the Old Testament.

"For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything" (Gal 5:6).

As for the moral duties of active piety, the strongest passages on their importance and necessity are found precisely in the Apostle Paul, for example Rom 6:1, 2, 7, 11, 18.

Yet Saint Paul still ascribes decisive force and significance in justification to faith, not to works. This is not because he denies the need for works in justification.

On the contrary, it is because even the most pious man does not possess as many righteous works as would be needed for his justification.

Rather, we are all sinners by our fallen nature. All our moral deficiencies are filled up only by the merits of Christ.

These merits are imputed and appropriated to us through faith, and they impart value also to our own good works.

And works make faith perfect, for until what a man has believed is done in deed, faith is as though not faith. It becomes visible only in works. And not only visible, but also firm. Works act back upon faith and strengthen it.