Trailblazin Ministries

A Dead Faith: Part 4 - James 2:18

Written by LaRosa Johnson
Tuesday, 13 November 2007

In dealing with the topic of faith versus works and the possibility of someone having a dead faith, we have reached what is probably one of the most difficult passages for us to study as there is much uncertainty surrounding it. In the grand scheme of things, this verse says what it says, and its meaning does not change, but its implication and our understanding of it can change considering how it is translated and where punctuation is placed. There is not much more here that can be added to the discussion of faith versus works; our previous devotions have covered the topic pretty extensively and this verse simply reiterates those truths. What I want us to look at today is the translation of this passage into English and the different understandings that we can be deduced as a result. Let us begin by looking at today's passage, James 2:18, in two different translations: New American Standard and English Standard Version.

James 2:18 (NASB) - But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works."

James 2:18 (ESV) - But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

Essentially, both of these translations read the same, only varying in words chosen. A closer look will uncover the dilemma concerning this passage and why many translators and theologians have different conclusions concerning this passage. The NASB has quotes around just about the entire verse, giving the indication that this "someone" is saying all of what is being said, with no commentary or thoughts from James at all. On the other hand, the ESV only has quotes around "You have faith and I have works," which leaves the remaining portion of the verse to be read as James' thoughts on what this someone had to say. It is this that leads us to a couple unanswerable questions that we will at least begin to look at before finally summarizing this verse in light of what we already know from Scripture.

The first question to be asked is who is this "someone?" As the reader, we honestly do not know. The differing views on this conclude that it is either James referring to himself, or it is someone who is opposed to the teachings of James. This is a legitimate question because we have to remember that the Greek does not have punctuation (neither does Hebrew), therefore it is impossible to know where the quote ends. This is especially true when investigating the Greek as there is no clear indication in the language itself that can lead us to knowing where the punctuation should be, thus leaving it up to the discretion of the translators and giving us what we find in the NASB or in the ESV. Back to the issue of who is saying this quote, it can easily be taken either way, depending on whose punctuation you decide to use. If you opt for the ESV translation, it is more likely that it is an opposer of James speaking, with the rest of the verse containing his response to their misled thoughts concerning salvation, works, and faith. On the other hand, if you go with a translation like the NASB, you are harder pressed to believe that these are James' words and he is referring to himself.

Which is right? Again, we don't know. Going with the ESV, we are led to believe that James is responding to his opposition by reiterating the fact that works are a display of ones faith, and that you don't have faith if you fail to do such things. If we choose the NASB, things get a bit more complicated as all of this would then likely be attributed to James and comes with more authority or force behind it with the addition of the first piece adding an extra push. Regardless of where the punctuation is, the message is still the same: we should have works as an outward expression of our faith, and if we lack such works do we really have a saving faith. In essence, we will be known by our fruits, as we are told in Matthew 7:16-17. Indeed, the same message that we have already seen shown in verses 14-17.

It is a passage like this that gives us a good example of why we need to be students of the Word and not simply rely on a single translation for studying. If we had simply relied upon the ESV or NKJV we probably would have never known about the difference in translation that is found in the NASB due to its placement of punctuation. This then led to a study of the original languages and investigating commentaries that eventually led to a whole and well rounded study of the Scripture. This is how our times of study should be, opening ourselves to the entire counsel of Scripture and using other aids to help us understand the meaning of Scripture, even when we already know what it means. Until next time, God bless!