Bible Gateway passage: James 2:14-26, Ephesians 2:1-10 - New International Version (2024)

Faith and Deeds

¹⁴What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?^(A) Can such faith save them? ¹⁵Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.^{(B) 16}If 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?^{(C) 17}In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.^(D)

¹⁸But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds,^(E) and I will show you my faith^(F) by my deeds.^{(G) 19}You believe that there is one God.^(H) Good! Even the demons believe that^(I)—and shudder.

²⁰You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless^[a]?^{(J) 21}Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?^{(K) 22}You see that his faith and his actions were working together,^(L) and his faith was made complete by what he did.^{(M) 23}And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”^[b](N) and he was called God’s friend.^{(O) 24}You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

²⁵In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?^{(P) 26}As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.^(Q)

Footnotes

1. James 2:20 Some early manuscripts dead
2. James 2:23 Gen. 15:6

Cross references

1. James 2:14 : Mt 7:26; Jas 1:22-25
2. James 2:15 : Mt 25:35, 36
3. James 2:16 : Lk 3:11; 1Jn 3:17, 18
4. James 2:17 : ver 20, 26; Gal 5:6
5. James 2:18 : Ro 3:28
6. James 2:18 : Heb 11
7. James 2:18 : Mt 7:16, 17; Jas 3:13
8. James 2:19 : Dt 6:4; Mk 12:29; 1Co 8:4-6
9. James 2:19 : Mt 8:29; Lk 4:34
10. James 2:20 : ver 17, 26
11. James 2:21 : Ge 22:9, 12
12. James 2:22 : Heb 11:17
13. James 2:22 : 1Th 1:3
14. James 2:23 : Ge 15:6; S Ro 4:3
15. James 2:23 : 2Ch 20:7; Isa 41:8
16. James 2:25 : S Heb 11:31
17. James 2:26 : ver 17, 20

Made Alive in Christ

2As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,^{(A) 2}in which you used to live^(B) when you followed the ways of this world^(C) and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air,^(D) the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.^{(E) 3}All of us also lived among them at one time,^(F) gratifying the cravings of our flesh^[a](G) and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴But because of his great love for us,^(H) God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions^(I)—it is by grace you have been saved.^{(J) 6}And God raised us up with Christ^(K) and seated us with him^(L) in the heavenly realms^(M) in Christ Jesus, ⁷in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace,^(N) expressed in his kindness^(O) to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸For it is by grace^(P) you have been saved,^(Q) through faith^(R)—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹not by works,^(S) so that no one can boast.^{(T) 10}For we are God’s handiwork,^(U) created^(V) in Christ Jesus to do good works,^(W) which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Footnotes

1. Ephesians 2:3 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.

Cross references

1. Ephesians 2:1 : ver 5; Col 2:13
2. Ephesians 2:2 : ver 3, 11-13; Ro 11:30; 1Co 6:11; 5:8; Col 3:7; Tit 3:3; 1Pe 4:3
3. Ephesians 2:2 : Ro 12:2
4. Ephesians 2:2 : S Jn 12:31
5. Ephesians 2:2 : Eph 5:6
6. Ephesians 2:3 : S ver 2
7. Ephesians 2:3 : S Gal 5:24
8. Ephesians 2:4 : S Jn 3:16
9. Ephesians 2:5 : ver 1; Ps 103:12
10. Ephesians 2:5 : ver 8; Jn 5:24; S Ac 15:11
11. Ephesians 2:6 : S Ro 6:5
12. Ephesians 2:6 : Eph 1:20
13. Ephesians 2:6 : S Eph 1:3
14. Ephesians 2:7 : S Ro 2:4
15. Ephesians 2:7 : Tit 3:4
16. Ephesians 2:8 : S Ro 3:24
17. Ephesians 2:8 : ver 5
18. Ephesians 2:8 : S Ro 9:30
19. Ephesians 2:9 : Dt 9:5; Ro 4:2; 2Ti 1:9; Tit 3:5
20. Ephesians 2:9 : 1Co 1:29
21. Ephesians 2:10 : Isa 29:23; 43:7; 60:21
22. Ephesians 2:10 : Eph 4:24
23. Ephesians 2:10 : S Tit 2:14