James Chapter 2 — Commentary on Verse 22

    Youseethathisfaithandhisactionswereworkingtogether,andhisfaithwasmadecompleteby what he did. Havinggiventheexample,Jamesnowurgesituponthehypocritewhoclaimstohavefaith while cultivating an impure life.

    Yousee. That is, it is clear. He tries to awaken the complacent worldly-liver by urging this example on his conscience.

    Thathisfaithandhisactionswereworkingtogether. This clause is given many senses. The Roman Catholics use it to prove that faith needs works for justification, as if works and faith were joint causes; but then the apostle would have said that actions worked together with his faith, and not faith with his actions. Among the orthodox it is expounded differently. The sense I prefer is that his faith did not rest in mere profession but was operative; it had efficacy and influence on his actions, working together with all other graces. It does not only exert itself in acts of believing but also in actions—deeds.

    Andhisfaithwasmadecompletebywhathedid. This clause also has been twisted into several senses. The Roman Catholics deduce from it that in the work of justification faith receives its worth, value, and perfection from works—an idea prejudicial to the freeness of God’s love and contrary to the constant teaching of the Scriptures. Faith gives value to works rather than works to faith (see Romans 14:23 and Hebrews 11:1-6); works are so far from being chief, and the more perfect cause of justification, that they are not respected as that at all.

    (1)      Madecomplete [KJV, madeperfect—Ed.note]. That is, say some, “made known and revealed,” as God’s strength is said to be “made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). No one will be so mad as to say that our strength adds anything to God’s power, which cannot increase or decrease and has no need of any help from human weakness. Faith is madecomplete because it has the benefit of being revealed and more particularly shows itself; so faith is madeperfect—that is, it is more fully known and apparent. The reason this expression is used, some say, is, first, because things that excel suffer a kind of imperfection while they are kept private; and second, because faith comes to maturity and perfection of growth when it can produce its own particular actions. This sense is probable. But:

    (2)      Others understand it to mean that faith or profession of faith is not complete until works are joined with it, faith and works being the two essential parts that make up a believer. This interpretation suits the apostle’s intentions well enough.

    (3)      The exposition that I take to be most suitable is that faith working together with obedience is madeperfect—that is, bettered and improved, just as our inner vigor is improved by physical exercise. In short, works do not complete faith by communicating their perfection to it but by stirring its own vigor.

    Notes on Verse 22

    Note1. Faith influences all of a Christian’s actions. In Hebrews 11 faith is made the great principle; actions are spoken of that strictly speaking belong to other graces. We say the general won the day, though the private soldiers acted worthily in the field, because it was under his direction. In the same way, because all other graces march and are marshaled to fight under the direction of faith, the honor of the day is ascribed to faith. Faith has great influence on all aspects of the heavenly life.

    (1)      Faith has the advantage of a sweet principle: “faith expressing itself through love” (Galatians 5:6). It represents the love of God and then uses its sweetness as an argument; it urges by such melting entreaties that the believer cannot say no. Paul says, “I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). When the soul is hesitant faith says, “Christ loved you and gave himself for you; he was not hesitant in the work of salvation.”

    (2)      Faith gives strong encouragement; it sees assistance in God’s power, acceptance in God’s grace, reward in God’s bounty. When you are weakened with doubt and discouragement faith says, “Do your best, and God will accept you.” When jealousy makes our heart faint and our hands feeble, faith shows the soul an angel standing at the altar with sweet incense (Revelation 8:3-4). Duty coming immediately out of our hands would smell bad; so Christ intercepts it, and it is perfumed at the hands of a mediator. Again, are you discouraged with weakness? Faith will reply, “You are weak, but God will enable you.” It is an advantage, not a discouragement, to be weak in ourselves, that we may be “strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” (Ephesians 6:10). When the bucket is empty, it can be filled from the ocean more easily. Paul says, “when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). There is no heart too dead for God to bring to life, and he is willing. First Chronicles 15:26 says, “God had helped the Levites” when the work was physical; God helped them by taking away their weariness. And he will certainly give inner strength all the more—more love, joy, hope, which are the strength of the soul (see Nehemiah 8:10). Again, if the heart is lazy and reluctant or is content with ease and pleasure, faith can present the glory of the reward, the pleasures at God’s right hand, etc.

    (3)      Faith breaks the power of the opposition. If the world stands in the way of duty, faith overcomes the world (see 1 John 5:4)—partly by bringing Christ into the combat, partly by spiritual replies and arguments. Reason tells us we must be for ourselves; faith tells us we must be for God. Reason says, “If I take this course, I shall be undone”; faith, by looking within the veil, sees that it is the only way to save all (2 Corinthians 3:15-17).

    Well, then, from this we may infer:

    (1)      We need to get faith; there is as great a necessity of faith as of life. It is the life of our lives and the soul of our souls. God has arranged faith to be as necessary as Christ. What good will a deep well do us without a bucket? Whoever has a mind to work does not want to be without his tools; and who wants to be without faith if he is conscientious about his duty?

    (2)      Act it in all your works. No actions are good until faith works together with them; they are not acceptable, nor half so valuable: “By faith Abel offered” not only “a better sacrifice,” as our translation reads (Hebrews 11:4), but “more sacrifice,” as the Greek can be read. Faith is the best support you can have; worldly ends make us mangle duty, and doubts weaken us in duty.

    Note2. Faith is bettered and made more complete by acting. Neglect of our graces is why they decrease and decay; wells are the sweeter for draining. The apostle wishes Timothy to “fan into flame the gift of God” (2 Timothy 1:6). This is an allusion to the fire of the temple, which was always to be kept burning. Well, then, be much in duty, and draw out the actions of your graces. Many people are alive but not lively; decay imperceptibly leads to deadness.