So these three things continue: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.
James 2:17 - Easy To Read Version It is the same with faith. If faith does nothing, then that faith is dead, because it is alone. Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead). American Standard Version (1901) Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself. Common English Bible In the same way, faith is dead when it doesn’t result in faithful activity. Catholic Public Domain Version Thus even faith, if it does not have works, is dead, in and of itself. Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version So faith also, if it have not works, is dead in itself. |
So these three things continue: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.
I may give everything I have to feed people. And I may even give my body \{as an offering\} to be burned. But I gain nothing by doing these things if I don’t have love.
When a person is in Christ Jesus, it is not important if he is circumcised or not. The important thing is faith—the kind of faith that works through love.
When we pray to God our Father we always thank him for the things you have done because of your faith. And we thank him for the work you have done because of your love. And we thank him that you continue to be strong because of your hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
The goal of this command is for people to have love. To have this love people must have a pure heart, they must do what they know is right, and they must have true faith.
My brothers and sisters, if a person says that he has faith, but does nothing, then that faith is worth nothing. Can faith like that save him? No!
A person’s body that does not have a spirit is dead. It is the same with faith—faith that does nothing is dead!