A person is not a true Jew if he is only a Jew in his physical body. True circumcision {\cf2\super [23]} is not only on the outside of the body.
James 2:18 - Easy To Read Version A person might say, “You have faith, but I do things. Show me your faith! Your faith does nothing. I will show you my faith by the things I do.” Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition But someone will say [to you then], You [say you] have faith, and I have [good] works. Now you show me your [alleged] faith apart from any [good] works [if you can], and I by [good] works [of obedience] will show you my faith. American Standard Version (1901) Yea, a man will say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith apart from thy works, and I by my works will show thee my faith. Common English Bible Someone might claim, “You have faith and I have action.” But how can I see your faith apart from your actions? Instead, I’ll show you my faith by putting it into practice in faithful action. Catholic Public Domain Version Now someone may say: "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without works! But I will show you my faith by means of works. Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version But some man will say: Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without works; and I will shew thee, by works, my faith. |
A person is not a true Jew if he is only a Jew in his physical body. True circumcision {\cf2\super [23]} is not only on the outside of the body.
David {\cf2\super [35]} said the same thing. David said that a person is truly happy when God does not look at the things that person has done but accepts him like a good person:
So one of you will ask me: “If God controls the things we do, then why does God blame us \{for our sins\}?”
I may have the gift of prophecy {\cf2\super [93]} ; I may understand all the secret things \{of God\} and know everything; and I may have faith so great that I can move mountains. But even with all these things, if I don’t have love, then I am nothing.
We have small troubles for a while now, but those troubles are helping us gain an eternal glory. That eternal glory is much greater than the troubles.
Dear friends, we have these promises \{from God\}. So we should make ourselves pure—free from anything that makes our body or our soul unclean. We should try to become perfect in the way we live, because we respect God.
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.
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.
You should do good things to be an example in every way for the young men. When you teach, be honest and serious.
And Rahab, the prostitute, {\cf2\super [155]} welcomed the \{Israelite\} spies and helped them like friends. And because of her faith she was not killed with those other people who refused to obey.
All those people had great faith. And with that faith they defeated kingdoms. They did the things that are right, and they got the things that God promised. With their faith some people closed the mouths of lions.
Without faith, a person cannot please God. Any person who comes to God must believe that God is real. And any person who comes to God must believe that God rewards those people who truly want to find him.
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!
Is there any person among you who is truly wise and understanding? Then he should show his wisdom by living right. He should do good things with humility. A wise person does not boast.