Yes, a man will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I by my works will show you my faith.
Parallel translations
- KJV 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.
- BSB But someone will say, “You have faith and I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
- 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.
- NKJV But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
- 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.”
- NLT Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
James answers an objector by insisting that faith can only be demonstrated through works. Invisible faith without works cannot be shown to be real.
Overview
James engages a hypothetical interlocutor who would separate faith from works. His reply is that faith cannot be displayed apart from the deeds it produces; works are the visible evidence of inward faith. This reinforces that genuine, saving faith and obedient action belong together and cannot be divided in practice.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 19
- Jas 3:13Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his good conduct that his deeds are done in gentleness of wisdom.
- Jas 2:14What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him?
- 1 Tim 1:5but the goal of this command is love, out of a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith;
- Gal 5:6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision amounts to anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith working through love.
- Titus 2:11–14For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,
- Titus 2:7in all things showing yourself an example of good works; in your teaching showing integrity, seriousness, incorruptibility,
- Rom 14:23But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because it isn’t of faith; and whatever is not of faith is sin.
- 1 Th 1:3–10remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and perseverance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father.
- Matt 7:16–17By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?
- Heb 11:31By faith, Rahab the prostitute, didn’t perish with those who were disobedient, having received the spies in peace.
- Heb 11:33who, through faith subdued kingdoms, worked out righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
- Rom 3:28We maintain therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.
- Heb 11:6Without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to him, for he who comes to God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him.
- 1 Cor 13:2If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don’t have love, I am nothing.
- Jas 2:22–25You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected;
- 2 Cor 5:17Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.
- Rom 8:1There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
- 2 Cor 7:1Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
- Rom 4:6Even as David also pronounces blessing on the man to whom God counts righteousness apart from works,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The wisdom from above and the royal law of love are the life of those who belong to 'our glorious Lord Jesus Christ' — faith in him made visible in works.
How James 2:18 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.