James 2:18-26 – Justified By Works

Sermon & Translation by Nate Wilson for Christ the Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 7 May 2023

vs.17-18 Introduction

vs. 19-20 Faith Without Works is Demonic, Foolish, and Useless

vs.21-24 Faith With Works is Abrahamic, Perfect, and Justifying

v.25 The Faith & Works of Rahab

v.26 Conclusion





ADDENDUM: Rahab in Dante’s Paradise (ix., 112-125)

Thou fain wouldst know who is within this light

That here beside me thus is scintillating,

Even as a sunbeam in the limpid water.

Then know thou, that within there is at rest

Rahab, and being to our order joined,

With her in its supremest grade 'tis sealed.

· · · · · ·

First of Christ's Triumph was she taken up.

Full meet it was to leave her in some heaven,

Even as a palm of the high victory

Which he acquired with one palm and the other,

Because she favored the first glorious deed

Of Joshua upon the Holy Land.”

“By faith” Expressed in NT Greek Prepositions & Cases

Using the King James Version With Strong’s Numbers by Rick Meyers. Greek prepositions in the New Testament text are in superscript next to their English counterpart, and noun forms of πιστος are asterisked. English prepositions related to “faith” which do not have a Greek superscript are interpreted from the Greek word for “faith” being in the dative case.

Habakkuk 2:4 ...the just shall live byεκ his faith.

Acts 3:16 And his name throughεπι faith* in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith* which is byδια him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

Acts 15:9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.*

Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan untoεπι God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance amongιν them which are sanctified by faith* that is in me.

Romans 1:12 That is, that I may be comforted together withιν you byδια the mutualιν faith* both of you and me.

Romans 1:17 For thereinιν is the righteousness of God revealed fromεκ faith* to faith:* as it is written, The just shall live byεκ faith.*

Romans 3:22 the righteousness of God which is byδια faith* of Jesus Christ ...

Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith* without the deeds of the law.

Romans 3:30 ...one God, which shall justify the circumcision byεκ faith,* and uncircumcision throughδια faith.*

Romans 4:16 Thereforeδια it is ofεκ faith,* that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is ofεκ the law, but to that also which is ofεκ the faith* of Abraham..

Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified byεκ faith,* we have peace with God throughδια our Lord Jesus Christ:

Romans 5:2 ...we have access by faith* into this grace...

Romans 9:32 ...not byεκ faith,* but as it were byεκ the works of the law...

Romans 11:20 ...because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith.*...

2 Corinthians 1:24 Not for that we have dominion over your faith,* but are helpers of your joy: for by faith* ye stand.

2 Corinthians 5:7 (For we walk byδια faith,* not byδια sight:)

Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified byεκ the works of the law, but byδια the faith* of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified byεκ the faith* of Christ, and not byεκ the works of the law: for byεκ the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth inιν me: and the life which I now live inιν the flesh I live byιν the faith* of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Galatians 3:2 ...Received ye the Spirit byεκ the works of the law, or byεκ the hearing of faith?*

Galatians 3:11 ...no man is justified byιν the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live byεκ faith.*

Galatians 3:22 ...all under sin, that the promise byεκ faith* of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

Galatians 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified byεκ faith.*

Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God byδια faith* inιν Christ Jesus.

Galatians 5:5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness byεκ faith.*

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved throughδια faith;* and that not ofεκ yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Ephesians 3:12 Inιν whom we have boldness and access withιν confidence byδια the faith* of him.

Ephesians 3:17 That Christ may dwell inιν your hearts byδια faith;* ...

Philippians 3:9 And be found inιν him, not having mine own righteousness, which is ofεκ the law, but that which is throughδια the faith* of Christ, the righteousness which is ofεκ God byεπι faith:*

Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live byεκ faith:* but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure inιν him.

Hebrews 11:3 Through faith* we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God...

Hebrews 11:4 By faith* Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain...

Hebrews 11:5 By faith* Enoch was translated that he should not see death...

Hebrews 11:7 By faith* Noah...prepared an ark to the saving of his house; byδια the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.*

Hebrews 11:8 By faith* Abraham...obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9 By faith* he sojourned...

Hebrews 11:17 By faith* Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac...

Hebrews 11:20 By faith* Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

Hebrews 11:21 By faith* Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph...

Hebrews 11:22 By faith* Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.

Hebrews 11:23 By faith* Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents… 24 By faith* Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; 27 By faith* he forsook Egypt...

Hebrews 11:29 By faith* they passed through the Red sea...

Hebrews 11:30 By faith* the walls of Jericho fell down...

Hebrews 11:31 By faith* the harlot Rahab perished not...

James 2:18 shew me thy faith* withoutεκ/χορις thy works, and I will shew thee my faith* byεκ my works.

James 2:22 Seest thou how faith* wrought with his works, and byεκ works was faith* made perfect?

James 2:24 Ye see then how that byεκ works a man is justified, and not byεκ faith* only.

1 Peter 1:5 Who are kept byιν the power of God throughδια faith* unto salvation ready to be revealed inιν the last time.


James 2:18-26 – Comparison Of Textual Traditions & VersionsA

ByzantineB

NAW

KJVC

Vulgate

PeshittaD

17 οὕτω καὶ ἡ πίστις, ἐὰν μὴ ἔργα ἔχῃ νεκράE ἐστι καθ᾿ ἑαυτήνF.

17 Even so the faith, if it doesn’t happen to have works, is dead by itself.

17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

17 sic et fides si non habeat opera mortua est in semet ipsam

17 So also faith X alone, X without works, is dead.

18 ᾿Αλλ᾿ ἐρεῖ τις· σὺ πίστιν ἔχεις, κἀγὼ ἔργα ἔχω· δεῖξόν μοι τὴν πίστιν σου ἐκG τῶν ἔργων σουH, κἀγώ δείξω σοι ἐκ τῶν ἔργων μου τὴν πίστινI μουJ.

18 However, someone is going to say, “As for you, you have faith, but as for me, I have works; show me your faith apart from your works, and as for me, I will show you my faith from my works.”

18 Yea, a man may say, X Thou hast faith, and X I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I X will shew thee my faith by my works.

18 sed dicet quis tu fidem habes et ego opera habeo ostende mihi fidem tuam sine operibus X et ego ostendam tibi ex operibus X fidem meam

18 For a man may say, X Thou hast faith, and X I have works; show to me thy faith that is without X works; and I X will show to thee, my faith by my works.

19 σὺ πιστεύ­εις ὅτι ὁ Θεός εἷς ἐστιK· καλ­ῶς ποιεῖς· καὶ τὰ δαιμόν­ιαL πιστεύουσι καὶ φρίσσουσιM.

19 You yourself believe that God is one; You do well. The demons also believe and shudder.

19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

19 tu credis quoniam unus est Deus bene facis et daemones credunt et contremescunt

19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou dost well; the demons also believe, and tremble.

20 θέλεις δὲ γνῶναιN, ὦ ἄν­θρωπε κενέO, ὅτι ἡ πίστις χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων νεκράP ἐστιν;

20 But, you want to know something, O empty man? The faith without the works is dead!

20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

20 vis autem scire o homo inanis quoniam fides sine operibus otiosaQ est

20 X Wouldst thou know, O frail man, that faith without works is dead ?

21 ᾿Αβραὰμ ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν οὐκR ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθηS, ἀνενέγκαςT ᾿Ισαὰκ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον;

21 Wasn’t it from works that Abraham our forefather was justified after offering up Isaac his son upon the altar?

21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

21 Abraham pater noster nonne ex oper­ibus iustificatus est offerens Isaac filium suum super altare

21 Abraham our father, was not he justified by works, in offering his son Isaac upon the altar?

22 βλέπεις ὅτι ἡ πίστις Uσυνήργει τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἔργων ἡ πίστις ἐτελειώθηV,

22 You see that the faith was working together with his works, and from the works the faith was matured,

22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

22 vides quoniam fides cooperabatur operibus illius et ex operibus fides consummata est

22 Seest thou, that his faith aided X his works; and [that] by the works his faith was rendered complete?

23 καὶ ἐπληρώ­θη ἡ γραφὴ ἡ λέγουσα· ἐπίσ­τευσεν δὲ ᾿Αβραὰμ τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνηνW, καὶ φίλος Θεοῦ ἐκλήθη.

23 and the scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed in God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God.

23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, X Abra­ham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for right­eousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

23 et suppleta est scriptura dicens credidit Abraham Deo et reputatum est illi ad iustitiam et amicus Dei appellatus est

23 And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith: Abraham believed in God, and it was ac­counted to him for righteousness, and he was called the Friend of God.

24 ὁρᾶτε τοίνυνX ὅτι ἐξ ἔργων δικαιοῦ­ταιY ἄνθρωπος καὶ οὐκ ἐκ πίστεως μόνονZ.

24 Y’all see that it is from works that a man is being justified and not from faith alone.

24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

24 videtis quoniam ex operibus iustificatur homo et non ex fide tantum

24 Thou seestAA, that by works a man is justified, and not by faith alone.

25 ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ῾ΡαὰβAB ἡ πόρνη οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ὑποδεξαμένηAC τοὺς ἀγγέλουςAD καὶ ἑτέρᾳ ὁδῷ ἐκβαλοῦσαAE;

25 And, in a similar way, wasn’t it also from works that Rahab the prostitute was justified after showing hospitality to the messengers and dispatching them by a different way?

25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

25 similiter autem et Raab meretrix nonne ex operibus iustificata est suscipiens nuntios et alia via eiciens

25 So also Rahab, the harlot, was not she justified by works, when she entertained the spies, and sent them forth by another way?

26 ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ σῶμα χωρὶς πνεύματος νεκ­ρόν ἐστιν, οὕτω καὶ ἡ πίστις χωρὶς τῶνAF ἔργων νεκρά ἐστι.

26 For just as the body without a spirit is dead, so also the faith without the works is dead.

26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

26 sicut enim corpus sine spiritu emortuum est ita et fides sine operibus mortua est

26 X As the body without the spirit, is dead; so faith without works, is dead also.


1This same verse is also quoted as an important point in Heb. 11:17, Romans 4:3, and Gal. 3:6.

2Gill found another extra-Biblical cf. in the Quran: "God took Abraham for his friend [חליל].'' Sura 4:125.

3The LXX uses a slightly different word (ἠγάπησα - “loved one”) than the one James used (φιλος – “friend, one who is liked”). The Hebrew word is‎ אֹהֲבִֽי (“my loved one”), but most English versions render it “friend” anyway.

4Most commentaries did not comment on this, perhaps because there is some uncertainty as to whether this was the same Rahab that married Salmon. Vincent though so, but the Jewish Midrash says that this Rahab married Joshua.

AWhen a translation adds words not in the Greek text, but does not indicate it has done so by the use of italics or greyed-out text, I put the added words in [square brackets]. When one version chooses a wording which is different from all the other translations, I underline it. When a version chooses a translation which, in my opinion, either departs too far from the root meaning of the Greek word or departs too far from the grammar form of the original text, I use strikeout. And when a version omits a word which is in the original text, I insert an X. I also place an X at the end of a word if the original word is plural but the English translation is singular. I occasionally use colors to help the reader see correlations between the various editions and versions when there are more than two different translations of a given word. NAW is my translation. My original chart includes annotated copies of the NKJV, NASB, NIV, and ESV, but I erase them from the online edition so as not to infringe on their copyrights.

BThis Greek New Testament is the 1904 "Patriarchal" edition of the Greek Orthodox Church with notes I have added.

C1769 King James Version of the Holy Bible; public domain.

DJames Murdock, A Literal Translation from the Syriac Peshito Version, 1851, Robert Carter & Brothers, New York. Scanned and transcribed by Gary Cernava and published electronically by Janet Magierra at http://www.lightofword.org

E“Epictetus (iii. 23. 27, 28) observes that… ‘if the philosopher’s address does not drive this truth home, both speaker and speech are dead’—the point being that an ethical address, however cultured and finely phrased, is a dead thing, unless it produces a vital change in character and conduct. This illustrates the use of dead here.” ~Moffatt

FVincent, in the late 1800’s translated this phrase “in itself” and connected it with the word “dead.” “It is dead, not merely in reference to something else, but absolutely.” A generation later, Mayor’s commentary (quoted by Moo) said much the same thing, “in itself… not merely outwardly inoperative but inwardly dead.”

GApparently, this εκ (literally “out of,” and,oddly, the same as the preposition used in the second phrase, making it difficult to see any contrast being made) is the reading of the majority of Greek manuscripts, therefore it is the reading of the Modern and Patriarchal Greek Orthodox church GNTs, the Robinson-Pierpont Byzantine GNT, and the Textus Receptus (Labeled “Stevens” in e-sword with the note that it is actually taken from George Ricker Berry's edition of The Interlinear Literal Translation of the Greek New Testament which is “virtually identical to Erasmus 1516, Beza 1598, and the actual Textus Receptus: Elzevir 1633.”) On the other hand, the Westcott-Hort, Nestle-Aland, and United Bible Societies editions of the GNT all read χωρις (“without”) which makes a lot more sense. It is unusual for these critical editions to choose the easier reading, but it is the reading of all the oldest-known manuscripts. Furthermore, it is unusual for the KJV to depart from the Textus Receptus/Byzantine reading, but Scrivner’s 1894 reconstruction of the Greek text used for the KJV confirms that it did.

HΣου (“your”) is in the majority of Greek manuscripts going all the way back to one of the oldest-known and is therefore in the Textus Receptus, Robinson-Pierpont, and Patriarchal Greek Orthodox editions of the GNT, but W-H, N-A, and UBS GNTs omit it because three of the four oldest-known manuscripts omitted it, as did the Vulgate and Peshitta (Lamsa’s translation of the Peshitta adds the “your” back in, but Murdock’s translation of the Peshitta which omits “your” seems to be more consistent with the copy of the Leiden Peshitta available to me.) At any rate, the definite article in all the manuscripts could stand for the same possessive meaning, so it doesn’t necessarily mean anything different. Curiously, the ESV supported the Byzantine text here instead of lending its usual support to the critical editions.

I This is a contrast between someone who has no works but claims faith and someone who has Christian faith as well as works to prove it. (Calvin, Henry, Gill, ATR, etc.) This manner of judging does not appear to be out-of-line with other passages of scripture, such as, “The dead were judged according to their works” Rev. 20:12, cf. Matt. 25.

J The situation with this pronoun (“my”) is identical to the earlier pronoun in this verse detailed in the endnote above, except that the Peshitta supports this one, and therefore, it appears, that the NASB, NIV, and ESV left their usual support for the critical editions and threw in with the Byzantine.

K“God” has the definite article, and “one” does not, therefore it is probably not an attributive adjective (“is one God”), rather it is most likely predicative, with the subject being denoted by the article (“God is one”). The difference in word order between the Traditional and Critical GNT’s doesn’t affect the meaning.

LA.T. Robertson’s Greek Grammar noted that, whereas a neuter plural noun might normally take a singular verb, it is plural here to designate unclean spirits as a class in “a personal or collective meaning” (Hanna).

MThis verb only occurs in two other places in the Greek Bible: Job 4:15 (describing the action of hair and flesh when a super­natural being comes close to a human’s face) & Jer. 2:12 (describing the feeling of heavenly beings at the sight of human apostasy), plus two places in the Apocrypha Jdt. 16:10 (describing how the Medes and Persians feared Judith after her act of heroism) and Dat. 7:15 (paired with ἐτάρασσόν to describe how Daniel’s spirit felt after seeing a vision). As a noun, it also appears in 2 Ma. 3:17; Job 4:14; Wis. 6:5; 8:15; Hos. 6:10; Amos 1:11; Jer. 5:30; 18:13; 23:14. Interestingly, Arndt & Gingrich’s lexicon cites references to demons shuddering in anticipation of an exorcism in the Greek Papyri on Magic!
Vincent added, “It means, originally, ‘to be rough on the surface; to bristle.’ Hence, used of the fields with ears of corn; of a line of battle bristling with shields and spears; of a silver or golden vessel rough with embossed gold. Aeschylus, describing a crowd holding up their hands to vote, says, ‘the air bristled with right hands.’ Hence, of a horror which makes the hair stand on end and contracts the surface of the skin, making ‘gooseflesh.’”

NA.T. Robertson’s Greek Grammar says that this is a “polite” “substitute for the future tense” (Hanna) and he advocated in multiple places for translating it, “Do you want to know?” It introduces the following logical argument for the thesis.

OBlass & Debrunner noted that there is “some degree of emotion” behind this phrase (Hanna). This Greek phrase “O man” only occurs in 3 other places in the Bible, none of them with the extra word “empty/vain” (Rom. 2:1, 3; 9:20=“O man”; 1 Tim. 6:11=“O man of God”).
John Gill commented: “Syriac version renders it, ‘O weak’, or ‘feeble man’, as he must needs be, whose faith is dead, and boasts of such a lifeless thing; and the Ethiopic version renders it, ‘O foolish man’, for such an one betrays his ignorance in spiritual things, whatever conceit he has of his knowledge and understanding: the character seems levelled against the Gnostics, who were swelled with a vain opinion of their knowledge, to whom the apostle addresses himself thus. The phrase, ‘vain man’, is a proper interpretation of the word ריקא, ‘Raca’, or Reka, used in Mat. 5:22.”

PHalf of the oldest-known Greek manuscripts, as well as some standard editions of the Latin Vulgate read argh (“useless”), so that is the reading of the critical editions of the GNT (W-H, N-A, UBS) and thus the reading of the ASV/NASB, NIV, RV/ESV, NET, and NLT, but the vast majority of Greek manuscripts all the way back to the earliest-known ones, as well as the Peshitta and the lectionaries, read nekra (“dead”), so that is the reading of the traditional GNTs (Modern Greek, Patriarchal, R-P, Textus Receptus) and therefore of the Geneva, KJV, and NKJV. Moo, who supported the critical editions, saw a pun in the similarities of pronunciation between ergwn and argos.

Q“idle” – thus Wycliffe’s translation “idul,” but the Douay-Rheims English translation of the Vulgate is “dead.”

RIn contrast to the question in v.14 framed with μη which expected a negative answer (“No, that faith cannot save.”), this question is framed with ουκ, which expects a positive answer (“Yes, it was out of works that Abraham was justified.”). The ουκ is repeated in v.25, expecting another positive answer (Yes, Rahab was justified by her deeds too.”)

S cf. 1 Mac. 2:52 “Was not Abraham found faithful in temptation, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness?” (Brenton)
“That we may not then fall into that false reasoning which has deceived the Sophists, we must take notice of the two-fold meaning of the word ‘justified.’ Paul means by it ‘the gratuitous imputation of righteousness before the tribunal of God’; and James, ‘the manifestation of righteousness by the conduct, and that before men’, as we may gather from the preceding words, ‘Shew to me thy faith,’ etc.” ~John Calvin
A.R. Faussett: “we are justified judicially by God (Rom. 8:33); meritoriously, by Christ (Isa. 53:11); mediately, by faith (Rom. 5:1); evidentially, by works.”
Moo framed James’ “justification” as final justification “the ultimate verdict of innocence pronounced over a person at the last judgment.”

TMost English versions translate this participle temporally “when.” The Aorist tense indicates that it actually happened afterwards, and not at the same time. Vincent insisted it should be translated as the “grounds” upon which Abraham was justified, and Murdock did the same in his translation “in that he...”

U Imperfect tense, referring to the past events of Gen. 15 & 22. James’ choice of preposition seems to qualify what he is saying. He is not saying that we are saved “by” (δια, ιν, παρα, or κατα) works, but rather “out of” (εκ) and “with” (συν) works. ATR commented that dative case of the ergois following this verb is more specifically “associative-instrumental case.”

V“[T]he faith of Abram was formed and therefore perfected before he sacrificed his son. And this work was not... the finishing, or last work. Formerly things afterwards followed by which Abraham proved the increase of his faith. Hence this was not the perfection of his faith, nor did it then, for the the first, time put on its form. James then understood no other thing than that the integrity of his faith then appeared, because it brought forth that remarkable fruit of obedience.” ~J. Calvin
John Gill justly noted that this was “not with an absolute ‘perfection;’ for though Abraham's faith was very great, yet there were things lacking in it, and he had his fits and times of unbelief...”

W cf. the Greek of Genesis 15:6 καὶ ἐπίστευσεν Αβραμ τῷ θεῷ καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην – an exact quote except for the substitution of the conjunction δε for και, which makes no difference in meaning.
Gill echoed Henry and Calvin in noting how the chronological sequence disproves the theory of Abraham’s salvation by works-righteousness: “Abraham was justified before he wrought this work, and therefore that could not be the cause or matter of his justification, but only an effect and evidence of it.”

X This conjunction (“so now/therefore”) is in the majority of Greek manuscripts, and therefore in the Greek Orthodox, Majority Text, and Textus Receptus editions of the Greek New Testament (and therefore the Geneva and King James English versions), but it is not in any of the four oldest-known manuscripts or in any of the ancient Latin, Syriac, or Coptic versions, so it is omitted from the critical editions of the GNT (and therefore from all the modern English versions except the NKJV). However, it is not necessary to the meaning, for it is clear that this is a summary statement.

Y “here not ‘is made righteous,’ but ‘is shown to be righteous.’” ~ATR

Z Compare to καθ᾽ ἑαυτήν (“by itself”) in v.17

AA Lamsa’s translation of the Peshitta inserts “then” in keeping with the majority text, but Murdock omits it in keeping with the critical editions of the Greek text and the copies of the Peshitta available to me, but perhaps the “western” type that Murdock used varies from the Eastern that Lamsa translated?

AB cf. Joshua 2, where the LXX labels her as a γυναικὸς πόρνης who “received” (λαβοῦσα) the “men” (they are not called αγγελοι until Josh. 6), and “let them down” (κατεχάλασεν) through her window and told them to head uphill (East toward Jerusalem rather than West back across the Jordan River where the Israelites were camped, and where they would be expected to go).
“Why did he prefer a harlot to all others? he designedly put together two persons so different in their character, in order more clearly to shew, that no one, whatever may have been his or her condition, nation, or class in society, has ever been counted righteous without good works.”
~Calvin

AC Zaccheus, Jason, and Martha are the only other Biblical characters mentioned as exercising this kind of hospitality in Lk. 10:38; 19:6; Acts 17:7; Jas. 2:25.

AD Although the manuscript evidence is solidly in favor of this word “messengers,” most of the lectionaries and versions (with the notable exception of the Latin ones) rendered it “spies,” as did one of the oldest-known Greek manuscripts (kataskopouV). This is not a problem, however, since they were both, and either word conveys the story. In the Joshua 2 account, the Hebrews call them νεανίσκους (“young men”) and the Jerichoites call them ανδρας (“men”), but Joshua tells them to “spy out” the land, using the cognate verb to the noun kataskopouV, and then in 6:17, Joshua calls them מלאכים – “messengers” in English, which would be ἀγγέλους in Greek, although the whole last phrase is missing in the LXX of Joshua 6:17.

AE ATR and Moulton interpreted these participles as causal (Hanna), but all the standard English versions interpreted them as temporal. The Aorist tense indicates that the “receiving” and “sending” happened before her “being justified,” but James’ point is that it was because of those works that she was justified. She wouldn’t have been made right if she had not done those actions.

AF Greek Orthodox, Textus Receptus, and Majority editions of the GNT have this definite article, and it dates all the way back to two of the oldest-known Greek manuscripts. Critical editions of the GNT do not include the “the” here because three of the oldest-known Greek manuscripts (as well as a handful of others) don’t include it. It makes no real difference in English translation, because English doesn’t use the definite article as much as Greek does (for instance, all the Greek manuscripts, whether critical or traditional, have a definite article before the word for “faith,” but no standard English version puts “the” before the word “faith” in their translation, although Vincent insisted upon it, even suggesting it was pronomial, as in, “its works”). Not even the KJV, which followed the traditional Greek text (which has a definite article here), put “the” before “works” in this verse.

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