Daily Reading for Personal Growth, 40 Days with God

Footnotes

1. James 2:14 The main concern of the Letter is expressed in this passage. The author attacks a faith that is satisfied with words and ideas that do not lay hold of one’s existence and do not find expression in charity and prayer. Paul had said that salvation comes only through faith in Jesus Christ, but this is a faith that unsettles and transforms one’s life (see Rom 3:28; Gal 2:16). Like him, James, too, gives Abraham, the model for believers, as an example, but at first sight the two writers seem to draw contrary conclusions. In fact, however, James regards Abraham’s action as a gesture and expression of his faith; in this context, Paul speaks rather of the fruits of the Spirit (see Rom 12–14; 1 Cor 13:1; 4:20; Gal 5:13; 6:10). The two writers both cite Rahab, of whom the Book of Joshua speaks. The Letter of James by no means minimizes faith; rather it demands an authentic life.
2. James 2:15 These verses illustrate a faith that is faulty similar to the way 1 Jn 3:17 illustrates a love that is faulty. What is needed is a faith that is genuine, i.e., operative.