Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

¹⁴ What avails it, my brethren, though a person say he has faith, when he has no deeds? Can faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or a sister is without proper clothing, or destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, Depart in peace; may God send you warmth and food – and notwithstanding, you do not give them those things that are needful to the body, what help is it? ¹⁷ Even so faith, if it has no deeds, is dead in itself.

¹⁸ Yea, and someone might say, You have faith, and I have deeds; show me your faith by your deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. ¹⁹ Do you believe that there is one God? You do well. The devils also believe, and tremble.

²⁰ Will you understand, O vain man, that faith without deeds is dead? ²¹ Was not Abraham our father justified through works when he offered Isaac his son upon the altar? ²² You see that faith operated with his deeds, and through the deeds, the faith was made perfect. ²³ And the scripture was fulfilled that says: Abraham believed God, and it was reputed to him for righteousness. And he was called the friend of God.  ²⁴ You see then how by deeds a man is justified, and not by faith only. ²⁵ Likewise also, was not Rahab the harlot justified through works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?

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