Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Faith Without Works Is Dead

¹⁴ What is the profit, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works^[a]? The^[b] faith is not able to save him, is it? ¹⁵ If brother or sister are naked and lacking daily food ¹⁶ and one of you says to them “Go in peace; be warmed and filled”, but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what is the profit^[c]? ¹⁷ In this manner also faith, if it does not have works, is dead by^[d] itself.

Faith Cannot Be Seen Apart From Works

¹⁸ But someone will say “You have faith, and I have works”. Show me your faith without^[e] the works, and I will show you the faith by my works. ¹⁹ You believe that God is one^[f]? You do well. Even the demons believe and shudder!

Faith Is Perfected By Works

²⁰ But do you want to know^[g], O empty^[h] person, that faith without works is useless^[i]? ²¹ Abraham our father— was he not declared-righteous by works^[j], having offered Isaac his son on the altar? ²² Do you^[k] see that faith was working-with his works, and the faith was perfected^[l] by the works? ²³ And the Scripture was fulfilled, the one saying [in Gen 15:6] “And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness”. And he was called a friend of God. ²⁴ Do you^[m] all see that a person is declared-righteous by works, and not by faith alone^[n]? ²⁵ And likewise also Rahab the prostitute— was she not declared-righteous by works, having received the messengers and sent-them-out by a different way? ²⁶ For just as the body without spirit^[o] is dead, so also faith without works is dead.