James 2 — Faith and Works in Koine Greek (Exegesis, Syntax, and Theological Coherence)

Introduction: Reading James 2 in Greek Without Flinching

Few New Testament paragraphs generate more classroom energy than James 2:14–26. At first glance, James appears to contradict Paul: “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone” (2:24) versus “a person is justified by faith apart from works of law” (Rom 3:28). But a patient, text-driven reading in Greek—attentive to lexeme ranges, prepositions, syntax, literary genre, and rhetorical aims—shows that James and Paul speak to different errors with different uses of shared vocabulary. This chapter trains you to read James 2 in Greek at doctoral level: to parse its forms, to hear its diatribe rhetoric, to trace its wisdom frame, and to let the text itself resolve the tensions.

Our focus passage is James 2:14–26 (the “faith and works” unit), set within the broader context of 2:1–13 (impartiality, the royal law, and the triumph of mercy). We will (1) orient to James’s genre and argument; (2) build a lexical–syntactic toolkit for πίστις, ἔργον, δικαιόω, νεκρά/ἀργή, τελειόω, πληρόω, συνεργέω, and the phrases ὁ νόμος βασιλικός and νόμος ἐλευθερίας; (3) exegete 2:14–26 line by line; (4) compare James’s and Paul’s uses of δικαιόω and ἔργα with actual Greek evidence; and (5) practice extended translation and discourse analysis. The goal is not to smooth over difficulties but to let the Greek lead to coherent exegesis and sound theology (BDAG, 2000; Wallace, 1996; Porter, 1992; Davids, 1982; Johnson, 1995; Moo, 2015; McKnight, 2011; Allison, 2013; Westerholm, 2004; Moo, 2018).

1. Context and Genre: Wisdom, Diatribe, and the Royal Law

James writes as a wisdom teacher and pastor. His Epistle moves by compact exhortations, graphic images, and diatribe—a rhetorical technique that invents an interlocutor to sharpen the point (“But someone will say…,” 2:18). Chapter 2 is unified by concern for congruent conduct: show no favoritism (2:1–7), keep the royal law (2:8), remember that mercy boasts over judgment (2:13), and demonstrate that faith must act (2:14–26). The “faith and works” unit therefore does not appear in a vacuum. It flows from the same moral vision: wisdom-from-above refuses partiality, acts mercifully, and embodies what it confesses.

Two contextual markers control your exegesis. First, ὁ νόμος βασιλικός (“the royal law”) in 2:8, identified as “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” anchors James’s ethic in the Torah summed by Jesus. Second, 2:12–13 frames the unit with eschatological accountability and mercy: “So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty… mercy triumphs over judgment.” The imperatives “so speak/so act” anticipate the show me/I will show you of 2:18; 2:13 anticipates 2:15–16’s mercy-of-cloak and bread. Keep these frames in view when you interpret δικαιόω and ἔργα in 2:24.

2. Lexical–Syntactic Toolkit: What the Key Words Can Mean (and Do Mean Here)

2.1 πίστις and πιστεύειν in James

Πίστις in James 2 can denote mere assent (e.g., monotheistic orthodoxy in 2:19: “You believe that God is one—good!”) or relational trust that issues in obedience (“I will show you my faith from my works,” 2:18). The article matters: in 2:14, ἡ πίστις with article (and anaphoric force) likely points to that kind of faith just described—a claim lacking deeds. When James asks μὴ δύναται ἡ πίστις σῶσαι αὐτόν (“Can that faith save him?”), the Greek invites you to hear a particularized “faith,” not faith defined as trusting obedience (Moo, 2015; McKnight, 2011; BDAG).

2.2 ἔργον/ἔργα in James (contrast Paul’s ἔργα νόμου)

James uses ἔργα without the qualifier νόμου. He means acts of obedience/mercy that fulfill the royal law (2:8) and complete faith (2:22). The works in view are the tangible practices of love (2:15–16), the costly obedience of Abraham (2:21–22), and the risk-laden hospitality of Rahab (2:25). Paul’s polemical phrase ἔργα νόμου (works of law) targets the Mosaic law as basis of justification. James’s ἔργα are fruits of a living faith—necessary evidences, not the ground of God’s verdict (Davids, 1982; Moo, 2015; Westerholm, 2004).

2.3 δικαιόω—“declare righteous,” “make righteous,” or “vindicate”?

BDAG recognizes forensic (“declare righteous”), transformative (“make righteous” in some contexts), and vindication (“show to be in the right”) senses of δικαιόω (BDAG, s.v.). James 2 tends toward the vindication sense: faith is shown to be genuine (right/just) by works. Evidence: the demonstrative rhetoric of 2:18 (δεῖξόν μοι… κἀγὼ σοι δείξω), the “you see” refrain (ὁρᾶτε, 2:24), and the fulfillment/“bringing to completion” verbs (συνεργεῖν, τελειῶσαι) that describe faith’s relation to works (2:22). This does not cancel the forensic sense elsewhere; it clarifies what James is doing with the word in this paragraph (Johnson, 1995; Moo, 2015; Allison, 2013).

2.4 ἀργή and νεκρά—idle vs dead

James describes faith χωρὶς ἔργων as ἀργή (idle, ineffective) in 2:20 and as νεκρά (dead) in 2:17, 26. Some manuscripts harmonize, but the weight favors ἀργή in v. 20. James’s rhetoric thus moves from useless (idle) to lifeless (dead)—a deliberate escalation (Moo, 2015; Allison, 2013).

2.5 τελειόω, πληρόω, συνεργέω—completion and cooperation

In 2:22, “faith was working with (συνήργει) his works, and faith was completed (ἐτελειώθη) by (ἐκ) the works.” These verbs are crucial. Συνεργέω denotes synergy/cooperation; τελειόω depicts brought-to-completion/maturity (not created ex nihilo) (BDAG; Porter, 1992). In 2:23, ἐπληρώθη ἡ γραφή (“the Scripture was fulfilled”) signals correspondence brought to its full expression—Genesis 22 enacts the trust of Genesis 15; it does not contradict it (Davids, 1982; Moo, 2015).

3. Exegesis of James 2:14–26, Clause by Clause

3.1 2:14 — The Framing Question

Τί ὄφελος, ἀδελφοί μου, ἐὰν πίστιν λέγῃ τις ἔχειν ἔργα δὲ μὴ ἔχῃ; μὴ δύναται ἡ πίστις σῶσαι αὐτόν;

James opens with a profit question (τί ὄφελος—“What gain?”) that introduces utility and authenticity. Two infinitives with λέγῃ (present subjunctive) highlight the claim (“someone says he has faith”) versus the absence (“but does not have works”). The mḗ in μὴ δύναται expects a negative answer: “Can that kind of faith save him? No.” The articular ἡ πίστις is anaphoric—that faith defined by speech without deeds (Moo, 2015; Johnson, 1995).

3.2 2:15–17 — The Poverty Test

ἐὰν ἀδελφὸς ἢ ἀδελφὴ γυμνοί ὑπάρχωσιν καὶ λειπόμενοι τῆς ἐφημέρου τροφῆς, εἴπῃ δέ τις… ὑπάγετε ἐν εἰρήνῃ, θερμαίνεσθε καὶ χορτάζεσθε, μὴ δῶτε δὲ αὐτοῖς τὰ ἐπιτήδεια τοῦ σώματος, τί ὄφελος; οὕτως καὶ ἡ πίστις… ἐὰν μὴ ἔργα ἔχῃ, νεκρά ἐστιν καθ’ ἑαυτήν.

The conditional presents a sibling pair “naked and lacking daily food.” The second-person pious dismissal—“Go in peace; be warmed and filled”—parodies pious talk that does not supply (δῶτε) the necessities. James repeats τί ὄφελος to tie the picture to the thesis. Then the analogy: so also faith, without works, is dead by itself. Note καθ’ ἑαυτήν: by itself it is lifeless—an inward, self-referential claim detached from action (Allison, 2013; Moo, 2015).

Aspectually, the present constructions evoke habitual charity (or its habitual absence). This reading fits the royal law and mercy frame: genuine faith acts toward neighbors.

3.3 2:18 — The Diatribe Interlocutor and “Show Me”

Ἀλλ’ ἐρεῖ τις· Σὺ πίστιν ἔχεις κἀγὼ ἔργα ἔχω· δεῖξόν μοι τὴν πίστιν σου χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων, κἀγὼ σοι δείξω ἐκ τῶν ἔργων μου τὴν πίστιν.

The diatribe voice splits “faith” and “works” as if they could be distributed between people. James answers with an imperative and a promise built on demonstration verbs: “Show me… and I will show you…” The prepositions carry the argument: χωρίς (“apart from,” separation) and ἐκ (“from/out of,” source/evidence). James denies that faith can be shown apart from works and asserts that it is shown from works. This is the grammar of verification and anticipates δικαιόω as vindicate (Davids, 1982; Wallace, 1996).

3.4 2:19 — Monotheism and the Shudder of Demons

Σὺ πιστεύεις ὅτι εἷς ἐστὶν ὁ θεός· καλῶς ποιεῖς· καὶ τὰ δαιμόνια πιστεύουσιν καὶ φρίσσουσιν.

James cites the Shema (Deut 6:4) as a test case for bare assent. Demons believe in monotheism and shudder (φρίσσω—to bristle). The present indicatives present ongoing demonic orthodoxy and ongoing terror—yet they remain God’s enemies. Therefore, assent is not what James means by saving faith. The verse functions as a semantic disambiguation for πίστις: faith without obedience is demonic-level orthodoxy (Moo, 2015; Johnson, 1995).

3.5 2:20 — The Uselessness of Idle Faith

θέλεις δὲ γνῶναι, ὦ ἄνθρωπε κενέ, ὅτι ἡ πίστις χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων ἀργή ἐστιν;

A sharp vocative—ὦ ἄνθρωπε κενέ (“empty person”)—introduces the thesis in a proverbial form. The adjective ἀργός (idle, ineffective) here is well attested; it pictures faith on idle, engine on but car not moving. James will escalate to νεκρά in v. 26 (Allison, 2013).

3.6 2:21–24 — Abraham: Faith Completed by Works; Scripture Fulfilled

Ἀβραὰμ ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ἀνενέγκας Ἰσαὰκ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον; βλέπεις ὅτι ἡ πίστις συνήργει τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἔργων ἡ πίστις ἐτελειώθη, καὶ ἐπληρώθη ἡ γραφή ἡ λέγουσα· Ἐπίστευσεν δὲ Ἀβραὰμ τῷ θεῷ, καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην, καὶ φίλος θεοῦ ἐκλήθη. ὁρᾶτε ὅτι ἐξ ἔργων δικαιοῦται ἄνθρωπος καὶ οὐκ ἐκ πίστεως μόνον.

The rhetorical question expects “Yes”: Abraham was justified by works when he offered (ἀνενέγκας, aor. ptcp.) Isaac. But watch what James means by that: “You see (βλέπεις/ὁρᾶτε) that faith was working with his works and that by works faith was completed.” The συνεργέω + ἐκ + τελειόω construction pictures faith and works in cooperation, with works bringing faith to consummation/maturity in the testing of Genesis 22 (Porter, 1992; BDAG).

Then ἐπληρώθη ἡ γραφή quotes Genesis 15:6: “Abraham believed… and it was reckoned to him unto righteousness.” Note the aorist of ἐπίστευσεν and ἐλογίσθη: the reckoning precedes Isaac’s offering by decades. James’s point is not chronological inversion but telic fulfillment: the trust credited in Genesis 15 reaches full expression in Genesis 22. Thus Abraham is called friend of God (Isa 41:8; 2 Chr 20:7), a relational label coherent with faith-in-action.

Finally, 2:24 states the “you see” conclusion: “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” In James’s rhetoric, δικαιοῦται functions as “is shown to be in the right”—vindicated—by works, and “faith alone” names bare, non-acting assent just refuted (Moo, 2015; Johnson, 1995; Allison, 2013).

3.7 2:25–26 — Rahab and the Body–Spirit Simile

ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ Ῥαὰβ ἡ πόρνη οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ὑποδεξαμένη τοὺς ἀγγέλους καὶ ἑτέρᾳ ὁδῷ ἐκβαλοῦσα; ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ σῶμα χωρὶς πνεύματος νεκρόν ἐστιν, οὕτως καὶ ἡ πίστις χωρὶς ἔργων νεκρά ἐστιν.

Rahab, a Gentile woman of notorious background, received and sent out the spies—verbs of costly hospitality and risk (Josh 2). She, too, is said to be justified by works—again, vindicated as genuine friend of God by her deeds.

The closing simile locks the logic: as a body without spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead. Works are not the soul of faith; they are the inevitable animation of faith’s life. Without them, what remains is a corpse of orthodoxy (Allison, 2013).

4. James and Paul: Vocabulary Overlap, Argument Contrast

4.1 Different Opponents, Different Errors

Paul argues against those who make “works of law” the basis of justification and covenant inclusion. His target is legalism or ethnocentric nomism as ground (Rom 3–4; Gal 2–3). James addresses those who claim faith but do not act—antinomian quietism cloaked in orthodoxy. Both oppose false confidence; their opponents sit in different pews.

4.2 δικαιόω in Different Construals

Paul often uses δικαιόω in a forensic sense (“declare righteous,” Rom 3:24; 5:1), with God as judge. James uses it in vindicatory sense (“show to be righteous/genuine”), with “you see” and “show me” framing the discourse. Greek supports both ranges (BDAG; Wallace, 1996). The Gospels provide parallels for vindication: “Wisdom is justified by her deeds” (Matt 11:19 // Luke 7:35)—shown to be right by what issues from her.

4.3 Abraham: Faith Reckoned and Faith Completed

Paul argues from Genesis 15:6 to show that righteousness is reckoned by faith prior to circumcision, thereby opening the family to Gentiles (Rom 4). James argues that the same faith must act, and that Genesis 22 fulfills the earlier reckoning—not replacing it but bringing it to its telos (Moo, 2015; Davids, 1982).

4.4 Prepositions that Preach

Paul’s opposition is ἐξ ἔργων νόμου vs ἐκ πίστεως/διὰ πίστεως. James’s claim is ἐξ ἔργων as evidence of πίστις—faith ἐκ works is completed (2:22)—and denial of πίστις μόνον understood as apart from works (χωρίς). The differing prepositional frames reflect differing tasks (Porter, 1992; Wallace, 1996).

5. Theological Synthesis: Living Faith, Royal Law, and Mercy’s Triumph

James’s Greek insists on three truths. First, faith that saves is relational trust in God that necessarily expresses itself in deeds of love. When James says “Can that faith save him?” he does not question whether faith saves; he questions whether that kind of inactive faith is faith at all.

Second, works in James are royal-law works—mercy to the needy, costly obedience in testing, hospitable risk for God’s people. They are the outflow of a new heart and the verification of faith’s presence, not currency with which one buys a verdict.

Third, justification language can describe God’s verdict (Paul) or faith’s vindication before the community and at the last (James). James is not teaching self-justification before God by tallying deeds; he is teaching that the only faith God declares righteous is the faith He makes alive—and that aliveness is visible.

This synthesis honors both writers in Greek rather than flattening either into the other (Moo, 2015; Johnson, 1995; Westerholm, 2004; Moo, 2018).

6. Guided Exegesis: Work Through the Greek Text

Work with the Greek text open. For each subsection below, translate, parse the marked forms, label prepositions with semantic roles (source, instrument, separation, cause, goal), and write a three-to-four sentence exegetical payoff that depends on your grammatical observations.

6.1 2:14—Profit and the Article on πίστις

Identify λέγῃ… ἔχειν… μὴ ἔχῃ, and μὴ δύναται. Explain how the articular ἡ πίστις and the mḗ question guide you to read “that kind of faith” as non-saving. Show how τί ὄφελος frames utility and authenticity in wisdom discourse.

6.2 2:15–17—If-Then Mercy

Parse γυμνοί ὑπάρχωσιν, λειπόμενοι, ὑπάγετε, θερμαίνεσθε, χορτάζεσθε, and δῶτε. Argue why the present imperatives/participles profile habitual failure and why καθ’ ἑαυτήν matters: faith “by itself” is dead.

6.3 2:18—Show Me / I Will Show You

Mark χωρίς vs ἐκ. Explain why the prepositions and imperatives force a demonstration reading of δικαιόω later in the paragraph.

6.4 2:21–23—Abraham’s Works “Complete” Faith

Parse ἀνενέγκας, συνήργει, ἐτελειώθη, ἐπληρώθη, ἐπίστευσεν, ἐλογίσθη. Explain how συνεργεῖν and τελειῶσαι depict cooperation and completion rather than co-causation of the forensic verdict. Clarify “Scripture fulfilled” in narrative time.

6.5 2:25–26—Rahab and the Body

Parse ὑποδεξαμένη, ἐκβαλοῦσα, νεκρόν. Explain why the body/spirit simile pushes you beyond logical to ontological language for faith-without-works: not merely invalid, but dead.

7. Intensive Practice: Translation and Analysis

For mastery, complete the following. Produce a polished translation and a one-page analysis for each item, grounding every theological claim in the Greek.

1. James 2:1–13 (context): trace partiality and the royal law. Label each law phrase (νόμος βασιλικός; νόμος ἐλευθερίας), and explain how 2:12–13 (“so speak and so act… mercy triumphs”) sets up 2:14–26.

2. James 2:14–26: build a Clause & Evidence Map with columns: Greek clause | finite verbs/participles (parse) | key prepositions + roles | rhetorical function (question, example, challenge, inference) | theological payoff.

3. Romans 4:1–8; Galatians 2:16: write a one-page comparative note on δικαιόω and prepositional frames (ἐκ/διὰ/χωρίς), showing how Paul’s concern differs from James’s (be specific: “ἐξ ἔργων νόμου” vs James’s ἔργα).

4. Matthew 11:19/Luke 7:35 and James 2:24: argue in 300–350 words that δικαιόω can mean vindicate/show right; cite Greek forms and contexts.

5. Greek composition: write four cola in Greek that paraphrase James’s point using δεῖξόν μοι… δείξω σοι…; include χωρίς and ἐκ with correct case governance.

Assigned Readings and Translations (This Week)

Read and annotate in Greek:

• James 2:1–26 (with special focus on 2:14–26).

• Genesis 15:1–6 LXX; Genesis 22:1–18 LXX (Abraham).

• Joshua 2 LXX (Rahab).

• Deuteronomy 6:4–9 LXX (Shema).

• Romans 3:21–31; 4:1–8; Galatians 2:15–21 (Pauline comparison texts).

For each, maintain a Faith–Works Log: key Greek phrases; parsing of crucial forms; prepositions with semantic labels; two to three exegetical sentences that tie grammar to theology.

Suggested assignments (graded)

1) Exegetical Research Essay (8–10 pages): “Justified by Works? James 2:24 in Greek.”
Provide your translation of 2:21–24. Argue, with BDAG and Wallace, for the vindicatory sense of δικαιόω in James, grounded in the paragraph’s δεῖξον/δεικνύω and ὁρᾶτε rhetoric, συνεργεῖν/τελειῶσαι semantics, and ἐπληρώθη logic. Interact with Moo (2015), Johnson (1995), and Allison (2013).

2) Abraham’s Timeline Dossier (5–6 pages + chart).
Lay Genesis 15 and Genesis 22 side by side (LXX), list aorists and key nouns, and diagram James’s ἐτελειώθη and ἐπληρώθη claims. Add a one-page reconciliation with Romans 4 that respects each author’s local argument and prepositions.

3) Mercy-in-Action Case Study (3–4 pages).
Analyze James 2:15–17’s example in Greek. Then design a modern parallel and write a short Greek paragraph (6–8 clauses) imitating James’s style, including τί ὄφελος, an imperative, χωρίς, and νεκρά.

4) Syntax Drill (short, graded for accuracy).
Parse and gloss: λέγῃ, ἔχειν, μὴ ἔχῃ, δύναται, ὑπάρχωσιν, λειπόμενοι, ὑπάγετε, θερμαίνεσθε, χορτάζεσθε, δῶτε, ἀνενέγκας, συνήργει, ἐτελειώθη, ἐπληρώθη, ἐλογίσθη, ὑποδεξαμένη, ἐκβαλοῦσα. For five of these, add a one-sentence discourse function note.

5) Oral Recitation with Clause Marking.
Memorize James 2:18–24 in Greek. Submit an audio recitation and a marked script showing clause breaks and the χωρίς/ἐκ contrasts. Add 300–400 words on how speaking the Greek clarified the paragraph’s logic.

Conclusion: Faith that Lives, Works that Speak

James 2 will keep stretching you because it refuses the lazy harmonization and equally refuses the false dilemma. When you read it in Greek and in context, its argument is crisp. Faith is not bare assent; it is relational reliance on God that inevitably acts in love. Works are not currency that buy God’s verdict; they are the outworking that vindicate faith’s reality and bring it to mature expression. Justification language can describe God’s verdict (Paul) or faith’s vindication (James) without contradiction once you honor each writer’s opponent, prepositions, and verbs. Let James’s wisdom form your practice: so speak and so act (2:12). And let your exegesis be as concrete as James’s examples: if your faith can be shown, it can be seen; and if it can be seen, it will be alive.

References (APA)

Allison, D. C. (2013). A critical and exegetical commentary on the Epistle of James (ICC). T&T Clark.

Bauer, W., Danker, F. W., Arndt, W. F., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). A Greek–English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed.). University of Chicago Press. [= BDAG]

Davids, P. H. (1982). The Epistle of James (NIGTC). Eerdmans.

Johnson, L. T. (1995). The letter of James (AB 37A). Doubleday.

McKnight, S. (2011). The letter of James (NICNT). Eerdmans.

Moo, D. J. (2015). The letter of James (Pillar New Testament Commentary). Eerdmans.

Moo, D. J. (2018). The letter to the Romans (2nd ed., NICNT). Eerdmans.

Porter, S. E. (1992). Idioms of the Greek New Testament (2nd ed.). Sheffield Academic Press.

Wallace, D. B. (1996). Greek grammar beyond the basics: An exegetical syntax of the New Testament. Zondervan.

Westerholm, S. (2004). Perspectives old and new on Paul: The “Lutheran” Paul and his critics. Eerdmans.