What is a work?

[waitasec]

When wanting to understand what a Biblical concept or principle is, going to sources other than the Bible leads to confusion. It's like trying to understand football by applying the rules of baseball.

i went to
Interlinear Study Bible on SearchGodsWord.org


care to move the goal posts back to where they belong...?

 

[Shermana]

I think James plainly defined what a work is, and that we are justified by them and not by faith alone, anything else is twisting.

 

[Villager]

I think James plainly defined what a work is, and that we are justified by them and not by faith alone, anything else is twisting.

James wrote about justification before men, not before God. Merely to think that one can be justified by a work, even a religious one, is to lose justification.

'Just as I am, without one plea
But that thy blood was shed for me.'

 

[e.r.m.]

James wrote about justification before men, not before God. Merely to think that one can be justified by a work, even a religious one, is to lose justification.

'Just as I am, without one plea
But that thy blood was shed for me.'

(NASB) James 2:14
What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?

No, James wrote about justification before God, not men. Men cannot save you. Where did you get that from?

 

[javajo]

James wrote about justification before men, not before God. Merely to think that one can be justified by a work, even a religious one, is to lose justification.

'Just as I am, without one plea
But that thy blood was shed for me.'

You got that right!

(NASB) James 2:14
What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?

No, James wrote about justification before God, not men. Men cannot save you. Where did you get that from?

shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. James 2:18b

 

[waitasec]

. James 2:18

belief is defined by what is being done...

 

[Villager]

You got that right!

shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. James 2:18b

If James' letter supported justification by works, it would be regarded as fatal heresy, and would not be accounted Scripture. It is God's trap, he who sends feeble lies as well as a powerful one.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

one saves themselves by learning

And what does the world say happens when one becomes learned?

 

[sandy whitelinger]

I think James plainly defined what a work is, and that we are justified by them and not by faith alone, anything else is twisting.

Once again that would be nice if the Bible consisted of only the book of James.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

i have been...
work is an action. it is what you do.
it is not stagnant it is in motion.

ἔργον from a primary (but obsolete) ergo (to work)

1. business, employment, that which any one is occupied
that which one undertakes to do, enterprise, undertaking
2. any product whatever, any thing accomplished by hand, art, industry, or mind
3. an act, deed, thing done: the idea of working is emphasised in opp. to that which is less than work


translated words
KJV (176) - deed, 22; doing, 1; labour, 1; work, 152;
NAS (169) - action, 1; behavior, 1; deed, 13; deeds, 52; doing, 1; effectual, 1; labor, 1; result, 1; task, 1; what...done, 1; work, 34; works, 62;



Interlinear Study Bible on SearchGodsWord.org

Wow, nowhere is it translated as faith. Thank you for proving my point once again.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

i went to
Interlinear Study Bible on SearchGodsWord.org

That's really nice. Now stop trying to change the subject to make a point. That's known as muddying the waters.

 

[waitasec]

When wanting to understand what a Biblical concept or principle is, going to sources other than the Bible leads to confusion. It's like trying to understand football by applying the rules of baseball.

i went to
Interlinear Study Bible on SearchGodsWord.org


care to move the goal posts back to where they belong...?

That's really nice. Now stop trying to change the subject to make a point. That's known as muddying the waters.

how is that changing the subject?

 

[waitasec]

And what does the world say happens when one becomes learned?

they become learned

 

[waitasec]

Wow, nowhere is it translated as faith. Thank you for proving my point once again.

what are you talking about...?

You do still need to define works because your circular argument is flawed.

i have been...
work is an action. it is what you do.
it is not stagnant it is in motion.

ἔργον from a primary (but obsolete) ergo (to work)

1. business, employment, that which any one is occupied
that which one undertakes to do, enterprise, undertaking
2. any product whatever, any thing accomplished by hand, art, industry, or mind
3. an act, deed, thing done: the idea of working is emphasised in opp. to that which is less than work


translated words
KJV (176) - deed, 22; doing, 1; labour, 1; work, 152;
NAS (169) - action, 1; behavior, 1; deed, 13; deeds, 52; doing, 1; effectual, 1; labor, 1; result, 1; task, 1; what...done, 1; work, 34; works, 62;



Interlinear Study Bible on SearchGodsWord.org

 

[waitasec]

so faith just is...
like having blue eyes...you just have them without doing anything?


seems pretty convenient.

 

[e.r.m.]

You got that right!

shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. James 2:18b

Faith in God, not faith in men. You haven't shown, as requested, where did you get the idea that James talked about justification before men? The verse you quoted did not mention men.

 

[waitasec]

james 2:20
You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[d]? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.

 

[waitasec]

matthew 25:40
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

 

[javajo]

Faith in God, not faith in men. You haven't shown, as requested, where did you get the idea that James talked about justification before men? The verse you quoted did not mention men.

Here is the verse again: Shew me (a man) thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee (a man) my faith by my works. James 2:18b
Note the parenthesis. The only way a man can really know for sure that another man has trusted Christ is to see the results for himself, with his own eyes.

 

[Villager]

Once again that would be nice if the Bible consisted of only the book of James.

Actually, James supports justification by faith; he takes it as a given. It's just that works salvationists rush to the few words that they imagine support their view, and never read the rest! Such is the lunacy of mankind, when matters of money, or of other personal matters, are involved.