OET interlinear YAC (JAM) 2:18

2:18

But someone will say, “You have faith and I have deeds.”: There are a number of difficult issues in this verse. Some of the difficulties are:

1. It is not clear whom the word someone refers to.

2. It is not clear whom the pronouns You and I refer to.

3. It is not clear where the quotation ends. This is because there are no quotation marks in ancient Greek manuscripts to indicate which words are direct speech.

Many interpretations have been proposed to try and overcome these difficulties.Three commentaries have done a good job of summarizing (and critiquing) the various interpretations: Dibelius (pages 149–151, 154–158), Ropes (pages 211–214) and McCartney (pages 157–160). Ropes gives six options and McCartney lists eight (while leaving out the option put forward by Huther (pages 89–92) and Lenski, (pages 581–582) which is described in footnote 52). The two interpretations that most English versions follow are:

1. The word someone refers to an imaginary opponent of James. The pronouns You and I in the quotation are a way to say that some people have faith; other people do good deeds. These pronouns do not refer specifically to James, to James’ audience or to the imaginary opponent. The quotation includes only the words “You have faith; I have deeds.” According to this interpretation, the imaginary opponent was speaking to James. He implied that (a) faith alone can save a person and (b) works alone can also save a person. For example, the REB says:

   But someone may say: ‘One chooses faith, another action.’ To which I reply: ‘Show me this faith you speak of with no actions to prove it, while I by my actions will prove to you my faith.’ (BSB, RSV, NIV, ESV, REB, NET, GW, GNT, NLT, NCV)This interpretation was defended by Ropes, pages 208–214; and is accepted by Davids (1982), pages 123–125; Laws, pages 122–124; Mitton, page 109; Moo (1985), page 105.

2. The word someone refers to a person who agrees with James. The pronoun I refers to the person who agrees with James. The pronoun You refers to an imaginary opponent. The quotation includes all of 2:18b–e. According to this interpretation, the person who agrees with James was speaking to an imaginary opponent. This opponent claimed to have faith but did not have good deeds. The words of the person who agrees with James were somewhat ironic. That is, he did not believe the imaginary opponent had true faith: “You have faith, do you?” For example, the NASB says:

   But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” (NJB, KJV, NASB, JBP)Alford, pages 298–299; Mayor, pages 95–96; Adamson (1976), pages 124–125.

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). This interpretation is supported by the majority of English versions and a number of commentators.Two other interpretations deserve mention though they are not followed by any of the main English versions:(3) “But someone will say, ‘Do you have faith?’ And I will say, ‘I have deeds. Show me your faith without deeds and I will show you my faith by my deeds’.” According to this interpretation, the words of the imaginary opponent continue only as far as faith, and these words are in the form of a question: “Do you really have faith?” Unlike James, the opponent thinks that faith in God is entirely separate from good deeds. So he asks whether James himself really has genuine faith. James replies that he has deeds to his credit and then challenges the opponent to prove that his own faith is real. Interpretation (3) was proposed by H. Neitzel in an article in German (1982) and is supported by Ronald Y. K. Fung (1992) and other writers: H. Neitzel, 1982, “Eine alte crux interpretum im Jakobusbrief 2:18”, Zeitschrift für Neutestamentliche Wissenschaft, pages 286–293. R. Y. K. Fung, “ ‘Justification’ in the Epistle of James”, in Right With God: Justification in the Bible and the World, ed. D. A. Carson, 1992. Pages 148–151 with endnotes pages 279–280 deal with this issue. Neitzel’s interpretation is not the first to take the opponent’s words as a question and I have deeds as the words of James. This was already the approach of F. J. A. Hort (1909). Neitzel’s interpretation is actually a refinement of Hort’s, taking κἀγὼ as standing for the speech introduction “And I will say”, rather than being the start of the content of what James said. In this way, Neitzel overcomes the objection raised against Hort’s interpretation by Moo (1985), page 105.(4) “But someone may say that you have faith and I have works.” This interpretation understands “you have faith and I have works” as indirect rather than direct speech. It takes you (sing.) to refer to the person that James has been opposing and I to refer to James. The objector is speaking to James and his opponent at the same time, saying that some people have faith and others have good deeds, implying that either is acceptable and you should not expect everyone to have both of them. Then James replies directly to his opponent, challenging him to prove the reality of his faith, and offering to prove the reality of his own faith from his deeds.The objections to this interpretation are: (a) Normally in this kind of Greek discourse the objector addresses the author, not the author and his opponent together; and (b) usually in the NT after “to say” direct speech is used (James 1:13, 2:3, 4:13, also Luke 4:23; Romans 11:19, etc.), although in none of these examples is a third person addressing two people. (c) It refers to James’ opponent (the person who says that he has faith in 2:14) in the second person, though in 2:14–17, he is a hypothetical person addressed with indefinite third person forms (τις “someone” in 2:14, τις αὐτοῖς “someone among you” in 2:16). This interpretation was proposed by Huther, pages 89–92, and is accepted by Lenski, pages 581–582, R. B. Terry, D. J. Verseput, and others.

2:18a

But: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as But introduces a strong contrast. The contrast is between James’ statement in 2:17 that faith without deeds is dead and the argument that faith alone is enough.

someone will say: The phrase someone will say introduces a statement that an imaginary opponent might say to James. The statement in 2:18b–c is a type of debate or argument. One way to introduce this argument more clearly is to use a more specific verb. For example:

someone will argue

someone will debate me saying

Suppose someone disagrees and says

2:18b

2:18c

2:18b–c

You have faith and I have deeds: As mentioned above under interpretation (1), the pronouns You and I are a way to say that some people have faith, other people do good deeds. These pronouns do not refer specifically to James, to James’ audience or to the imaginary opponent.

Consider how speakers in your culture create imaginary persons as examples when they discuss a topic seriously. You may choose to use those types of references here. Also consider if it may be best to replace the pronouns You and I with more general words. For example:

“One person has faith, another has actions.” (GNT)

“Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” (NLT)

“One person trusts Jesus, another person does good deeds.”

The imaginary opponent was arguing that there are different ways to be saved. He said that some are saved because of their faith. Others are saved because of their good deeds. In some languages, it may be good to make this explicit. For example:

^18aBut someone will argue ^18bthat there are different ways in which people are saved. He may say “One person has faith, ^18canother has good deeds. Either one of these is enough.”

^18aBut someone will disagree saying ^18bthat people do not all follow God in the same way. He may say “One person has faith, ^18canother has good deeds.”

^18b“Some have faith; ^18cothers have works; don’t expect everyone to have both.” (NET note)

2:18d–e

Verse 2:18d–e is James’ reply to the imaginary opponent of 2:18b–c. In some languages, it may be necessary to make it clear that James is now speaking for himself. One way to do this is to begin 2:18d with a short phrase. For example:

My answer is (GNT)

But I say (NLT)

But I, James, say

2:18d

Show me your faith without deeds: This clause challenges someone to prove that he has true faith when he does not have good deeds to support his claim.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

Show me that you really believe/trust in Jesus, even when you do no good deeds.

Prove that you have faith without doing kind deeds (CEV)

I challenge you to prove to me that you have faith when you have no deeds.

In some languages, it may be natural to translate this clause as a rhetorical question. For example:

“How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds?” (NLT)

If you believe only, but there are no good deeds, how will you show me that you really believe in Jesus?

2:18e

and I will show you my faith by my deeds: This clause indicates that good deeds will prove that a person has true faith. Faith and good deeds always go together.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

I will show you that I really believe/trust in Jesus Christ by the good deeds I do.

I will use my good deeds to prove my faith to you.

What I do will show you that I really have faith.