Text: James 2:21-26 (NKJ)
21Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 24You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. 25Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 26For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
INTRODUCTION
This section began with verse 14 and drove home the point that saving faith produces works in life. In a remarkable doctrinal statement, James has just made the point that if all you have is faith, you have the same kind of faith that the demons have.
This clarifies that faith that does not result in works is useless as far as producing salvation is concerned (v. 20). This leads him to two diverse but clear examples of faith-producing works in Abraham and Rahab's life. Abraham is the individual selected as the representative man of faith in the New Testament.
COMMENTARY
21Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
“Was not Abraham our father justified by works.”
Works were not the cause of his justification, that is denied in Romans 4:2[1], but is one of the effects of it, showing the truth of his faith, and the reality of his justification: he had both faith and works; and even the faith which he had expressed years ago was manifested, demonstrated, and confirmed to be accurate, by this instance of his obedience to God; by which he appeared to be a true believer, a justified person, approved by God, and loved by Him. Now if this is true of Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation, the father of the faithful, of all that believe, he is, and must be a vain man, that talks about faith without works, and his faith must be a dead one, and he is very unlike the father of them that believe. Abraham's good work in this is the offering up of Isaac, which was proof of his devotion to God. When God told him to take his son, his only and beloved son, Isaac, and offer him up on one of the mountains that would be shown him, he made haste to do it; he provided everything for it; he split the wood, and carried it with him, and fire in his hand; he built an altar, laid the wood on it, bound his son, laid the wood on the altar, and his son on the wood, and stretched out his hand, with his knife in it, to slay him; so that it was all one, with respect to his intention and will, as if he had actually offered him, and was a full trial and proof of his obedience to God. When he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar: This was not the only act of obedience, or good work, which he performed; but this is a very well-known one and is very considerable evidence of his faith in God and love for Him; and which showed him to be a justified person, as he was long before he performed this action, even before Isaac was born; see Genesis 15:6, and therefore it can never be the apostle's meaning, that he was justified before God by this, or any other good work or works, as cause or causes of it; but only that he was declared to be so; or, in other words, that his faith was joined with good works, and evidenced by them.
The question asked at the beginning of verse 21 (“Was not Abraham our father justified by works?”), assumes that the readers will agree that works justified Abraham's actions.
Special Notes
1) Abraham, our father - The Jewish audience would especially appreciate this identification. However, the New Testament identifies Abraham as "the father of all who believes" (Rom. 4:11).
2) Justified by works - The emphasis is on "by works," which stresses the source or reason, not the means, of Abraham's salvation.
3) Justified - The basic idea is "to declare righteously," which seems to be its meaning in this context (cf. vv. 23,24). The incident referred to is Abraham’s offering of Isaac on the altar, recorded in Genesis 22:1-18. This event is recorded one other time in the New Testament - Hebrews 11:17-19. To put this event in its proper perspective, we need to look at some of the critical events in Abraham's life.
A. The call of Abraham--Genesis 11:31-12:3
B. Acts 7:2 - and he said, “Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia before he dwelt in Haran,
C. Hebrews 11:8 - By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.
D. Abraham’s salvation.
It is important to note that Abraham's salvation probably occurred before his call or at the time of his call. He responded in faith to the Word of God on that occasion. This fits well with the fact that when Abraham did enter Canaan, he began building altars and calling on the name of the Lord ( Gen. 12:7,8).
E. The promise of descendants - Genesis 15:1-6.
Abraham was 75 when he came into Canaan (12:4) and probably was around 85 at the time of this promise. What is important to note is that Abraham was already a saved man when this occurred. Many put the conversion of Abraham at Genesis 15:6. The clear statement of Abraham's faith and justification on this occasion make this an essential verse in the New Testament (cf. Rom, 4:3; Gal. 3:6). However, what occurs here relates to Abraham's life pattern and not just to his initial salvation. He was a man who believed in God and was justified because he believed.
F. The promise of a son - Genesis 17 (cf, esp, vv. 15,17,21)
Abraham is now 99 and Sarah 89. Yet Abraham's response to this promise is faith (cf. Rom. 4:18-22). Sarah, too manifested faith in this extraordinary promise of God (cf. Heb 11:11).
G. The offering of Isaac - Genesis 22
This brings us to the incident that James is using as an illustration. Hebrews 11:17 says that Abraham offered up Isaac by faith.
22Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
Not to justify him before God; for neither faith nor works are ever said in Scripture to justify any man; but Abraham’s faith was the right kind, a faith which works by love, it motivated him to do this work, and many others; for this was done in faith (Hebrews 11:17), as all good results are, and where there is true faith, it will influence and involve a man in good works, as it did Abraham.
And faith was made perfect by works, but not with absolute perfection; for though Abraham's faith was very great, yet things were lacking in it, and he had his outbursts and times of unbelief; and had he lived till now, his faith, in this sense, would not have been perfect; and he would have had reason to have used the apostle's petition – “And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith” (Luke 17:5); it would not have been made perfect by works; but the sense is, that his faith was declared to be sincere, unfeigned, true, and genuine; just as love is said to be perfected. There was a close connection between the faith of Abraham and his works. His works evidenced a living (saving) faith. Though Abraham’s faith was not perfect - It accomplished its intended purpose or arrived at the intended goal. "As the tree is perfected by its fruits, so faith by its works. Genuine faith will issue forth in good works (results).
Abraham offered up his son; Rahab received the messengers of Israel, associating herself with the people of God when everything was against them and separating herself from her people by faith. All sacrificed for God, all given up for His people before they had gained one victory, and while the world was in full power, such were the fruits of faith. One referred to God (Abraham); and believed Him in the absolute way, against all that is in nature on which nature can count; the other (Rahab) owned God's people when all was against them; but neither were they blessed by the fruit of an amiable spirit or natural good, such as men call good works. One was a father going to put his son to death, the other a bad woman betraying her country. Certainly, the scripture was fulfilled, which said that Abraham believed God. How could he have acted as he did if he had not believed Him? Works put a seal on his faith: and faith without works is like the body without the soul and outward form devoid of the life that animates it. Faith acts in the works (without it, the works are a nothingness, they are not those of the new life), and the works complete the faith which acts in them; for despite trial, and in the trial, faith is active. Works of law have no part in it. The outward direction that extracts is not a life that produces (apart from this divine nature), which, having God and His people for their object, value nothing else.
James never says that works justify us before God, for God can see the faith without its works. He knows that life is there. It is an exercise concerning Him, by trust in His word, in Himself, by receiving His testimony despite everything within and without. This God sees and knows. But when our fellow-creatures are in question, when it must be said "show me," then faith and life show.
23And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.
"A friend of God is not one who talks about God, but one who walks with God. "Abraham fulfilled the Scripture that God had Moses record in Genesis 15:6[3] which speaks of Abraham's faith and declares his righteousness. By offering up his son, Abraham showed clear proof of his faith in God. Through Moses's words, the Holy Spirit spoke of his strong faith in God, that he is a friend of God, and the reason there was to believe that he was a justified person. Abraham believed God, and it was accounted (imputed) to him for righteousness (Rom. 4:3)[2]. Abraham loved God, and showed himself friendly to him; trusted in him, and believed every word of his; readily complied with his will, and not only yielded cheerful obedience to his commands but urged his children after him to observe them. This was a name which Abraham was well-known by among the eastern nations; hence he is called by the Mahometans, hlla lylx, "Khalil Allah," the friend of God; and Mahomet says himself, "God took Abraham for his friend."
Abraham fulfills the truth of Genesis 15:6[3]; it was seen to be true. Here was a man who believed in God in the most challenging circumstances. Genesis 22 is a much more demanding situation than Genesis 15.
Special Notes
“the friend of God” (cf, 2 Chron. 20:7; Isa, 41:8) - James may have had the events of Genesis 18:17,18 in view also. The emphasis is on the close relationship that Abraham enjoyed with God. Jesus calls His followers "friends" in John 15:14,15.
(2 Chron. 20:7) “Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham, Your friend forever?”
(Isa. 41:8) “But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The descendants of Abraham, My friend.”
(John 15:14-15) “14“You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15“No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing, but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.”
24You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
Can you see then how works can justify a man? Not as causes procuring his justification, but as effects declaring it; for the best works are imperfect, and cannot justify righteousness in the sight of God, and are unprofitable in this respect; for when they are performed in the best manner, they amount to nothing other than what is a man's duty to perform, and therefore cannot justify one from sin he has committed: and besides, justification in this sense would frustrate the grace of God, make void the death of Christ, and encourage boasting in men. Good works do not go before justification as causes or conditions but follow it as fruits and effects. And not by faith only: or as faith without works, or a mere historical theology, which being without works is dead, of which the apostle is speaking; and therefore can bear no testimony to a man's justification; hence it appears, that the Apostle James does not contradict the Apostle Paul in Romans 3:28[4], since they do not speak of the same sort of faith; the one speaks of a mere profession of faith, a dead and lifeless one; the other of a true faith, which has Christ, and his righteousness, for its object, and works by love, and produces peace, joy, and comfort in the soul. Moreover, the Apostle Paul speaks of justification before God; and James speaks of it as it is known by its fruits unto men; the one speaks of a justification of their persons, in the sight of God; the other of the justification and approbation of their cause, their conduct, and their faith before men, and the vindication of them from all charges and character assinations of hypocrisy, and the like; the one speaks of good works as causes, which he denies to have any place as such in justification; and the other speaks of them as effects flowing from faith, and showing the truth of it, and so of justification by it; the one had to do with legalists who sought righteousness not by faith, but by the works of the law, whom he opposed; and the other had to do with libertines, who cried up faith and knowledge, but had no regard to a religious life and conversation; and these things considered will tend to reconcile the two apostles about this business, but as effects declaring it; for the best works are imperfect, and cannot be a righteousness justifying in the sight of God, and are unprofitable in this respect; for when they are performed in the best manner, they are no other than what it is a man's duty to perform, and therefore cannot justify the one that has committed sin: and besides, justification in this sense would frustrate the grace of God, make void the death of Christ, and encourage boasting in men. Good works do not go before justification as causes or conditions but follow it as fruits and effects.
This verse is an answer to the question in verse 14. The issue is salvation: "Can that faith save him?" The answer is no because "a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone." The last part of this verse is crucial to understanding the relationship between faith, works, and justification. The issue is not justification by faith vs. justification by works, but justification by faith alone vs. justification by faith which produces works
25Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
Hebrews 11:31[5] lists Rahab among the Old Testament giants in the faith, saying, "Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works." James and Hebrews taken together show that saving faith always results in action.
A good place to begin Rahab’s story is the time when spies sent by Israel went immediately to Rahab’s house (said to be a house of entertainment) upon entering the city. (Note: Rahab’s story is told here but has been placed at the end of this lesson to be read alone if so desired.) But why did they go there, for it seems like a foolish thing to do, as was Salmon's marrying her, which might be thought strange that a prince of Israel would marry a woman with a lousy reputation; to which may be added testimonies for her by both our apostle, and by James, and her making no mention of her husband and children, when she agreed with the spies, confirm her generally accepted character, that she was a harlot. It has to do with her business; she operated a house of prostitution.
Some Jewish writers say that she was ten years of age when the Israelites came out of Egypt; and that all the forty years they were in the wilderness, "she played the harlot"; and was one at fifty years of age when she was proselyted. She is called a harlot, not with respect to her present but past life. This woman was a remarkable and unique instance of the free, sovereign, distinguishing, powerful, and effective grace of God. She sprung from Canaan and was from one of the nations that were despised but, being called by grace, became an eminent believer. She believed that the God of the Israelites was God in heaven and on earth; that he had given the land of Canaan to them. She received the spies, and hid them secular that faith; she caused them to swear by the Lord, that they would show mercy to her, and her family; and gave credit to them; and observed their instructions: and so she . . .
“perished not with them that believed not”; the inhabitants of Jericho, who were unbelievers, and disobedient, all perished by the sword: but Rahab perished not, neither temporally, nor eternally; her secular salvation was an emblem and type of her spiritual salvation; her receiving the spies was an emblem of a soul's receiving the Gospel, and the ministers of it; the scarlet thread, that was hung out the window, was an emblem of the blood of Christ, by which sins, though as scarlet, are made white as wool; and the saving of her whole family is an emblem of the complete salvation of all the elect, soul and body, by Christ.
“when she had received the spies with peace”; and had hidden them, for some time, in her house, and then let them down by the wall; and who, at the taking of the city, saved her, and hers, according to their promise and oath: the number of these spies were two, according to Joshua 2:1. The Jews say one of them was Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the high priest, and others say they were Phinehas and Caleb.
Rahab was an example of the grace of God by calling the chief of sinners and was a true believer; and what she did, she did in faith (Hebrews 11:31), and her faith was shown by her works to be authentic and genuine, and it is evident that she was a justified person. This instance is produced with the other, to show that wherever there is true faith, whether in Jew or Gentile, in man or woman, in greater or lesser believers, or in such who have been greater or lesser sinners, there will be good works; and therefore that person is a vain man that talks and boasts of his faith, and depends upon it, and slights and rejects good works as unnecessary to be done.
26For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
“For as the body without the spirit is dead,”... This expression is made use of to illustrate what the apostle had asserted in James 2:17 that as a body when the spirit or soul is departed from it, or the breath is gone out of it, is dead, and without motion, and useless.
The Song of Solomon also says that faith without works is dead: a vain thing, useless and unprofitable, can neither justify, nor save, nor prove that a man is justified, or will be saved.
The conclusion completes the section, which began in verse 14. The body without the spirit is dead, and it can accomplish nothing. So also, faith without works is dead. It can achieve nothing, especially the salvation that James is talking about (cf. 2:14,17,20,24,26).
Sound doctrine is the basis of saving faith. But truly believing the facts of the Gospel will result in a changed life. So works are an essential result of saving faith. If there are no works, then the faith is merely intellectual assent. This is something even the demons do.
"Faith alone justifies, but the faith which justifies is not alone" (John Calvin).
General Notes
[1] “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.” (Rom. 4:2)
[2] “For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness” (Rom. 4:3).
[3] “And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness (Gen. 15:6).
[4] “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law” (Romans 3:28).
[5] “By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace” (Hebrews 11:31).
Rahab’s Story
A good place to begin Rahab’s story is the time when spies sent by Israel went immediately to Rahab’s house (said to be a house of entertainment) upon entering the city. But why did they go there, for it seems like a foolish thing to do, as was Salmon's marrying her, which might be thought strange that a prince of Israel would marry a woman with a lousy reputation; to which may be added testimonies for her by both our apostle, and by James, and her making no mention of her husband and children, when she agreed with the spies, confirm her generally accepted character, that she was a harlot. It has to do with her business; she operated a house of prostitution.
Some Jewish writers say that she was ten years of age when the Israelites came out of Egypt; and that all the forty years they were in the wilderness, "she played the harlot"; and was one at fifty years of age when she was proselyted. She is called a harlot, not with respect to her present but past life. This woman was a remarkable and unique instance of the free, sovereign, distinguishing, powerful, and effective grace of God. She sprung from Canaan and was from one of the nations that were despised but, being called by grace, became an eminent believer. She believed that the God of the Israelites was God in heaven and on earth; that he had given the land of Canaan to them. She received the spies, and hid them through that faith; she caused them to swear by the Lord, that they would show mercy to her, and her family; and gave credit to them; and observed their instructions: and so she . . .
“perished not with them that believed not”; the inhabitants of Jericho, who were unbelievers, and disobedient, all perished by the sword: but Rahab perished not, neither temporally, nor eternally; her temporal salvation was an emblem and type of her spiritual salvation; her receiving the spies was an emblem of a soul's receiving the Gospel, and the ministers of it; the scarlet thread, that was hung out the window, was an emblem of the blood of Christ, by which sins, though as scarlet, are made white as wool; and the saving of her whole family is an emblem of the complete salvation of all the elect, soul and body, by Christ.
“when she had received the spies with peace”; and had hidden them, for some time, in her house, and then let them down by the wall; and who, at the taking of the city, saved her, and hers, according to their promise and oath: the number of these spies were two, according to Joshua 2:1. The Jews say one of them was Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the high priest, and others say they were Phinehas and Caleb.
Rahab was an example of the grace of God by calling the chief of sinners, and was a true believer; and what she did, she did in faith (Hebrews 11:31), and her faith was shown by her works to be authentic and genuine, and it is evident that she was a justified person. This instance is produced with the other, to show that wherever there is true faith, whether in Jew or Gentile, in man or woman, in greater or lesser believers, or in such who have been greater or lesser sinners, there will be good works; and therefore that person is a vain man that talks and boasts of his faith, and depends upon it, and slights and rejects good works as unnecessary to be done.
