James Chapter Two verses 14-17 (Cont.)

What did James know that will help us

Once upon a time there was a Christian who felt that what was needed in the church was more members, felt it so acutely that this Christian decided they needed to go out and invite others to come to church.  It was at that point that this Christian began to hear about the church, things that were unbelievable, and, that this Christian had never known about.  That the church was ugly in the way it treated it's people, well, that certainly hadn't been this Christian's experience.  That the church was money hungry just wanting it's people's money, which this Christian found hard to believe since rarely did they go above a tithe?  They heard the church was prejudiced and only liked certain folks to attend and so they couldn't.  The Christian thought this was odd, because they'd been accepted, long hair and all, back in the day?  So finally they couldn't take the perplexing difference between what they had felt and experienced and what they were hearing so they went to the pastor to talk about it, but the pastor wasn't in.  They tried for a week to get to see the busy pastor, but the pastor was never available until finally Sunday came, and as they were passing by in line to shake the pastors hand, they asked when they might visit only to hear the pastor say, "Have my secretary put it on my calendar."  Sometimes our conduct and the circumstances of being a modern Christian get tested in all kinds of ways we didn't expect.

14What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 
15Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 
16If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 
17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Here's a weird paradox of the modern busy church- are we too busy for what we're supposed to be doing?  "Dana, this is a commentary, aren't you supposed to be taking us deeper into the Greek language and history of the writings...instead of staying all light weight - and contemporary?  What kind of question is that which you're asking us?"  One which we need to hear, is my thinking, and, while we certainly could go into the Greek, there are apps available, such as one I find useful beyond belief, "My Sword," wow what an app, gives you the Greek right there on touch available verses as the ones above.  But in our contemporary church, we're busy- we are, and yet I can't help but wonder how James would view what we're doing?

James begins in verse 14 with what it appears is a question, "What good is it?"  "Ti to ophelos" (roughly Tie-2-Ofellows ) it is not so much a question as it pertains to something being more abundant than- so James in some sense is wondering as much as directly questioning to those who he knows, and who haven't been killed.

To get as close to the original text as possible, it is to see that the next statement is -"Brothers of me," now this is a Novum Tesamentum Graece, 1983, so it is translated differently by Dr. Mounce and the International Greek New Testament team- they have it as "...my brothers," slight difference, to the point that it would become semantic.  So the idea conveyed is a measuring stance about the abundant quality of a brothers something.  Here James moves into the realm of proclaiming Christians, versus, Christians who might not even feel worthy to proclaim themselves such, but nonetheless are labeled as following Jesus.  Let's use the NIV group, "if someone claims to have faith but has no works?"  It is structurally different in the older main order text but again, the only difference is semantic, the meaning- is clear.  James is talking to those who profess or are identified by others as brothers in Christ, and then he asks the pointed remark- so, what's our answer? 

Then we go to the "Phrase that pays," don't know if any of you are old enough to remember "The 64 thousand dollar question," but the answer was in "The phrase that pays."  Here James just becomes inquisitive, almost philosophical about the matter, NIV "Can that kind of faith save him?"  Why would anyone want to end up in such a position?  Especially in the times James writes to?  And so we will leave this question for the next entry, but it is something to wonder at, isn't it?

May God add his blessings to the readings of his word- and since you are going- make disciples.