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James 2:14

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

KJV

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

Greek NT

Quid proderit, fratres mei, si fidem quis dicat se habere, opera autem non habeat ? numquid poterit fides salvare eum ?

Vulgate

What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but have not works? can that faith save him?

ASV

What shall it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but hath not works? Shall faith be able to save him?

Douay-Rheims

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In the original Greek

16 distinct Greek words appear in this verse.

αὐτός
autos
pronoun · 5564×
δέ
de
conjunction · 2781×
δύναμαι
dunamai
verb · 209×
λέγω
lego
verb · 2256×
μή
me
particle · 1033×
πίστις
pistis
noun · 243×
σώζω
sozo
verb · 106×
τίς
tis
interrogative_pronoun · 533×
τὶς
tis
indefinite_pronoun · 527×
ἀδελφός
adelphos
noun · 343×
ἐάν
ean
conditional · 333×
ἐγώ
ego
pronoun · 1720×
ἔργον
ergon
noun · 169×
ἔχω
echo
verb · 707×
o
article · 19778×
ὄφελος
ophelos
noun · 3×

Textual variants

1 variant unit attested by manuscript witnesses and modern critical editions.

notable
SBLGNT: Τί | WH: Τί | Treg/NIV/RP: + τὸ
  • ΤίSBLGNT
  • ΤίWestcott-Hort
  • + τὸTregelles, Reader's GNT (NA27), Robinson-Pierpont
source: sblgnt-apparatus

Themes

Historic Christian voices

6 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.

§162Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to man. We can lose this priceless gift, as St. Paul indicated to St. Timothy: "Wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting conscience, certain persons have made shipwreck of their faith."44 To live, grow and persevere in the faith until the end we must nourish it with the word of God; we must beg the Lo…
Chapter 26.—What It is to Have Christ for a Foundation, and Who They are to Whom Salvation as by Fire is Promised. But, say they, the catholic Christians have Christ for a foundation, and they have not fallen away from union with Him, no matter how depraved a life they have built on this foundation, as wood, hay, stubble; and accordingly the well-directed faith by which Christ …

Cross-references

  • 1Cor 13:2 — And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
  • 1Cor 13:3 — And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
  • 1Cor 15:2 — By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
  • 1Cor 15:2 — By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
  • 1John 1:6 — If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
  • 1John 2:4 — He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
  • 1John 5:4 — For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
  • 1Thess 1:3 — Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
  • 1Tim 1:5 — Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
  • 2Cor 8:8 — I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.
  • 2Cor 9:12 — For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;
  • 2Pet 1:5 — And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
  • 2Pet 1:9 — But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
  • Acts 2:45 — And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
  • Acts 8:21 — Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.
  • Acts 15:9 — And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
  • Eph 2:8 — For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
  • Ezek 18:5 — But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,
  • Ezek 33:31 — And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth
  • Gal 5:6 — For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
  • Gal 5:6 — For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
  • Heb 11:7 — By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness whi
  • Heb 11:8 — By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
  • Heb 11:17 — By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
  • Heb 13:9 — Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.
  • Jas 1:22 — But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
  • Jas 1:22 — But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
  • Jas 1:23 — For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
  • Jas 2:17 — Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
  • Jas 2:18 — Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
  • Jas 2:18 — Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
  • Jas 2:26 — For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
  • Jas 2:26 — For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
  • Luke 6:49 — But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that h
  • Luke 7:50 — And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
  • Luke 11:41 — But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.
  • Mark 7:6 — He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
  • Mark 14:7 — For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.
  • Matt 5:20 — For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
  • Matt 7:21 — Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.