25 lines
1.3 KiB
Markdown
25 lines
1.3 KiB
Markdown
# Connecting Statement:
|
|
|
|
James encourages the scattered believers to show their faith before others, just as Abraham showed others his faith by his works.
|
|
|
|
# What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works?
|
|
|
|
James is using a rhetorical question to teach his audience. Alternate translation: "It is no good at all, fellow believers, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])
|
|
|
|
# if someone says he has faith, but he has no works
|
|
|
|
The abstract nouns "faith" and "works" can be expressed with the verbs "believe" and "do." Alternate translation: "if someone says he believes in God but does not do anything as a result of his belief" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]])
|
|
|
|
# works
|
|
|
|
Here "works" refers to things people do because they believe in God, such as obeying God and doing good to others.
|
|
|
|
# Can that faith save him?
|
|
|
|
James is using a rhetorical question to teach his audience. This can be restated to remove the abstract noun "faith." Alternate translation: "That faith cannot save him." or "If a person does not do what is good and right, then just saying he believes in God will not save him." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]])
|
|
|
|
# save him
|
|
|
|
"spare him from God's judgment"
|
|
|