Philip Dampier's Blog

A Ministry and a Message We are Christ’s ambassadors to the world. We don’t bring our own message but rather the message of our King. As ambassadors we don’t need any special training nor do we need any man given title of authority. All we need is a knowledge of…

Chapter 2 Verses 22-23 “You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.” Let’s follow James’ logic in…

Chapter 2, Verses 20-21 “Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?” James now offers proof of his argument and he does so using the…

Episode 2 Hannah wondered if she looked like her mother. She knew she didn’t look like Billy and so one of them must look like their mother and one their father. She hoped she looked like her mother. She walked by the mirror on the kitchen door and studied her…

Chapter 2, Verse 19 “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!” It is important to believe in God. It is foolishness not to believe in God. James has no argument with the need for believing and no argument against believing. His concern is that…

One Thing to Mean Another Isaiah chapter eleven talks about the coming of Jesus as the shoot of the root of Jesse. This is of course figurative language and the entire chapter is couched in figurative language that describes the impact the coming of Jesus would bring. It is a…

Chapter 2, Verse 18 “But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” Obviously, James is critical of a Christian who has only faith but he also would be critical of…

Chapter 2, Verse 17 “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” John is not anti-faith. He is pro-faith. Paul is not anti-works. He is pro-works as demonstrated by his life and instructions to Christians. Paul is against one trying to be saved and added to…

Chapter 2, Verse 15-16 “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?” In these two verses we learn that…