Philip Dampier's Blog

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…

Chapter 2, Verse 14 “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?” James opens a discussion that is still being debated in theological circles today. Are Christians saved by faith or by works or by both? It…