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writing to Philemon (verse 6): “That thy participation in the faith should become operative” - no dead faith. Paul speaks to Titus of those who “profess to know God, but in works deny [him], being abominable, and disobedient, and found worthless as to every good work.” (Titus 1:16) No idea that works are not necessary here, but note that the apostle is not speaking about law keeping or doing works to earn a place in heaven. What the apostle considers important is “faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6). Much more could be quoted on the same line.

Another point: it is a mistake to think that James does not think much about faith. Actually the word faith appears almost as much in James as any other book in the Bible of the same size. This can be confirmed by consulting a concordance.

There is also a problem as to what James means by saying: “What is the profit, my brethren, if any one say he have faith, but have not works ? can faith save him ?” (James 2:14). James goes on to make the point that there is no profit if we do not act to meet our brother or sister’s needs if they are in trouble. It may be worthwhile to notice that Paul says to Timothy: “Give heed to thyself and to the teaching; continue in them; for, doing this, thou shalt save both thyself and those that hear thee” (1 Timothy 4:16). Timothy was to be saved by what he did. However, this cannot refer to eternal salvation, for in that sense Timothy was already undoubtedly saved. However there is the need to seek practical salvation here. We do not want to be like the man who built his house on the sand (Matthew 7:26/27). This passage is a warning against hearing and not doing. We need to have salvation here and in another place Paul says: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). This is not a matter of working for our eternal salvation. That is secured by Christ’s work (Hebrews 5:9). However the word salvation refers to more than that as we have it spoken of in 2 Corinthians 7:10 to those who were already Christians. Then Paul himself says he is in need of it: “This shall turn out for me to salvation” (Philippians 1:19). James speaks of “the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of [the] word and not hearers only, beguiling yourselves.” (James 1:21/22) In what James says here he is echoing what Christ said in the so-

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