Fathers

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What the Fathers say

James 2:26

Eastern Fathers

Oecumenius

For even as the body without the spirit is dead: so also faith without works is dead. "faith without works is dead." James says faith which is after baptism. For faith without works profits nothing, except that it makes us liable to a still greater punishment, who indeed have received the talent, yet have not returned the gain. From which the Lord also teaches us that after baptism good works are necessary for us, since after being baptized by John he went to the desert and undertook struggles against the Devil. (Matt. …

Commentary on James ↗

Western Saints

Gregory the Dialogist

What greatly gladdens is what follows: "Blessed are they who have not seen and have believed." In this saying, we are indeed specially marked out, we who retain in our minds Him whom we have not seen in the flesh. We are marked out—but only if we follow our faith with works. For he truly believes who practices by his deeds what he believes. In contrast to these, concerning those who hold faith in name only, Paul says: "They profess that they know God, but in their deeds they deny Him." Hence James says: "Faith without works is dead."

Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 26 ↗