Movatterモバイル変換

Deuteronomy 6:4
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our Godis one LORD:

Isaiah 43:10
Yeare my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that Iam he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

Isaiah 44:6,8
Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; Iam the first, and Iam the last; and beside methere is no God…

thou doest.

James 2:8
If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

Jonah 4:4,9
Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry? …

Mark 7:9
And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

the.

Matthew 8:29
And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

Mark 1:24
Saying, Letus alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.

Mark 5:7
And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus,thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.

Good for you!
This phrase is somewhat sarcastic, indicating that mere intellectual assent to the truth of God's oneness is insufficient for genuine faith. James challenges the reader to move beyond acknowledgment to action, emphasizing that true faith is demonstrated through works (James 2:17). This reflects the broader biblical theme that faith without works is dead, as seen in the lives of biblical figures like Abraham and Rahab, who acted on their faith (James 2:21-25).

Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
Here, James highlights that even demons, spiritual beings opposed to God, recognize His existence and power. This acknowledgment does not lead to salvation or obedience but rather to fear and trembling. The Greek word for "shudder" implies a visceral reaction, indicating that the demons' belief is accompanied by dread of God's judgment. This serves as a warning that mere belief, without a corresponding transformation and submission to God's will, is inadequate. The reference to demons connects to the broader biblical narrative of spiritual warfare and the ultimate victory of Christ over evil, as seen in passages likeEphesians 6:12 andRevelation 20:10.

James begins by nodding to an orthodox confession. The line echoesDeuteronomy 6:4—“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One”—a truth Jesus reaffirmed inMark 12:29.

• Sound doctrine matters; Paul writes, “there is no God but One” (1 Corinthians 8:4–6).

• Recognizing God’s singular sovereignty is the first step toward genuine faith (John 17:3).

• Yet James is setting up a contrast: right belief without right response is incomplete (James 2:17).

The compliment is earnest yet probing. Accurate theology is praiseworthy (Philippians 1:9–10), but James’ wider context insists that true faith produces obedience (James 2:22).

• Jesus commended the scribe who answered wisely, yet added, “You are not far from the kingdom of God” (Mark 12:34). “Not far” still isn’t “in.”

• Being “hearers only” leaves us self-deceived (James 1:22).

• A living faith joins confession with action, as shown inHebrews 11, where each believer “believed—and acted.”

James drives the point home by citing the spiritual realm.

• Demons recognize Christ’s identity: “I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” (Mark 1:24).

• Their reaction is terror, not trust; they “begged Him not to command them to depart into the abyss” (Luke 8:31).

• Intellectual assent divorced from submission leaves a person no better off than fallen spirits (Matthew 7:21–23).

• True followers pair belief with the works God prepared for them (Ephesians 2:10), proving their faith alive (James 2:26).

James 2:19 affirms that acknowledging God’s oneness is essential, yet insufficient on its own. Genuine faith moves beyond correct doctrine (“You believe that God is one”) and empty applause (“Good for you!”) to obedient trust that produces godly works—something demons refuse to do even while trembling before His majesty.

The devils also believe, and tremble.--Theyshudder in the belief which only assures them of their utter misery; literally, their hair stands on end with terror of the God they own. Assent, opinion, knowledge--all are thus shared by demons of the pit; call not your joint possession by the holier name of Faith. "I believe in God," "I believe in one God"--such is the voice of the Christian; and this is said in the full sense "only by those who love God, and who are not only Christians in name, but in deed and in life."

(1) "Thou believest that God is one," R.V., readingὍτι εῖς ὁ Θεός ἐστιν: or

(2) "Thou believest that there is one God," A.V. and R.V. margin, readingὍτιεῖς Θεὸς ἐστὶν. The reading, and by consequence the translation, must be considered somewhat doubtful, as scarcely any two uncials read the words in precisely the same order. The illustration is taken from the central command of the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 6:4), indicating that the case of Jews is under consideration. The following quotations from the Talmud will show the importance attached by the Jews to this command (Farrar, 'Early Days,' etc., p. 83). It is said ('Berachoth,' fol. 13, 6) that whoever in repeating it "prolongs the utterance of the word 'One,' shall have his days and years prolonged to him." Again we are told that when Rabbi Akibah was martyred he died uttering this word "One;" and then came a Bath Kol, which said, "Blessed art thou, Rabbi Akibah, for thy soul and the word 'One' left thy body together."

Parallel Commentaries ...