Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?
For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.
For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.
For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party.
Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion,
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.
Thus says the Lord: “What wrong did your fathers find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless?
Understand, O dullest of the people! Fools, when will you be wise? He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see? He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke? He who teaches man knowledge— the Lord—knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath.
For he knows worthless men; when he sees iniquity, will he not consider it? But a stupid man will get understanding when a wild donkey's colt is born a man!
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com.