James 2:16

16 and one from amongst you say to them, Go in peace, be warmed and filled; but give not to them the needful things for the body, what [is] the profit?

James 2:16 Meaning and Commentary

James 2:16

And one of you say unto them
That is, one of the same faith, and in the same communion and church fellowship.

Depart in peace;
wishing them all prosperity and happiness, inward and outward:

be ye warmed and filled;
clothed and fed; signifying, that they wished them all the accommodations of life:

notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful for
the body;
neither clothes to wear, nor food to eat; nothing to warm their bodies, or fill their bellies:

what doth it profit?
the Ethiopic version reads, "what doth it profit them?" either the poor brother, or sister, to whom these good words are given, and nothing else; for these will neither warm them, nor fill them; or the persons themselves, that say these tidings to them: and the apostle, by this instance, shows, that as that charity which lies only in words, and in tongue, and not in deed, and in truth, is unprofitable, and good for nothing, even to them that profess it; so that faith, which a man says he has, and yet is without works, is alike unprofitable unto him.

James 2:16 In-Context

14 What [is] the profit, my brethren, if any one say he have faith, but have not works? can faith save him?

15 Now if a brother or a sister is naked and destitute of daily food,

16 and one from amongst you say to them, Go in peace, be warmed and filled; but give not to them the needful things for the body, what [is] the profit?

17 So also faith, if it have not works, is dead by itself.

18 But some one will say, *Thou* hast faith and *I* have works. Shew me thy faith without works, and *I* from my works will shew thee my faith.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or 'warm and fill yourselves.'