Letters to the Churches

For judgment will be without mercy toward one who doesn’t show mercy; but mercy wins out over judgment.

What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith but has no actions to prove it? Is such “faith” able to save him?

Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food,

and someone says to him, “Shalom! Keep warm and eat hearty!” without giving him what he needs, what good does it do?

Thus, faith by itself, unaccompanied by actions, is dead.

But someone will say that you have faith and I have actions. Show me this faith of yours without the actions, and I will show you my faith by my actions!

You believe that “God is one”? Good for you! The demons believe it too — the thought makes them shudder with fear!

But, foolish fellow, do you want to be shown that such “faith” apart from actions is barren?

Wasn’t Avraham avinu declared righteous because of actions when he offered up his son Yitz’chak on the altar?

You see that his faith worked with his actions; by the actions the faith was made complete;

and the passage of the Tanakh was fulfilled which says, “Avraham had faith in God, and it was credited to his account as righteousness.” He was even called God’s friend.

You see that a person is declared righteous because of actions and not because of faith alone.

Likewise, wasn’t Rachav the prostitute also declared righteous because of actions when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another route?

Indeed, just as the body without a spirit is dead, so too faith without actions is dead.

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, since you know that we will be judged more severely.

For we all stumble in many ways; if someone does not stumble in what he says, he is a mature man who can bridle his whole body.

If we put a bit into a horse’s mouth to make it obey us, we control its whole body as well.

And think of a ship — although it is huge and is driven by strong winds, yet the pilot can steer it wherever he wants with just a small rudder.

So too the tongue is a tiny part of the body, yet it boasts great things. See how a little fire sets a whole forest ablaze!

Yes, the tongue is a fire, a world of wickedness. The tongue is so placed in our body that it defiles every part of it, setting ablaze the whole of our life; and it is set on fire by Gei-Hinnom itself.

For people have tamed and continue to tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures;

but the tongue no one can tame — it is an unstable and evil thing, full of death-dealing poison!

With it we bless Adonai, the Father; and with it we curse people, who were made in the image of God.

Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing! Brothers, it isn’t right for things to be this way.

A spring doesn’t send both fresh and bitter water from the same opening, does it?