What shall it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but hath not works? Shall faith be able to save him?†15 And if a brother or sister be naked, and want daily food:16 And one of you say to them: Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; yet give them not those things that are necessary for the body, what shall it profit?17 So faith also, if it have not works, is dead in itself.18 But some man will say: Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without works; and I will shew thee, by works, my faith.†19 Thou believest that there is one God. Thou dost well: the devils also believe and tremble.20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, offering up Isaac his son upon the altar?22 Seest thou, that faith did co-operate with his works; and by works faith was made perfect?23 And the scripture was fulfilled, saying: Abraham believed God, and it was reputed to him to justice, and he was called the friend of God.†24 Do you see that by works a man is justified; and not by faith only?26 For even as the body without the spirit is dead; so also faith without works is dead.
Let us cleave then to His blessing, and consider what are the means of possessing it. Let us think over the things which have taken place from the beginning. For what reason was our father Abraham blessed? Was it not because he wrought righteousness and truth through faith? Isaac, [James 2:21] with perfect confidence, as if knowing what was to happen, cheerfully yielded himself as a sacrifice. [Genesis 22:6-10] Jacob, through reason of his brother, went forth with humility from his own land, and came to Laban and served him; and there was given to him the sceptre of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord: he shall delight exceedingly in his commandments.2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the righteous shall be blessed.3 Glory and wealth shall be in his house: and his justice remaineth for ever and ever.4 To the righteous a light is risen up in darkness: he is merciful, and compassionate and just.5 Acceptable is the man that showeth mercy and lendeth: he shall order his words with judgment:6 Because he shall not be moved for ever.
I have heard about the death of the blessed Theodorus, and the news caused me great anxiety, knowing as I did his value to you. Now if it had not been Theodorus, I would have spoken to you at greater length, with tears, considering what follows after death. But since it is Theodorus whom you and I have known, what need I say in my letter except "Blessed is" Theodorus, "who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly"? But if "he is blessed who fears the Lord," we may now confidently call Theodorus blessed, having the firm assurance that he has reached as it were a haven and has a life without care. Would that the same had also befallen each one of us; would that each of us in his running might thus arrive; would that each of us, on his voyage, might anchor his own ship there in the stormless haven, so that, at rest with the fathers, he might say, "here will I dwell, for I have a delight therein." Wherefore, brother beloved and most longed for, weep not for Theodorus, for he "is not dead but is sleeping."
And calling the multitude together with his disciples, he said to them: If any man will follow me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.35 For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel, shall save it.36 For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his soul?37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?38 For he that shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation: the Son of man also will be ashamed of him, when he shall come in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.39 And he said to them: Amen I say to you, that there are some of them that stand here, who shall not taste death, till they see the kingdom of God coming in power.1 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter and James and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves, and was transfigured before them.
(in Matt. Tom. xii. 15) Or else, Mark and Luke, as they wrote that Peter answered, Thou art the Christ, without adding what is put down in Matthew, the Son of the living God, so they omitted to relate the blessing which was conferred on this confession. It goes on, And he charged them that they should tell no man of him.
About CSB. A personal translation of the New Testament, rendered directly from the public-domain Greek in a literary style — not a scholarly critical edition, and not for liturgical or doctrinal authority. It is one reader's work, offered for enjoyment; where it matters, weigh it against an established translation. (Placeholder text — final wording to come.)