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Jam 2:22. Ὅτι, that) Here are two clauses; and if emphasis is laid on the word faith in the former clause, and on works in the latter, the sense will be plainly seen, by which the bearing of the one part upon the other is clearly expressed.-ἡ πίστις, faith) It was by faith that Abraham offered his son, Heb 11:17.-συνήργει, wrought with) Therefore faith has one kind of efficacy and operation (ἐνέργειαν), works another: and indeed faith before works and with them. Works do not give life to faith; but faith produces works, and works make perfect faith.-ἐτελειώθη, was made perfect) He does not say, was made alive. That which faith derives from works is not its reality and truth, for it has a true existence before works, but its perfection and its attaining to the Divine friendship; Jam 2:23. Comp. Joh 15:10. The vigour of faith, which produces works, is increased, excited, and strengthened by the very act of producing them, just as the natural heat of the body is promoted by the exercise which it first stimulates. See 1Jn 3:22. Abraham returned from that sacrifice much more perfect in faith than he had gone to it. The same word, τελειοῦσθαι, is used by Alexander Aphrodisiensis, in his 2d Book, respecting the soul, Chapter III., τρίτος δέ ἐστι, when he describes the intellect as increased by the knowledge of things situated beyond [external to] itself. Faith itself is made perfect, that is, is shown to be true, by works.