Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges - James 2:26 - 2:26

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Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges - James 2:26 - 2:26


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26. ὥσπερ τὸ σῶμα χωρὶς πνεύματος κ.τ.λ. The illustration is important. The union of faith and works is as close as the union of body and spirit. In each case the union is that which we call life. Separation of the two elements means death. Body (σῶμα) and spirit (πνεῦμα) is an exhaustive division of the human individual. Sometimes indeed man is regarded as consisting of spirit, soul (ψυχή) and body, as 1Th 5:23. But in this passage and elsewhere as Rom 8:9 ff., where body or flesh (σάρξ) and spirit are spoken of as alone constituting the human entity, ψυχή is included in πνεῦμα, which is divinely infused life in its highest manifestation by virtue of which man became a living soul: καὶ ἐνεφύσησεν εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ πνοὴν ζωῆς· καὶ ἐγένετο ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν, Gen 2:7. Comp. πᾶσα σὰρξ ἐν ᾗ ἐστὶν πνεῦμα ζωῇς, Gen 6:17. The ψυχή though including all lower forms of life is in its perfect state one with πνεῦμα. Bodily life and spiritual life are made of one high principle of life. See Delitzsch, System of Biblical Psychology, p. 231 f. (Eng. Trans.). Life consists in movement and energy; but these under present conditions are impossible without σῶμα. So faith is inconceivable without works, and works without faith.