What does the Bible say about faith and works?

Last updated Jul 15, 2026

Published by Bible Direct Answers · Licensed under Citation License 1.0

The New Testament contains two often-compared passages: Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8-9 that salvation is by grace through faith and "not of works," and James writes in James 2 that a faith without works is "dead."

James 2:17-18 in the King James Version reads:

17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

These verses appear in James 2, in a passage that repeatedly pairs the words "faith" and "works." Read it in context at James 2:17-18, or the full chapter at James 2. See also Ephesians 2:8-9. Encyclopedia entry: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faith_and_works_in_Christianity.

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