Before you read (and are biased) by
the following notes, let me strongly encourage you to read James
2:14-26 through on your own asking the Holy Spirit to illuminate
your study. Read it through several times, the first time to simply
get a general sense of the subject/theme. Then read it again, this
time circling the key words (usually works repeated, although not
always). What are the key words in this passage. I would suggest you
will find at least 3 key words (or synonyms), two are repeated many
times and the third is not found as frequently but is a strategically
important word (and for that reason it is a key word). From this key
words can you discern the "theme" of this section? What is James'
repeated emphasis? What is he trying to explain to his readers? More
specifically is James trying to tell his readers how to become saved?
Now that you have pondered this passage on your own, you are ready to
read the following notes in a "critical" (discerning) manner.
JAMES:
A RIGHT STRAWY EPISTLE
James 2:14-26 is the main
reason Martin Luther although not questioning its canonicity, did find
the epistle of James to be “a right strawy epistle” and for
this reason relegated it to an appendix of his Bible! Luther
questioned the usefulness of James because it said so little about
justification by faith, but instead emphasized works as it dealt more
with the practical aspects of Christian conduct and described how
faith works itself out in everyday life. Luther’s negative evaluation
appears to be brought to a crescendo in his debate in Leipzig in 1519
where his Roman Catholic opponent, Johann Maier of Eck, used James
2:17 (“Faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.”) to argue
against Luther’s position of salvation by faith alone apart from
works. It is unfortunate that Luther was sucked into Maier’s proof
texting method of reasoning. As we study this controversial passage
the good inductive student will begin to see the inestimable value of
considering the context (immediate paragraphs, the other 5 chapters
and finally the teaching of the remainder of the NT). "Yanking" a
single text out of it's context to yield a proof text is the common
modus operandi of skeptics, false and/or deceived teachers and
cultists. As is often said, these godless men major on the minors. And
thus it behooves all believers to be thoroughbred "Bereans" (see note
Acts 17:11),
so that they are not duped by such spiritual sleight of hand. If a
spiritual giant such as Martin Luther could fall prey to such
techniques, then certainly we must all be aware of our vulnerability.
It follows that even as you read the notes on this difficult section
of Scripture, the discerning reader is encouraged to filter what is
written through the grid of the whole counsel of God's Word under the
leadership of the Teacher, the Holy Spirit. John reminds us that as
believers, we...
have an anointing from the Holy
One, and you all know... And as for you, the anointing which you
received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to
teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is
true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in
Him. (1 John 2:20, 27)
So John was reminding his
readers that they had an anointing which in context refers to the Holy
Spirit, Who would be their ultimate and final guide in discerning
between truth and error. John is not saying we are to abandon all
human teachers, for the whole counsel of God's Word, instructs us on
the need for Spirit filled men with the gift of teaching (e.g., see
the practice of the early church in Acts 2:42, 13:1, cp notes
on
Ephesians 4:11;
12;
13;
14)
As background remember the
audience to whom James addresses his letter...
James, a bond-servant of God and of
the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are
dispersed abroad, greetings. (James 1:1)
The phrases "twelve tribes"
(cp "twelve
tribes" - the
Jews) and "dispersed abroad" (cp "the
dispersion" - those away
from Jerusalem and scattered around the Roman empire) indicate that
this epistle was addressed primarily to a Jewish audience, the very
ones who constituted the first Christian church (a truth Gentile
believers today often forget).
Furthermore, James wrote to
readers who were experiencing trials as indicated by his opening
exhortation to...
Consider
it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing
that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance
have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking
in nothing. (James 1:2-4) (Comment: This opening
statement regarding faith implies that the intended audience was
believing Jews, Jewish Christians. Dearly beloved of God, are you
going through a trial [singular or plural] as you read these words?
Then take heart, James is a book you will want to study diligently to
know what God says about how believers can weather trials, which are
inevitable. God wants to equip you to walk through the valley of the
shadow of death, whatever that shadowy trial might be, not by yourself
and not as simply a survivor, but as more than a conqueror in Christ
Jesus. The truth in James will equip you for this journey!)
Regarding the status of his
readers as to whether they were saved or unsaved, James went on to
describe the audience as those Jews who had been born again
(see esp
John 3:3ff)
writing in James 1...
In the exercise of His will He
brought us forth by the word of truth (What would be another name?
Surely this is a synonym in context for the gospel - see note
Romans 1:16),
so that we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures.
(James 1:18)
As an aside as Morris
says...
It is a fascinating testimony to
God's grace that James, who had been an unbelieving brother of Jesus,
was chosen to write the first inspired book to believing Jews (Ed:
circa AD 45-49, 49 being the date of the Jerusalem Council, Acts
15:1ff), and Paul, the chief persecutor of the early church, was
chosen to write the first epistle to believing Gentiles. (Comment:
Amazing grace that saves and uses wretches like all of us were in
Adam! Amen? Amen!)
And so here in James 2 feels
compelled by the Holy Spirit to deal with a crucial topic, the
relationship of faith to works. How does faith work?
Earlier James had alluded to the
delusion of hearing without doing challenging his readers (and all of
us) to...
prove yourselves doers of the word,
and not merely hearers who delude themselves. (see note
James 1:22)
WHAT USE IS IT MY BRETHREN
IF SOMEONE SAYS HE HAS FAITH BUT HE HAS NO WORKS? CAN THAT FAITH SAVE
HIM?: Ti to ophelos, adelphoi mou, ean pistin lege (3SPAS) tis
echein, (PAN) erga de me eche? (3SPAS) me dunatai (3SPPI) e pistis
sosai (AAN) auton?: (James
2:16;
Jeremiah 7:8;
Romans 2:25;
1 Corinthians 13:3;
1 Timothy 4:8;
Hebrews 13:9
) (18,26;
1:22-25;
Matthew 5:20;
7:21-23,26,27;
Luke 6:49;
Acts 8:13,21;
15:9;
1 Corinthians 13:2;
16:22;
Galatians 5:6,13;
1 Thessalonians 1:3;
1 Timothy 1:5;
Titus 1:16;
3:8;
Hebrews 11:7,8,17;
2 Peter 1:5;
1 John 5:4,5)
(1 Corinthians
15:2;
Ephesians 2:8-10)
Notice how James uses the
technique of asking questions in six of the 13 verses.
James 2:14-26 speaks to
the major issue that spawned the Reformation, the reformers teaching
that man is justified by faith alone whereas the established
church taught man is justified by faith plus works.
Here are some key observations
in James 2:14-26. Observe that the key words in James
2:14-26 is faith (or believe) used some 15 times (including
one pronoun, "itself" 2:17) and works, which is used some 12 times.
Most of the uses of faith and works are related to each other. Only
once does James mention salvation per se. Although James does
use justified (dikaioo)
3 times, note that there are no other uses of
dikaioo
in this epistle (used in James 2:21, 24, 25) in contrast to Paul's
writings in which he uses
dikaioo 27 times. Even from these
simple observations, it follows that if we want to understand what the
NT teaches on justification we need to study Paul's uses rather
than James 3 uses in this one section. In addition, as we will discuss
later that James uses the verb
dikaioo
with a distinct and different meaning from most of Paul's uses. In
summary, just observing the key words in James 2:14-26 one can
conclude that his major theme in this controversial section is
faith, not salvation.
James 2:14-20
Describes dead faith (including "demonic" faith)
James 2:21-26
Describes dynamic, living, useful faith giving three illustrations
James' objective is to answer
the question "What is genuine, saving faith?". This
question makes James 2:14-26 one of the most vitally important
sections of Scripture because the truth James explains deals directly
with a person's eternal destiny. The most frightening deception in
this life is to think that "I possess saving faith" when it
fact in God's eyes it is not genuine saving faith.
Hiebert explains that...
The rhetorical questions of verse
14 state the theme of this third test of faith. James insists that a
living faith will authenticate itself in the
production of works. There is no antagonism between faith and
works. They are not totally distinct concepts but rather two
inseparable elements in salvation. James insists that "works are
not an 'added extra' to faith, but are an essential expression of it."'
In this passage James is echoing the teaching of Jesus in Matthew
7:21-27. (Commentary
on James)
Jesus spoke some of the most
frightening words ever uttered at the end of His Sermon on the Mount
to those who surely thought they were saved (e.g., they called Him
"Lord, Lord") declaring...
Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord,
Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of
My Father who is in heaven. "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord,
Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out
demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will
declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE
LAWLESSNESS. (See notes
Matthew 7:21;
22;
23)
To reiterate, James is concerned
that his readers understand the nature of genuine, saving faith so
that they do not have to hear those fateful words from the Judge of
all men...
"I never knew
you.
Depart from Me!"
As D Edmond Hiebert
says...
A saving faith is a
working faith, proving its vitality by its production of
works... The Epistle of James has much to say about faith. The
noun faith
pistis
(see word study)
occurs sixteen times and the verb
believe
pisteuo
(see word study)
three times. But a
glance at the contents of the epistle makes it obvious that James is
not concerned with developing a theological exposition of the nature
of Christian faith. He holds that a saving faith accepts Jesus Christ
as the all-sufficient Savior (James 1:1; 2:1), but otherwise he says
but little about the theological content of such a faith. His purpose
is practical rather than doctrinal.
The purpose of James is to goad his readers to recognize and accept
their need for a living, active faith and to challenge them to test
their own faith by the basic criterion that “faith without works is
useless” (James 2:20). James insists that a saving faith is a
living faith, proving its genuineness by what it does. But it is a
misconception to assume that his purpose is simply to stress the
importance of good works. James is not advocating works apart from
faith, but he is vitally concerned to show that a living faith must
demonstrate its dynamic character by its deeds.
The, contents of the epistle, further, make it clear that James is not
content simply to establish the abstract truth that a saving faith is
a dynamic, productive faith. His purpose is practical, to present a
series of tests whereby his readers can determine the genuineness of
their own faith. “The testing of your faith” (James 1:3) seems
to be the key which James left hanging at the front door, intended to
unlock the contents of the book. This writer proposes that tests of a
living faith is indeed the unifying theme of the epistle and that it
provides ready access to its contents...
In James 1:2-18 James states and
discusses his theme. This paragraph is basic to a proper understanding
of the thrust of the epistle. For James “faith,” the subject of
his opening sentence (James 1:2-), is central to the Christian life
and its true energizing principle. It is essential, therefore, that
its genuineness be tested. “The testing of your faith” (James
1:3) marks the basic thrust of the message. The Greek noun
peirasmos (word study)
has a double meaning, “testing” and “temptation.” Since in
human experience the two aspects are often related, James discusses
both in this opening section. In James 1:2-12 he deals with the tests
and trials of believers, while in James 1:13-16 he discusses the
nature of temptation and then shows that it cannot come from God in
view of His beneficent activities in human experience (James 1:17-18
).
In order to profit from the testings of their faith, believers must
rightly evaluate their testings (James 1:2-4). Prayer makes available
to them the needed wisdom to profit from their testings (James 1:5);
but such prayer must be unmixed with doubt and hesitancy (James
1:6-8). The testing of their faith equalizes believers (James 1:9-11),
and successful endurance assures future reward (James 1:12). (The
Unifying Theme of the Epistle of James Bibliotheca Sacra 135:539 Jul
1978) (Bolding added for
emphasis)
James is not raising a
question about whether one is saved by faith alone (this is
Paul's emphasis), but he is dealing with the question of what is
genuine or true saving faith?
What use is it? -
Literally James asks "What the profit"? Clearly he is challenging his
readers to think about what would be the gain (as it relates to
salvation which becomes clear in the second question) from the
situation he then presents - faith that has no works.
Use (3786)
(ophelos from ophello = to heap up, to increase, to
accumulate or benefit) means an advantage or some benefit derived.
Talk is cheap. The advantage or profit in talking about helping is
only realized when we follow through with action.
My brethren - In context
this suggest James' tenderness and concern for in dealing with this
vital matter. James of course hopes that they will not be like the
people pictured.
If a man (tis) -
This is the impersonal pronoun and could be translated "If
anyone...". James is not singling anyone out specifically, but is
concerned with any individual who might profess the kind of faith
he describes.
Faith - In the Greek text
this is placed forward for emphasis. James wants them to certain to
understand that faith is the issue. So literally it reads somewhat
awkward in English "If faith anyone may speak of having." Faith
is James' focal point, his point of concern. His Greek readers fully
understood his emphasis.
As someone has said...
Faith is like calories; you can’t
see them but you can see the results!
It is easy to hold your hand up
in an evangelistic service and say "I believe in Jesus", but James is
challenging this profession to be validated by appropriate behavior,
obedience, a changed life, good works.
The apostle John also addressed
false or superficial faith in his writings.
For example in John 2 we
read...
Now when He was in Jerusalem at the
Passover, during the feast, many believed (pisteuo)
in His name (this would seem to speak of salvation but read on),
beholding His signs which He was doing. But Jesus, on His part, was
not (ou = absolute negation) entrusting (same verb for
"believed" -
pisteuo
=
imperfect tense
= pictures this as occurring over and over) Himself to them, for He
knew all men, and because He did not need anyone to bear witness
concerning man for He Himself knew what was in man. (John 2:23-25)
Comment: Most commentators
agree these "believers" in John 2:23-25 were not saved as shown
by a few random commentaries below...
J. Vernon McGee...
A great many folk read that and
say, “My, isn’t it wonderful that people were believing on Him.” But
it wasn’t wonderful, friend, because theirs was not saving faith at
all. They merely nodded in assent when they saw the miracles that He
did. So notice what follows.
D A Carson...
The people ‘believed in his name’:
the expression is episteusan eis to onoma autou, even though
their faith is spurious....To exercise faith on the grounds of having
witnessed miraculous signs is precarious (John 4:48; cf. Mark
8:11-13). Although miracles cannot command faith (John 10:32), it is
better to believe on the ground of miracles than not at all (cf.
10:38). Sadly, their faith was spurious, and Jesus knew it. Unlike
other religious leaders, he cannot be duped by flattery, enticed by
praise or caught off-guard in innocence. His knowledge of men’s hearts
is profound, and accounts in part for the diversity of his approaches
to individuals in the Gospels. He therefore did not entrust himself to
these spurious converts. (The Greek repeats the verb, but with a
slightly different meaning: we might paraphrase, ‘the people trusted
in his name, but he did not entrust himself to them.’) (Carson, D. A.
The Gospel According to John. W. B. Eerdmans)
KJV Bible Commentary...
Jesus remained in Jerusalem for the
Passover, and many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles.
The word used to express belief (Greek pisteuo) is used in the next
verse. But Jesus did not commit himself. Christ did not entrust
Himself to them because they were not true believers. He concluded
this because he knew all men. These were nominal believers whose only
interest was the miracles. He did not need their testimony for he knew
what was in man. These people had not accepted Him with saving faith,
but rather they accepted Him as a powerful miracle worker. (Dobson,
E G, Charles Feinberg, E Hindson, Woodrow Kroll, H L. Wilmington: KJV
Bible Commentary: Nelson
or
Logos)
Clarke's Commentary...
They believed him to be the
promised Messiah, but did not believe in him to the salvation
of their souls: for we find, from the following verse, that their
hearts were not at all changed, because our blessed Lord could not
trust himself to them.
Warren Wiersbe...
The words believed in John 2:23
and commit in John 2:24 are the same Greek word. These
people believed in Jesus, but He did not believe in them! They were
“unsaved believers”! It was one thing to respond to a miracle but
quite something else to commit oneself to Jesus Christ and continue in
His Word (John 8:30-31). John was not discrediting the importance of
our Lord’s signs, because he wrote his book to record these signs and
to encourage his readers to trust Jesus Christ and receive eternal
life (John 20:30–31). However, throughout the book, John makes it
clear that it takes more than believing in miracles for a person to be
saved. Seeing the signs and believing in them would be a great
beginning; in fact, even the disciples started that way and had to
grow in their faith (compare John 2:11 and v. 22). (Wiersbe,
W: Bible Exposition Commentary. 1989. Victor
or
Logos)
In John 3 the apostle
links genuine saving faith with obedience (actually lack thereof)
that...
He who believes (present
tense = as the
habit of their life) in the Son has eternal life; but he who does
not (ou = absolute negation) obey (present
tense = as
discerned by the general direction of their life) the Son shall not
see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. (John 3:36)
In John 8 we see another
example of superficial faith John recording that...
As He spoke these things (eg, He
warned them "I said therefore to you, that you shall die in your
sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins."),
many came to believe in Him.
Then Jesus proceeds to
describe the evidence called for to show that one's belief is not just
intellectual but has resulted in a genuine changed heart...
Jesus therefore was saying to those
Jews who had believed Him (Notice that He did not question that
they had expressed a belief in Him), "If you abide (present
tense = as the
habit of their life) in My word, then you are truly disciples of
Mine..." (John 8:31)
So Jesus like James
specifies "abiding" in His Word (which will determine what one
believes and consequently how one behaves) is the proof that their
belief was genuine, saving belief. So if belief determines behavior,
it behooves us as good Bereans to examine the behavior of these
"believing" Jews for fruit that either substantiates or refutes the
authenticity of the root (true, saving faith). In fact what we
discover is rotten fruit according to our Lord (remember He knew all
men from John 2:23-25) who declared...
I know that you are Abraham's
offspring (physically the Jews came from Abraham's lineage); yet
(stark contrast) you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in
you (cp with John 8:31 where He had just stated "if you abide in My
word..."). (John 8:37)
It is quite instructive to read
John 8:30-59 and observe the final act of "belief", John
recording that...
they (the same audience who had
"believed" in HIm!) picked up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid
Himself, and went out of the temple. (John 8:59)
Below are a number of
commentaries on John 8:30-59 that address the issue of genuine belief.
J Vernon McGee comments
that...
Faith alone saves, but the faith
that saves is not alone. It will produce something. After a person
believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, he will want to “continue in His
Word.” The proof of faith is continuing with the Savior. As the pastor
of a church, I learned to watch out for the person who is active in
the church but is not interested in the study of the Word of God. Such
a one is dangerous to a church. (McGee,
J V: Thru the Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson
or
Logos)
Barton writes that...
As the following verses (John
8:30-59) demonstrate, some of these new believers did not remain his
followers for long. (Barton,
B, et al: The NIV Life Application Commentary Series: Tyndale
or
Logos)
Borchert, explains that
As Jesus was not convinced by the
believing of the Jews in 2:23–25, he was not misled by the believing
noted in 8:30. Instead, he called forth from those who believed the
quality of consistency epitomized in the Johannine term “abide,”
“continue,” or “remain” (menein, “hold to”). The believer who is
committed to abide in Jesus and his word is in this Gospel to be
designated as an authentic (alēthēs) disciple (cf. 6:64–66; contrast
5:38). (Borchert, G. L. Vol. 25A: John 1-11 The New American
Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers)
Dr Charles Ryrie comments
that the belief of the Jews (John 8:30) was...
Likely only a profession because of
what they said in verse 33 (Ed: Not to mention what they sought to do
in Jn 8:59!). (The
Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Translation: 1995. Moody
Publishers)
NIV Study Bible comments
that the belief of these Jews...
Here seems to be imperfect and
transitory. Their words show that these people were not true believers
(see John 8:33, 37).
In the Bible Knowledge
Commentary Edwin Blum commenting on John 8:31-32
says that...
It was possible to “believe” in the
message of repentance and the coming kingdom without being born again.
Continuing in the truth is the sign of true followers and learners
(disciples). If they really grasped His message, they would find
salvation truth. Knowing this salvation truth would liberate them from
their bondage in sin. (Walvoord,
J. F., Zuck, R. B., et al: The Bible Knowledge Commentary. 1985.
Victor or
Logos)
In summary, just from the
isolated passages in John, we can see that Jesus taught the same truth
vital relationship between faith and works which James is teaching in
this section.
Says - Some translate
this with the nuance "claims" (NET Bible, NIV) or "professes"
(Weymouth). Note that since faith is invisible, this person's
possession of faith is dependent upon his verbal testimony alone.
Wuest has an interesting
rendering...
What profit is there, my brethren,
if a person is saying, I am in possession of faith, and he is not in
possession of works?
Has (echo) is in
the
present tense
indicating that this man's life is marked by the continuing absence of
"deeds". Here is where we need to be careful not to twist what James
is saying (or not saying). He is not saying that one must add deeds to
his faith in order to be saved but rather that the deeds spring out of
a saved person's life.
Alexander Maclaren
bluntly comments that...
The people who least live their
creeds are not seldom the people who shout the loudest about them. The
paralysis which affects the arms does not, in these cases, interfere
with the tongue. (James 2:14-23: Faith Without
Works)
Faith
(4102)
(pistis)
is synonymous with trust or belief and is the conviction of the truth
of anything, but in Scripture usually speaks of belief respecting
man's relationship to God and divine things, generally with the
included idea of trust and holy fervor born of faith and joined with
it.
Swindoll observes that...
James used the word “faith”
in two senses. In one sense it meant that kind of mental assent that
even the demons possess (James 2:19). Such faith or belief, he
said, is not sufficient to save. It must be a faith instead
that is living and gives evidence of life in works. “Works”
to him were the outworking of saving faith.
On the other hand, by “faith”
Paul meant a genuine belief that issues in action. He spoke of a faith
that works through love (Gal. 5:6). When he opposed “works” and
“faith,” he meant works of a legal nature by which people
supposed that they could gain merit before God. Thus, when we consider
the meaning of these words in their contexts, both Paul and James
believed the same thing. Each was emphasizing a certain facet of the
truth. Paul believed that individuals are saved only by faith, a faith
that is alive and working. James also believed that people are saved
by faith, a faith that is more than mental assent, one that works.
(Swindoll, C. R., & Zuck, R. B.. Understanding Christian theology.
Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson Publishers) (Bolding added)
Maclaren writes that
Faith is the hand that
grasps. It is the means of communication, it is the channel through
which the grace which is the life, or, rather, I should say, the life
which is the grace, comes to us. It is the open door by which the
angel of God comes in with his gifts. It is like the petals of the
flowers, opening when the sunshine kisses them, and, by opening,
laying bare the depths of their calyxes to be illuminated and
coloured, and made to grow by the sunshine which itself has opened
them, and without the presence of which, within the cup, there would
have been neither life nor beauty. So faith is the basis of
everything; the first shoot from which all the others ascend...Faith
works. It is the foundation of all true work; even in the lowest
sense of the word we might almost say that. But in the Christian
scheme it is eminently the underlying requisite for all work which God
does not consider as busy idleness...
Your work of faith. There is
the whole of the thorny subject of the relation of faith and works
packed into a nutshell. It is exactly what James said and it is
exactly what a better than James said. When the Jews came to Him with
their externalism, and thought that God was to be pleased by a whole
rabble of separate good actions, and so said, ‘What shall we do that
we might work the works of God?' Jesus said, ‘Never mind about Works.
This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent,'
and out of that will come all the rest. That is the mother tincture;
everything will flow from that. So Paul says, ‘Your work of faith.'
Does your faith work? Perhaps I should ask other people rather than
you. Do men see that your faith works; that its output is different
from the output of men who are not possessors of a ‘like precious
faith'? Ask yourselves the question, and God help you to answer it.
(Read full sermon on
1 Thessalonians 1:3)
Able
(1410)
(dunamai)
conveys the basic meaning of that which has the inherent ability to do
something or accomplish some end. Thus dunamai means to be able
to, to be capable of, to be strong enough to do or to have power to do
something. The derivative word
dunamis (from
dunamai) refers to intrinsic power or inherent ability, the
power or ability to carry out some function, the potential for
functioning in some way, the power residing in a thing by virtue of
its nature.
As
stated the Greek expects a negative reply - That faith does not have
the inherent ability to bring about salvation! Hiebert notes
that "The negative me
(3361)
at the head of the question implies that the answer must be a
resounding no."
Save (4982)(sozo)
has the basic meaning of
rescuing one from great peril. Additional nuances include to protect,
keep alive, preserve life, deliver, heal, be made whole.
The Philippian jailer summed up spiritual salvation asking Paul and
Silas
"Sirs, what must I do to be
saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall
be saved, you and your household." (Acts
16:31).
