The Letter of James, Movement 3

Opera, Avant-garde gospel, experimental folk, ethereal sung word, polyphonic vocal layering, harpischord and theremin fusion

What good is it,  
my brothers, if someone says  
he has faith but  
does not have works?

Can that faith save him?  
If a brother or sister  
has nothing to wear  
and has no food  
for the day,

and one of you  
says to them,  
“Go in peace,  
keep warm, and eat well,”  
but you do not give

them the necessities  
of the body,  
what good is it?  
So also faith of itself,  
if it does not have

works, is dead.  
Indeed someone may say,  
“You have faith  
and I have works.”  
Demonstrate your faith to me

without works, and I will  
demonstrate my faith to you  
from my works.  
You believe that God  
is one. You do well.

Even the demons believe that  
and tremble.  
Do you want proof,  
you ignoramus, that faith  
without works is useless?

Was not Abraham our father  
justified by works when he  
offered his son Isaac  
upon the altar?  
You see that faith

was active along  
with his works,  
and faith was completed  
by the works.  
Thus the scripture was fulfilled

that says, “Abraham believed God,  
and it was credited  
to him as righteousness,”  
and he was called  
“the friend of God.”

See how a person  
is justified by works  
and not by faith alone.  
And in the same way,  
was not Rahab the harlot

also justified by works  
when she welcomed  
the messengers and sent  
them out by  
a different route?

For just as a body  
without a spirit is dead,  
so also faith without  
works is dead.

Not many of you  
should become teachers,  
my brothers, for you realize  
that we will be judged  
more strictly,

for we all fall short  
in many respects.  
If anyone does not fall short  
in speech, he is  
a perfect man,

able to bridle his whole  
body also. If we  
put bits into the mouths  
of horses to make  
them obey us,

we also guide  
their whole bodies.  
It is the same  
with ships: even though  
they are so large

and driven by fierce winds,  
they are steered  
by a very small rudder  
wherever the pilot’s  
inclination wishes.

In the same way,  
the tongue is a small  
member and yet has  
great pretensions. Consider  
how small a fire

can set a huge  
forest ablaze.  
The tongue is also  
a fire. It exists  
among our members

as a world of malice,  
defiling the whole body  
and setting the entire  
course of our lives  
on fire, itself set

on fire by Gehenna.  
For every kind of beast  
and bird, of reptile  
and sea creature,  
can be tamed and has

been tamed by the  
human species, but  
no human being can  
tame the tongue. It is  
a restless evil,

full of deadly poison.  
With it we bless  
the Lord and Father,  
and with it we curse  
human beings who are

made in the likeness  
of God. From the  
same mouth come blessing  
and cursing. This need  
not be so, my brothers.

Does a spring gush forth  
from the same opening  
both pure and brackish water?  
Can a fig tree, my brothers,  
produce olives, or a

grapevine figs? Neither can  
salt water yield fresh.

[End]

[Silence]

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What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead. Indeed someone may say, “You have faith and I have works.” Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works. You believe that God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe that and tremble. Do you want proof, you ignoramus, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by the works. Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called “the friend of God.” See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by a different route? For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you realize that we will be judged more strictly, for we all fall short in many respects. If anyone does not fall short in speech, he is a perfect man, able to bridle his whole body also. If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we also guide their whole bodies. It is the same with ships: even though they are so large and driven by fierce winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot’s inclination wishes. In the same way, the tongue is a small member and yet has great pretensions. Consider how small a fire can set a huge forest ablaze. The tongue is also a fire. It exists among our members as a world of malice, defiling the whole body and setting the entire course of our lives on fire, itself set on fire by Gehenna. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. This need not be so, my brothers. Does a spring gush forth from the same opening both pure and brackish water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, produce olives, or a grapevine figs? Neither can salt water yield fresh. [End] [Silence]

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