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#8. By works was faith perfected,
and Gen. 15: "fulfilled" (James 2: 22, 23).
pp. 133 - 137
We have now seen enough to enable us to set aside the aspersions that have been cast
on the teaching of the epistle of James, and can next consider what the epistle actually
teaches.
As we have already seen, a comparative study of James, Philippians and the Sermon
on the Mount brings the word "perfect" into prominence. The Greek word is teleios,
cognate with telos, "the end", and expresses the idea of finishing one's course. We will
begin, therefore, by considering the passages in James that contain the words teleios,
teleioo, teleo, and telos. Let us first see them together:
Teleios.
"Let patience have here perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire,
wanting nothing" (James 1: 4).
"Every perfect gift is from above" (James 1: 17).
"But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty" (James 1: 25).
"The same is a perfect man" (James 3: 2).
Teleioo.
"By works was faith made perfect" (James 2: 22).
Teleo.
"If ye fulfil the royal law" (James 2: 8).
Telos.
"And have seen the end of the Lord" (James 5: 11).
Let us now examine these references, and discover if possible the Scriptural meaning
of the Greek words used and their bearing on the purpose of James' epistle in general,
and James 2: 22 in particular. The root of all the words is tel, and however far the
various derivations may depart from this root meaning, there will always be in the
background the idea of an "end" or "finish". The words "finish" and "end", have a
double meaning in English--signifying either the termination or end of space or time, or
the goal, or completion or issue of anything. It is obvious, however, that when James
speaks of the "end of the Lord" he can only mean the end or goal that the Lord has before
Him. This reference comes in the last chapter of James, and is in structural
correspondence with the first chapter:
A | 1: 1-4. Patience, and its perfect work. Teleios.
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A | 5: 7-12. Patience, and the end of the Lord. Telos.
In the second of these sections we read:
"Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold the husbandman
waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive
the early and the latter rain. Be ye also patient, stablish your hearts: for the coming of
the Lord draweth nigh . . . . . Behold we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard
of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful,
and of tender mercy" (James 5: 7-11).