إِنْ لَمْ يَقْتَرِن الإِيْمَانُ ْ بالأَعْمَال، فهوَ مَيْتٌ في ذَاتِهِ
سالة القدّيس يعقوب02/من14حتى26/:”يا إخوتي: مَا النَّفْعُ، يا إِخْوتِي، إِنْ قَالَ أَحَدٌ إِنَّ لَهُ إِيْمَانًا ولا أَعْمَالَ لَهُ؟ أَلَعَلَّ الإِيْمَانَ يَقْدِرُ أَنْ يُخَلِّصَهُ؟ إِذَا كانَ أَخٌ أَو أُخْتٌ عُرْيَانَيْن، يُعْوِزُهُمَا القُوتُ اليَّومِيّ، ووَاحِدٌ مْنكُم قَالَ لَهُمَا: «إِذْهَبَا بِسَلام، وٱسْتَدْفِئَا وٱشْبَعَا»، وأَنْتُم لَمْ تُعْطُوهُمَا حَاجَاتِ الجَسَد، فَأَيُّ نَفْعٍ في ذلِكَ؟
كذلِكَ الإِيْمَانُ أَيْضًا، إِنْ لَمْ يَقْتَرِنْ بالأَعْمَال، فهوَ مَيْتٌ في ذَاتِهِ. ورُبَّ قَائِلٍ يَقُول: «أَنْتَ لَكَ الإِيْمَان، وأَنا ليَ الأَعْمَال»، فأَقُولُ لَهُ: أَرِنِي إِيْمانَكَ بِدُونِ الأَعْمَال، وأَنَا أُرِيكَ بِالأَعْمَالِ إِيْمَانِي. أَتُؤمِنُ أَنْتَ أَنَّ اللهَ وَاحِد؟ حَسَنًا تَفْعَل! والشَّياطِينُ أَيْضًا تُؤْمِنُ وتَرتَعِد! أَتُرِيدُ أَنْ تَعْرِف، أَيُّهَا الإِنْسَانُ البَاطِلُ الرَّأْي، أَنَّ الإِيْمَانَ بِدُونِ الأَعْمالِ عَقِيم؟ أَمَا تَبَرَّرَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ أَبُونَا بِالأَعْمَال، لَمَّا قَرَّبَ إِسْحقَ ٱبْنَهُ على المَذْبَح؟فأَنْتَ تَرَى أَنَّ الإِيْمَانَ كانَ يُعَاوِنُ أَعْمَالَهُ، وبِالأَعْمَالِ صَار إِيْمَانُهُ كامِلاً. فتَمَّ الكِتَابُ القائِل: «آمَنَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ بِالله، فَحُسِبَ لَهُ ذلِكَ بِرًّا»، ودُعِيَ خَلِيلَ الله. تَرَوْنَ إِذًا أَنَّ الإِنْسَانَ يَتَبَرَّرُ بِالأَعْمَالِ لا بِالإِيْمَانِ وَحْدَهُ. كذلِكَ رَاحَابُ البَغِيّ: أَمَا تَبَرَّرَتْ بِالأَعْمَال، لأَنَّهَا ٱسْتَضَافَتِ الرَّجُلَينِ المُرسَلَيْن، وصَرَفَتْهُمَا بِطَرِيقٍ آخَر؟ فَكَما أَنَّ الجَسَدَ بِدُونِ الرُّوحِ مَيْت، كَذلِكَ الإِيْمَانُ بِدُونِ الأَعْمَالِ مَيْت.”
Faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead
Letter of James 02/14-26/:”What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill’, and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith without works, and I by my works will show you my faith. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe and shudder. Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith without works is barren? Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was brought to completion by the works. Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness’, and he was called the friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. Likewise, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another road? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.”
حَيْثُ تَكُونُ الجُثَّة، فَهُنَاكَ تَجْتَمِعُ النُّسُور
إنجيل القدّيس لوقا17/من17حتى37/:”قَالَ الرَبُّ يَسُوعُ : «في ذلِكَ اليَوْم، مَنْ كانَ عَلَى السَّطْحِ وَأَمْتِعَتُهُ في البَيْت، فَلا يَنْزِلْ لِيَأْخُذَهَا. وَمَنْ كانَ في الحَقْل، فَكَذلِكَ لا يَرْجِعْ إِلى الوَرَاء. تَذَكَّرُوا ٱمْرَأَةَ لُوط! مَنْ يَسْعَى لِكَي يَحْفَظَ نَفْسَهُ يَفْقِدُها، وَمَنْ يَفْقِدُ نَفْسَهُ يَحْفَظُهَا حَيَّةً. أَقُولُ لَكُم: في تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَة، يَكُونُ ٱثْنَانِ عَلَى سَرِيرٍ وَاحِد، فَيُؤْخَذُ الوَاحِدُ وَيُتْرَكُ الآخَر.وٱثْنَتَانِ تَطْحَنَانِ مَعًا، فَتُؤْخَذُ الوَاحِدَةُ وَتُتْرَكُ الأُخْرَى»…. فأَجَابُوا وَقَالُوا لَهُ: «إِلَى أَيْنَ يا رَبّ ؟». فَقالَ لَهُم: «حَيْثُ تَكُونُ الجُثَّة، فَهُنَاكَ تَجْتَمِعُ النُّسُور».”
Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 17/31-37/:”On that day, anyone on the housetop who has belongings in the house must not come down to take them away; and likewise anyone in the field must not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Those who try to make their life secure will lose it, but those who lose their life will keep it. I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken and the other left.’ Then they asked him, ‘Where, Lord?’ He said to them, ‘Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.’”
