SEV Biblia, Chapter 2:19
T crees que Dios es uno; bien haces. Tambin los demonios creen, y tiemblan.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - James 2:19
Verse 19. Thou believest that there is one God] This is the faith in which these persons put their hope of pleasing God, and of obtaining eternal life. Believing in the being and unity of God distinguished them from all the nations of the world; and having been circumcised, and thus brought into the covenant, they thought themselves secure of salvation. The insufficiency of this St. James immediately shows.
The devils also believe, and tremble.] It is well to believe there is one only true God; this truth universal nature proclaims. Even the devils believe it; but far from justifying or saving them, it leaves them in their damned state, and every act of it only increases their torment; frissousi, they shudder with horror, they believe and tremble, are increasingly tormented; but they can neither love nor obey.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 19. Thou believest that there is one God , etc.] These words are a continuation of the address of the man that has works, to him that boasts of his faith without them, observing to him, that one, and a main article of his faith, is, that there is one God; which is to be understood in the Christian sense, since both the person speaking, and the person spoken to, were such as professed themselves Christians; so that to believe there is one God, is not merely to give into this article, in opposition to the polytheism of the Gentiles, or barely to confess the God of Israel, as believed on by the Jews, but to believe that there are three persons, Father, Son, and Spirit, and that these three are the one God; wherefore this article of faith includes everything relating to God; as to God the Father, his being and perfections, so to Christ, as God, and the Son of God, and the Messiah, etc. and to the Holy Spirit; and to believe all this is right: thou doest well ; for that there is but one God, is to be proved by the light of nature, and from the works of creation and providence, and has been owned by the wisest of the Heathens themselves; and is established, by divine revelation, in the books both of the Old and of the New Testament; what has been received by the Jews, and is well known by Christians, to whom it is set in the clearest light, and who are assured of the truth of it: but then the devils also believe ; the Arabic version reads, the devils likewise so believe; they believe the same truth; they know and believe there is but one God, and not many; and they know that the God of Israel is he; and that the Father, Son, and Spirit, are the one God; they know and believe him to be the most high God, whose servants the ministers of the Gospel are; and they know and believe that Jesus is the Holy One of God, the Son of God, and the Messiah, ( Acts 16:17 19:15 Luke 4:34,41). And tremble ; at the wrath of God, which they now feel, and at the thought of future torments, which they expect, ( Mark 5:7 Matthew 8:29) and which is more than some men do; and yet these shall not be saved, their damnation is certain and inevitable, ( 2 Peter 2:4 Jude 1:6) wherefore it follows, that a bare historical faith will not profit, and cannot save any; a man may have all faith of this kind, and be damned; and therefore it is not to be boasted of, nor trusted to.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 14-26 - Those are wrong who put a mere notional belief of the gospel for the whole of evangelical religion, as many now do. No doubt, true fait alone, whereby men have part in Christ's righteousness, atonement, an grace, saves their souls; but it produces holy fruits, and is shown to be real by its effect on their works; while mere assent to any form of doctrine, or mere historical belief of any facts, wholly differs from this saving faith. A bare profession may gain the good opinion of piou people; and it may procure, in some cases, worldly good things; but what profit will it be, for any to gain the whole world, and to los their souls? Can this faith save him? All things should be accounte profitable or unprofitable to us, as they tend to forward or hinder the salvation of our souls. This place of Scripture plainly shows that a opinion, or assent to the gospel, without works, is not faith. There is no way to show we really believe in Christ, but by being diligent in good works, from gospel motives, and for gospel purposes. Men may boas to others, and be conceited of that which they really have not. Ther is not only to be assent in faith, but consent; not only an assent to the truth of the word, but a consent to take Christ. True believing is not an act of the understanding only, but a work of the whole heart That a justifying faith cannot be without works, is shown from tw examples, Abraham and Rahab. Abraham believed God, and it was reckone unto him for righteousness. Faith, producing such works, advanced his to peculiar favours. We see then, ver. #(24), how that by works a ma is justified, not by a bare opinion or profession, or believing withou obeying; but by having such faith as produces good works. And to have to deny his own reason, affections, and interests, is an action fit to try a believer. Observe here, the wonderful power of faith in changin sinners. Rahab's conduct proved her faith to be living, or havin power; it showed that she believed with her heart, not merely by a assent of the understanding. Let us then take heed, for the best works without faith, are dead; they want root and principle. By faith an thing we do is really good; as done in obedience to God, and aiming a his acceptance: the root is as though it were dead, when there is n fruit. Faith is the root, good works are the fruits; and we must see to it that we have both. This is the grace of God wherein we stand, and we should stand to it. There is no middle state. Every one must eithe live God's friend, or God's enemy. Living to God, as it is the consequence of faith, which justifies and will save, obliges us to d nothing against him, but every thing for him and to him __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
συ 4771 πιστευεις 4100 5719 οτι 3754 ο 3588 θεος 2316 εις 1520 εστιν 2076 5748 καλως 2573 ποιεις 4160 5719 και 2532 τα 3588 δαιμονια 1140 πιστευουσιν 4100 5719 και 2532 φρισσουσιν 5425 5719
Vincent's NT Word Studies
19. Tremble (frissousin). Only here in New Testament. It means, originally, to be rough on the surface; to bristle. Hence, used of the fields with ears of corn; of a line of battle bristling with shields and spears; of a silver or golden vessel rough with embossed gold. Aeschylus, describing a crowd holding up their hands to vote, says, the air bristled with right hands. Hence, of a horror which makes the hair stand on end and contracts the surface of the skin making "gooseflesh." Rev., much better, shudder.
