Work, Works
Work, Works
wurk, wurks: To work in the Old Testament is usually the translation of , asah, or of , paal (of the works both of God and of man), and work (noun) is most frequently the translation of , maaseh, or , mela’khah; in the New Testament of , energeo, , ergazomai (and compound), with , ergon (noun). The word works (erga) is a favorite designation in John for the wonderful works of Jesus (Joh 5:36; Joh 10:38; Joh 15:24, etc.; miracles to us, works to Him). Works is used by Paul and James, in a special sense, as denoting (with Paul) those legal performances by means of which men sought to be accepted of God, in contradistinction to that faith in Christ through which the sinner is justified apart from all legal works (Rom 3:27; Rom 4:2, Rom 4:6, etc.; Gal 2:16; Gal 3:2, Gal 3:5, Gal 3:10), working through love (Gal 5:6; 1Th 1:3), and is fruitful in all truly good works, in which Christian believers are expected to abound (2Co 9:8; Eph 2:10; Col 1:10; 2Th 2:17, etc.). When James speaks of being justified by works as well as by faith (Jam 2:14-26), he has in view those works which show faith to be real and vital. Dead works avail nothing (compare Heb 9:14; Heb 10:24). Judgment is according to works (Mat 16:27, the Revised Version (British and American) deeds, margin Greek: ‘doing’ praxis; Rom 2:6; 1Pe 1:17, etc.), the new life being therein evidenced. A contrast between faith and good works is never drawn in the New Testament. See, further, JUSTIFICATION.