Are all works the same in every way?

Are all works the same in every way?


All works are not the same in every way.

The Bible mentions "WORKS" (Ephesians 2:9). 

All works are not the same, as for example "good WORKS" (Ephesians 2:10) are not the same as "evil WORKS" (Colossians 1:21). 




All works are not the same when it comes to the ADJECTIVE describing them.

Adjectives can be linked to works to differentiate them from other works. For example, some works can be greater than others, as it is written: "your LAST WORKS (are) GREATER (than) the FIRST" (Revelation 2:19).

Some works can have an adjective describing them.

For example:
"Greater WORKS" (John 5:20).
"Good WORKS" (Ephesians 2:10).
"Evil WORKS" (Colossians 1:21).
"Dead WORKS" (Hebrews 6:1).
"Lawless WORKS" (2 Peter 2:8)




All works are not the same when it comes to WHAT they can be specifically linked to.

Some works describe what they can be specifically linked to. 

For example:
"WORKS (of) the law" (Romans 3:28).
"WORKS (of) the tabernacle" (Numbers 8:24).
"WORKS (of) the flesh" (Galatians 5:19).
"WORKS (of) non-worship" (Jude 1:15).
"WORKS (of) darkness" (Ephesians 5:11)

This can be important as for example the following verse describes only a specific kind of works: "(a) person is not declared-righteous by WORKS (of the) law" (Galatians 2:16).  
This would be different from the following verse that can include works from a broader category: "(a) person is declared-righteous by WORKS " (James 2:24).




All works are not the same when it comes to WHO they can be specifically linked to.

Some works describe who they can be specifically linked to. 

For example:
"WORKS (of) your fathers" (Luke 11:48).
"WORKS (of) Abraham" (John 8:39).
"WORKS (of) the Nicolaitans" (Revelation 2:6).
"WORKS (of) the Christ" (Matthew 11:2).
"WORKS (of) God" (John 6:28).
"WORKS (of) the devil" (1 John 3:8).

These can describe the works that someone can do.

Someone else could also do the same works. For example the same works that Abraham did (the works of Abraham) could also be done by someone else, as it is written: "if you are children of Abraham, YOU (would) be doing the WORKS (of) Abraham" (John 8:39).




All works are not the same when it comes to those that faith can have.

James wrote: "FAITH, if it-does not HAVE WORKS, is dead by itself" (James 2:17). According to this passage, it could be implied that FAITH can HAVE WORKS. 

Faith can have GOOD WORKS:

Eight verses after writing that "FAITH, if it-does not HAVE WORKS, is dead by itself" (James 2:17), James wrote an example of WORKS by mentioning for example "Rahab" (James 2:25) "having-received the messengers" (James 2:25), as he wrote: "Rahab the prostitute — was she not declared-righteous out-of WORKS, having-received the messengers and sent(-them)-out (by a) different way?" (James 2:25). The WORK of "having-received the messengers" (James 2:25) may be a "GOOD WORK" specifically, as for example Paul wrote about a "woman" (1 Timothy 5:9) "being-attested by GOOD WORKS" (1 Timothy 5:10) "if she-received-strangers" (1 Timothy 5:10) among other things. 

For more information:
Examples of good works in the Bible:
Click here


Faith can have WORKS of RIGHTEOUSNESS:

It is written that people "through FAITH conquered kingdoms, WORKED RIGHTEOUSNESS" (Hebrews 11:33).


Faith can NOT have WORKS of the LAW:

The "WORKS (of the) LAW" (Galatians 3:8) can NOT be a kind of WORKS that FAITH can have as Paul wrote 4 verses later that "the LAW is NOT OF FAITH, but "The (one) having-done these (things) shall-live by them"" (Galatians 3:12). 

What is "the LAW" (Galatians 3:12) that Paul would have been referring to? 

If only the term "the law" is used in a verse, one must determine which law it is referring to by looking at the context, as depending on the context it can refer to different things.

For more information:

The term "law" can refer to different things:
Click here

Paul would have been specifically referring to the law of Moses in Galatians 3:12 as he quoted Leviticus 18:5 in that passage (which can be found in the law of Moses): "The (one) having-done these (things) shall-live by them" (Galatians 3:12, Leviticus 18:5). 


Faith can NOT have DEAD WORKS:

"FAITH without WORKS is DEAD" (James 2:17). FAITH without WORKS is a DEAD FAITH.
In a similar manner, WORKS without FAITH could be DEAD WORKS. The author of Hebrews wrote about "DEAD WORKS" (Hebrews 6:1).

The term "DEAD WORKS" (Hebrews 6:1) may be interchangeable with the term "SINS". The only other place in the New Testament in which the term "DEAD WORKS" can be found is in Hebrews 9:14 which reads: "CLEANSE our CONSCIENCE from DEAD WORKS so-that (we may) WORSHIP (the) living God" (Hebrews 9:14). One chapter later "DEAD WORKS" (Hebrews 9:14) may be interchangeable with the term "SINS" (Hebrews 10:2), as it is written about "the (ones) WORSHIPING no-longer having (a) CONSCIENCE (of) SINS, HAVING-BEEN-CLEANSED once-for-all?" (Hebrews 10:2). If the term "DEAD WORKS" (Hebrews 6:1) can be interchangeable with the term "SINS", and if "everything which (is) not from FAITH is SIN" (Romans 14:23), then it could be further inferred that DEAD WORKS would be SINS because they could be WORKS without FAITH.

Furthermore the very next element in Hebrews 6 after "DEAD WORKS" (Hebrews 6:1) is "FAITH toward God", as it is written about "(a) foundation (of) repentance from DEAD WORKS and FAITH toward God, (of) instruction (about) cleansings and laying-on (of) hands" (Hebrews 6:1-2).




All works are not the same when it comes to those that grace can have.

Grace can have GOOD WORKS:

Paul wrote: "God is-able to-cause all GRACE to-abound to you in-order-that in everything, always having all sufficiency, you-may-be-abounding for every GOOD WORKS" (2 Corinthians 9:8). 


Grace can NOT have WORKS of the LAW:

Paul wrote: "You who are-(trying-to-be)-declared-righteous by (the) LAW were-rendered-not-working from Christ. YOU-FELL-OUT-OF GRACE" (Galatians 5:4).




The difference between "WORKS" and "WORK":

The word for "work" can be found both in the singular and in the plural, as for example:
"The work (of) God" (John 6:29).
"The works (of) God" (John 9:3).

A singular "work" can describe one work among several works, but it can also describe a whole that is composed of several works.

1) A singular "work" can describe one work among several works: "I-showed you many good WORKS from the Father. For which WORK (of) them do-you-stone Me?" (John 10:32).

2) A singular "work" can describe a whole that is composed of several works: "you know today, for (I do) not (speak) with your sons who have not known, and who have not seen the chastisement of YHWH your God, His greatness, His mighty hand, and His stretched out arm, and His signs, and His WORKS which He did in the midst of Egypt" (Deuteronomy 11:2-3 - Masoretic) "But seeing your eyes see all the great WORK of YHWH which He has done" (Deuteronomy 11:7 - Masoretic).


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