That is the doctrine of Augustine. It is a politically motivated interpretation he employed and is still being carried forward and the truth of the actual meaning of the words do not support this interpretation.
No where does James address the Jew who supposedly are not saved and give them the good news, this means he believed his audience was saved and he addressed them that way, 15X in fact
James is writing about the usefulness of faith not the genuineness of faith.
"Dead" does not equal the genuineness.
please stop with the augustine/calvin stuff. this is not about them and I am neither of the two. noe does my belief come from them. We need to open our minds and stop fighting doctrines and just look to the word.
James states plainly.
J
ames 2: 14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone claims he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?
this is the context of what james is saying
1. He does not say they have faith, he said they CLAIMED to have faith
2. He asked the question. can this "claimed" faith save them (salvation is in question)
He is talking to people who claim they have faith, who say they are questions. he is asking them, if you claim you have faith but have no works, can faith really save you??
he then states that CLAIMED faith is dead (no faith at all)
again, a faith that id dead is no faith at all.. It can not save!!