James 2:24 (ASV)

Passage

Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith.

Nearby Context

James 2:22 Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect;

James 2:23 and the scripture was fulfilled which saith, And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness; and he was called the friend of God.

James 2:24 Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith.

James 2:25 And in like manner was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way?

James 2:26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "justified", "faith", "works", and "only". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "justified" and "faith", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 23's "and the scripture was fulfilled which saith..." into verse 25's "And in like manner was not also...", so "justified" and "faith" belong inside that flow. In James context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "justified" and "faith" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.