James 2:20 (GNV)

Passage

But wilt thou vnderstand, O thou vaine man, that the faith which is without workes, is dead?

Nearby Context

James 2:18 But some man might say, Thou hast the faith, and I haue woorkes: shewe me thy faith out of thy woorkes, and I will shewe thee my faith by my woorkes.

James 2:19 Thou beleeuest that there is one God: thou doest well: the deuils also beleeue it, and tremble.

James 2:20 But wilt thou vnderstand, O thou vaine man, that the faith which is without workes, is dead?

James 2:21 Was not Abraham our father iustified through workes, when he offred Isaac his sonne vpon the altar?

James 2:22 Seest thou not that the faith wrought with his workes? and through the workes was the faith made perfect.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "faith", "wilt", "thou", "vnderstand", "vaine", "without", and "workes". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "faith" and "wilt", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "Thou beleeuest that there is one God..." into verse 21's "Was not Abraham our father iustified through...", so "faith" and "wilt" 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 "faith" and "wilt" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.