James 2:15 (KJV)

Passage

If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

Nearby Context

James 2:13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

James 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

James 2:15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

James 2:16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

James 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "brother", "sister", "naked", "destitute", "daily", and "food". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "brother" and "sister", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 14's "What doth it profit my brethren though..." into verse 16's "And one of you say unto them...", so "brother" and "sister" 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 "brother" and "sister" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.