James 2:18 (KJV)

Passage

Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

Nearby Context

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.

James 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

James 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "Even so faith if it hath not..." into verse 19's "Thou believest that there is one God...", so "faith" and "thou" 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 "thou" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.