James 2:20 (KJV)

Passage

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Nearby Context

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?

James 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

James 2:22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "faith", "wilt", "thou", "vain", "without", "works", and "dead". 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 believest that there is one God..." into verse 21's "Was not Abraham our father justified by...", 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.