Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary James 1:24

"for he beholdeth himself, and goeth away, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was." — James 1:24 (ASV)

The author proceeds to explain why people should do more than merely listen to the truth, using the illustration of a man who “looks at his face in a mirror.” “Looks at” (GK 2917) means careful observation; the man carefully studies his face and becomes thoroughly familiar with its features. Those who listen to the Word do so attentively and at length, so that they understand what they hear. They know what God expects them to do. Any failure to respond cannot be blamed on lack of understanding.

James further explains that upon going away, the man “immediately forgets what he looks like.” For him it is “out of sight, out of mind.” This is, of course, ludicrous, but no less ludicrous are believers who listen carefully to God’s truth and do not remember to put into practice what they have heard. Listening to truth is not an end in itself any more than gazing at one’s face in a mirror is an end in itself. The purpose of listening to truth is to act upon it. Theoretical knowledge of spiritual truth is never commended in Scripture. Knowledge is inseparably tied to experience. Believers gain knowledge through experience, and such knowledge is intended to affect subsequent experience.