Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary James 2:20

"But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren?" — James 2:20 (ASV)

James introduces the next argument in support of his proposition (v.17) with the question “Do you want evidence?” His manner of addressing his imagined opponent is blunt. The Greek adjective translated “foolish” (GK 3031) means “empty.” It refers to a deficiency that is intellectual, but in the theological and moral context of the NT the term also has a moral and spiritual flavor. So James addresses his opponent as one who has no comprehension of spiritual truth, one who does not see “that faith without deeds is useless [GK 734].” In v.1, such faith is called “dead”; here it is described as something that does not work. The evidence he offers his opponent is found in vv.21–25 and consists of two OT examples—Abraham and Rahab.