James Chapter 2 — Commentary on Verse 20

    You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?

    Here James reinforces the argument against an ungodly profession of faith. The dispute is not about the cause of justification but about what we should think about an empty faith.

    Youfoolishman. He is an empty man, a metaphor taken from an empty container. It is the parallel word to “Raca,” “fool,” which is forbidden in Matthew 5:22. You will say, was it lawful for the apostle to use such words of contempt and disgrace? I answer:

    (1)      Christ does not forbid the word, but the word used in anger. We find “fool” used by Christ himself: “You blind fools!” (Matthew 23:17); “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe” (Luke 24:25). Paul, too, says, “You foolish Galatians!” (Galatians 3:1). There is a difference between necessary correction and contemptuous speech.

    (2)      The apostle does not direct this to any one person but to a particular kind of people. Such a way of speaking to individuals savors of private anger, but being directed to a particular kind of people merely expresses a justified public reproof.

    Doyouwantevidence…? That is, do you want to understand the matter properly or to listen to what can be said against your faith? A similar form of words is used in Romans 13:3—“Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority?”—that is, to be taught how not to fear him.

    Thatfaithwithoutdeedsisuseless. Note that he does not say, “faith is useless without deeds,” but faithwithoutdeedsisuseless. There is a difference. If he had said that faith is useless without deeds, it would have argued that deeds are the cause that give life to faith, whereas they are effects that show there is life in faith. For instance, “a man without motion is dead” is correct, but “a man is dead without motion” is quite different. Briefly, in this argument the apostle presupposes several things:

    (1)      The way to know graces is by their results.

    (2)      Deeds are an effect of faith: faithwithoutdeedsisuseless, and deeds are useless without faith. So deeds that are gracious are a proper, perpetual, and inseparable part of faith; they are effects that do not give life to faith but declare it, just as apples do not give life to the tree but demonstrate that life.

    Notes on Verse 20

    Note1. Doyouwantevidence…? False and mistaken faith usually means either that people do not understand what faith is, or that they are not thinking about what they are doing. Ignorance and lack of thought allow unwarrantable assumptions of faith to slip by without notice.

    Note2. Youfoolishman. People with shallow faith are vain, like empty containers, full of wind, and make the greatest sound; they are full of windy presumptions and boasting professions.

    (1)      Full of wind, they have a little airy knowledge, which puffs up: “ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:8). There is knowledge, but it is ineffective and unproductive—empty of any solid grace.

    (2)      They make a big noise; they can talk about grace, boast of knowledge, glory in their faith. Usually these presumptuous people are of a slight, frothy spirit and are all for tongue and an empty profession. A vain faith and a vain man often go together.

    Note3. Hypocrites must be roused with some sharpness. So the apostle says, Youfoolishman. John the Baptist called people, “You brood of vipers!” (Matthew 3:7). Hypocrites do not usually think and usually have a sleepy conscience, so that we must not whisper but cry out aloud. An open sinner has a constant torment and bondage on his spirit, which is soon felt and soon awakened; but a hypocrite is able to make defenses and replies. We must, by the warrant of these great examples, deal with him more roughly; mildness only soothes him in his error.

    Note 4. An empty, barren faith is a dead faith.

    (1)      It may go with a natural state in which we are dead in trespasses and sins.

    (2)      It does not receive the life-giving influence of the Spirit.

    (3)      It lacks the effect of life. All life is the beginning of operation, tends to operation, and is increased by operation; so faith is dead, like the root of a tree in the ground, when it cannot produce the ordinary effects and fruits of faith.

    (4)      It is not available to eternal life and of no more use and service to you than a dead thing. Pluck it off! Who wants a dead plant in the garden? “Why should it use up the soil?” (Luke 13:7).