But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
What does James 1:22 mean?
If we heard a sermon every day of the week, and an angel from heaven were the preacher, yet, if we rested in hearing only, it would never bring us to heaven.
Key themes
Read with
Keep this verse inside James 1:19-23 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on James 1:22
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only - Obey the gospel, and do not merely listen to it. Compare Matthew 7:21 . Deceiving your own selves - It is implied here, that by merely hearing the word but not doing it, they would deceive their own souls. The nature of this deception was this, that they would imagine that that was all which was required, whereas the main thing was that they should be obedient. If a man supposes that by a mere punctual attendance on preaching, or a respectful attention to it, he has done all that is required of him, he is laboring under a most gross self-deception.
Key words
- doers
-
But be ye doers of the word,.
- word
-
But be ye doers of the word,.
Context in James 1
Show chapter context
James 1 belongs to the opening movement of the book, especially the section often described as testing and wisdom. James is a wisdom-shaped epistle about testing, speech, wealth, impartiality, works, prayer, and practical holiness. Read this chapter with the wider themes of works, wisdom, and speech in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
Explore by topic
What Scripture teaches about obeying God, the relationship between faith and obedience, and the blessings that follow faithfulness.
Passages on asking, persistence, confession, dependence, and the way prayer shapes Christian life and attention.
Verses on the fear of the Lord, wise speech, practical judgment, teachability, and the difference between biblical wisdom and mere cleverness.
Passages on the nature of truth, honesty, deception, the word of God as truth, and Jesus' claim to be the truth.