King James Bible
"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."
James commands active obedience to God's teachings, not merely intellectual acknowledgment. The Greek term for 'doers' (poiētai) emphasizes continuous action, suggesting that authentic faith manifests in practical living aligned with Scripture. This warns against passive reception of God's word without application. In first-century Jewish synagogues and early Christian gatherings, regular Scripture reading was central, making the temptation to equate listening with spiritual maturity particularly relevant. Those who hear without doing engage in self-deception about their spiritual condition. James reveals that this delusion is self-inflicted—people convince themselves that knowledge alone equals righteousness, missing the transformative purpose of God's word.