King James Bible
"But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?"
James confronts his audience with a rhetorical challenge, using "vain" (empty or foolish) to describe those who resist this truth. The direct address creates urgency, demanding the reader acknowledge what follows as essential rather than optional knowledge. Faith lacking corresponding actions is compared to a corpse—present in form but devoid of life and power. This metaphor culminates James's argument that genuine faith naturally produces visible deeds, not as a means of earning salvation but as evidence of spiritual vitality.