King James Bible
"Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only."
James asserts that justification involves works, directly addressing those who claimed salvation through intellectual assent alone. Writing to Jewish Christians familiar with Torah's emphasis on obedience, he argues that genuine faith necessarily produces action, making works the visible evidence of justifying faith. This phrase clarifies James is not dismissing faith but rejecting a dead, workless faith. In the context of his letter, 'faith only' refers to mere verbal profession without corresponding deeds—a hollow claim that cannot save because it lacks the transformative power of true belief.