1:22

become doers of the word: James urges Christians not only to hear “the word of truth” but also to apply it consistently in their life. (Jas 1:18) The tense of the Greek verb here rendered “become” highlights continuous action. As one reference work states, it means “not simply ‘be,’ but ‘show yourselves more and more.’” Another reference work explains: “James considers the practice of faith to be ongoing, something to be worked for and worked on, rather than something achieved and accomplished.” James’ words harmonize fully with what Jesus stated in his Sermon on the Mount at Mt 7:21-27.​—See also Lu 11:28.

deceiving yourselves with false reasoning: James warns Christians not to assume that merely hearing “the word of truth” is sufficient; to do so would be to deceive oneself. (Jas 1:18) According to one lexicon, the Greek word James here uses means to “delude by false reasoning.” (See also Col 2:4, where the same Greek word is rendered “delude.”) A Christian might rationalize that just professing one’s faith is enough, but that too would be false, incorrect reasoning. (Compare Jas 2:18, 20, 26.) Those who deceive themselves in that way would miss out on the blessings that come from practicing the form of worship that Jehovah approves.​—Isa 48:17, 18.