2:21

Was not Abraham our father declared righteous by works . . . ?: According to the Genesis account, when Abraham put faith in God’s promise to make his offspring numerous, like the stars of heaven, Jehovah “counted it to him as righteousness.” (Ge 15:5, 6; Ro 4:3 and study note; Jas 2:23 and study note) Decades later, Abraham further demonstrated his faith “by works” in a most extraordinary way; he showed that he was ready to offer up his son Isaac. (Ge 22:10-12) For this reason, James could say that Abraham was “declared righteous by works after he offered up Isaac his son on the altar” and that Abraham’s “faith was perfected by his works.”​—Jas 2:22 and study notes.

Abraham our father: Although James was of Jewish descent, he was writing to Christians of all backgrounds, both Jewish and Gentile. (See study note on Jas 1:1.) So he could not here have been referring to Abraham as the natural ancestor of the Jews. Rather, he mentions Abraham in the same sense that Paul did when calling him “the father of all those having faith.” (Ro 4:11 and study note, 12) Jesus himself told natural Jews that only those “doing the works of Abraham” could rightfully claim to be Abraham’s children. (Joh 8:39) Therefore, all faithful Christians, regardless of their background, can view Abraham as their father.​—Ga 3:7 and study note, 28 and study note, 29.

declared righteous: In the Christian Greek Scriptures, being “declared righteous” usually refers to spirit-anointed Christians; they are acquitted of sin and adopted as sons by Jehovah, based on the ransom sacrifice of Jesus. (Ro 3:24 and study note; 5:17, 18; 8:30; Tit 3:7) As a result, they can rule with Christ in heaven. (Re 20:6) Abraham, however, lived long before that heavenly hope was offered to any human, so he must have been “declared righteous” in a different sense. In verse 23, James says that Abraham “came to be called Jehovah’s friend.” Therefore, Abraham was “declared righteous,” not as a spirit-anointed son of God, but as a friend of God.​—2Ch 20:7; Isa 41:8.

he offered up Isaac: By using the expression “offered up . . . on the altar,” James apparently means that Abraham went as far as binding his son Isaac and putting him on the altar; Abraham was ready to sacrifice him. (Ge 22:9-12; compare study note on Heb 11:17.) By his willingness to offer up Isaac, Abraham demonstrated his faith, obedience, and deep love for God.