But James insists that correct
doctrine by itself is insufficient. With biting sarcasm he praises the
objector’s theology: “You do well” (καλῶς ποιεῖς). Unlike the earlier use of this expression in 2:8, where it
may have been genuinely positive or at worst mild irony, here he bitterly mocks
the hollowness of their faith. “Such belief is indeed necessary, but not enough
for salvation.”
To show that correct doctrine is
not enough, James appeals to demonic “faith.” Satan and all his evil hordes are
monotheists; even they know there is
only one God and that his loyalties remain undivided. The demons do something about their belief: they
tremble violently when faced with the one true God of the universe. The word
“tremble” (φρίσσουσιν) means
more than just slight shuddering; it refers to uncontainable, uncontrollable,
violent shaking from extreme fear. James asserts that the demons can match the
original challenger’s theology point for point, and they are overwhelmed by the
truth of these doctrines, but they remain condemned. Thus one cannot have
“workless” doctrine, because that leaves one salvifically in the same position
as the demons! The comparison, however, should not be pressed to say that the
objector is actually demonized. Rather, James uses an extreme example to make
his point that the demons are so certain of the existence of the one God that
they are horrified, but even that does not bring them to salvation (because
their knowledge does not change their behavior?). (Craig L. Blomberg
and Mariam J. Kamell, James [Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New
Testament 16; Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2008], 135)
With respect to “tremble” (φρίσσουσιν):
Moo (The Letter of James, 131) points out that this verb “refers to the
reaction of fear provoked by contact with God or the supernatural. It occurs
particularly frequently in the papyri to describe the effect that a sorcerer
aims to produce in his hearers.” It is a NT hapax.
Dibelius (James, 159–60) provides a
good sampling of extrabiblical texts to demonstrate the force of the verb.
Recall the reactions of the demons to Christ in Mk 1:23–28; 5:1–20; and similar
texts. (Ibid., 135 n. 51)
