Here are some Commentaries on the verses YOU quoted:
QUOTE:
Paul said that Abraham was justified by faith (see
Rom. 4:3), and Genesis tells us that he was justified by faith (see
Gen. 15:6;
Gen. 22:1-14). Was Abraham justified when he offered his son Isaac? The question is: Did he offer his son Isaac? And the answer is: No, he didn't. Then what was Abraham's work of faith? How did works save him? His faith caused him to lift that knife to do a thing which he did not believe God would ever ask him to do. But since God had asked him, he was willing to do it. He believed that God would raise Isaac from the dead. Abraham never actually offered Isaac, because God provided a substitute, but he would have done it if God had not stopped him.
Thru The Bible with J. Vernon McGee.
End QUOTE.
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QUOTE:
2:21 justified by works. This does not contradict Paul’s clear teaching that Abraham was justified before God by grace alone through faith alone (
Rom. 3:20;
4:1-25;
Gal. 3:6,
11). For several reasons, James cannot mean that Abraham was constituted righteous before God because of his own good works: (1) James has already emphasized that salvation is a gracious gift (
1:17, 18); (2) in the middle of this disputed passage (
v. 23), James quoted
Genesis 15:6, which forcefully claims that God credited righteousness to Abraham solely on the basis of his faith (
see notes on Rom. 1:17; 3:24; 4:1-25); and (3) the work that James said justified Abraham was his offering up of Isaac (
Gen. 22:9,
12),
an event that occurred many years after he first exercised faith and was declared righteous before God (
Gen. 12:1-7;
15:6). Instead, Abraham’s offering of Isaac demonstrated the genuineness of his faith and the reality of his justification before God. James is emphasizing the vindication before others of a person’s claim to salvation. James’s teaching perfectly complements Paul’s writings; salvation is determined by faith alone (
Eph. 2:8, 9) and demonstrated by faithfulness to obey God’s will alone (
Eph. 2:10).
2:22 was made perfect. This refers to bringing something to its end, or to its fullness. Just as a fruit tree has not arrived at its goal until it bears fruit, faith has not reached its end until it demonstrates itself in a righteous life.
The MacArthur Bible Commentary.
End QUOTE.
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QUOTE:
2:21. Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? This question is often held to be directly opposed to Paul's statement that Abraham's faith, not his works, caused God to declare him righteous (
Rom. 4:1-5). Paul, however, was arguing for the
priority of faith. James argued for the
proof of faith. Paul declared that Abraham had faith, and was therefore justified, or declared righteous (
Gen. 15:6), prior to circumcision (
Gen. 17:11; cf.
Rom. 4:9). James explained that Abraham's faith was evident in his practice of Isaac's sacrifice (
Gen. 22:12), and he was therefore justified, or declared righteous. Works serve as the barometer of justification, while faith is the basis for justification.
2:22-24. James emphasized the joint role of
faith and... actions... working together. Faith is the force behind the deed. The deed is the finality of the faith. The verb translated
was made complete (eteleiōthē) means to "carry to the end." Faith finds fulfillment in action. So it was with
Abraham. James and Paul quoted the same passage—
Genesis 15:6—to prove their points (cf.
Rom. 4:3). Paul said that Abraham was
justified by faith, and James said that Abraham was justified by faith evidenced
by what he did.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty.
End QUOTE.
It is easy to see, that you have misinterpreted.
