The faith James spoke of was the same faith Paul spoke of...James even gives an example of what I highlighted in your quote (shared in the passage below).
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Word/Concept
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Greco/Roman Meaning (abstract)
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Hebraic Meaning (tangible)[/TD]
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Faith[/TD]
[TD]belief; confidence; acceptance of something as true[/TD]
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Emunah - trust expressed in active loyalty. The Hebrew Characters literally describe "
strong movement and activity (to) [or to behold] THE (object) of (one's trust)."[/TD]
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Even though James' letter was written in Greek, I took the liberty of replacing the word "faith" with its Hebrew equivalent simply to show the perspective James had while writing on the subject. Just look how perfectly it matches the Hebrew meaning I share above.
James 2:1414 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath [Emunah], and have not works? Can (such) faith save him?
Right here James makes his point in the form of a question that
a faith without works is not a faith that saves. Being a Hebrew, we can assume he understands faith to be "Emunah: a trust expressed in action". As far as he's concerned, the only faith that saves is one with action. He then goes into an example...
James 2:15-17 [also replacing "works" w/"action"]15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, "Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled"; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so [Emunah], if it hath not [action], is dead, being alone.
If someone's naked and hungry, and you tell them "
Go! Be warm and filled!" but never actually give clothing or food, how does what you say benefit them? I'll even add that what you've said to them is a worthless; meaningless statement. James concludes that likewise faith alone without action doesn't exist...which is what
dead means; to not exist.
Because Emunah means "
trust expressed in action towards the object of trust", Emunah can't actually exist without that action towards the object.
James then gives a challenge to a hypothetical person who would attempt to separate faith from action...note the tone:
James 2:1418 Yea, a man may say, "Thou hast faith, and I have [actions]": shew me your [Emunah] *without* your [actions], and I will shew you my [Emunah] *by* my [actions].
James would win such a challenge. Again, if we are to assume James is coming from a Hebraic background while discussing this concept, he sees faith and the actions that express that faith as indistinguishable from each other. James will show his faith by his actions, and he challenges one to show faith without action. Remember, James has already established that the faith he's describing - faith with action - is specifically the faith that saves. James then continues...
James 2:1419 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that [emunah] without [action] is dead?
Belief in God is great! But even the devils also believe in God. Yet James calls one a "vain person" who believes that no work on their part is required to wrought faith. James then uses Abraham (the father of faith) as a perfect example of the faith he's talking about...
James 2:21-24 [also replacing "perfect" w/"complete"]21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how [emunah] wrought with his [actions], and by [actions] was [emunah] made [complete]?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
24 Ye see then how that by [actions] a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Note here that James doesn't say
works were wrought with Abraham's faith. Instead he says,
faith was wrought with Abraham's works, and by those works was Abraham's faith completed...fulfilling scripture that said Abraham believed God and righteousness was imputed to him. The word "wrought" means "shaped by hammering; a beaten work".
Remember, James began his point by asking
can such a faith without works save a person. And now he's saying that a faith - without works - can't
justify. He never changes subjects because he says "see then.." which is a conclusion phrase. So he links salvation & justification together. This means there's no such thing as "saved" (past tense) per say, but rather one is "continually being saved" (present tense) through justification which can only come from faith (understood as "Emunah"): faith shaped with certain actions that express one's trust.
The following is James giving an example of your text I highlighted.
James 2:2525 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
Here's James giving an example of "Emunah"; the same faith Paul speaks about. We know that Rahab the harlot was SAVED from God's judgment of Jericho through Joshua's army...but here James says she was JUSTIFIED by her actions of hiding Israel's spies. So again salvation & justification are linked together.
Rahab was justified by her actions and thus was saved from judgment. Her faith was wrought/shaped with her actions that expressed her trust in the spies word.
James 2:2626 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so [emunah] without [action] is dead also.
Dead means to not exist. The faith James argues for - that saves - can not exist without action.