There are many people today who do not understand what is written in the bible, mainly because they read it through a certain lens and do not believe Paul when he wrote, “all Scripture is breathed out by God.” (2 Timothy 3:16) If we as Christians are to believe that Scripture is the Words of God in written form, as Paul suggests then there should be no contradictions correct, as “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind.” (Numbers 23:19) However there appears to be just such a contradiction between two of the writers of the New Testament. Both Paul and James paraphrase Genesis 15:6 which states that Abraham “believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” Yet both apostles take this to different ends, James says, “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” (James 2:24) Paul holds to something appearing to be totally different, “to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.” (Romans 4:5)
Well that proves it, the Bible is not inspired right? Well being a bible believing Christian I don’t think so. We must look at the texts more closely along with Paul’s other writings. If scripture cannot be broken (John 10:35) then these two must coincide somehow. Both James and Paul quote Genesis 15:6 thus we must ask if James is correcting Paul, or if he is correcting an abuse of Paul. These are two very different things, yet if we are to believe that both what Paul and James wrote was scripture and breathed out by God then we must state that the latter is true, which scripture agrees with.
Paul was not a foolish man, he understood that His teaching of grace alone would be abused and twisted by some false brothers. This is why he wrote in Romans 3:8, “And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.” And Romans 6:1,2 “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means!”
In Galatians 5:13 Paul tells us, “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” Does this mean that we are justified however we must work to be justified? Is grace simply the starting point from which we work to be fully saved? Is that what Paul meant?
No, if we look back a few verses to Galatians 5:6 we see James and Paul in harmony “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.” Note that it is not the works that count for anything but the faith working through love. It is not faith plus works rather it is the correct type of faith that counts with God. What is the correct type of faith, the faith that justifies? Faith from which love flows.
That is what James was trying to correct in the churches he was writing to. Faith without love is useless, it is the sort of faith that at best the demons have. James 2:14, “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?” Note the concern of James is not the works, but the faith. If I simply believe yet do not love can I be saved, as James later asks, “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?” (v.15;16) According to James such faith is dead, as it does not work through love. James addresses this dead faith in other ways, those with perfect doctrine such as the demons (v.19) and useless faith that is empty (v.20). These passages agree with Paul that faith that does not work through love is dead, useless, and cannot justify anyone as it has no life.
As I previously stated both Paul and James quote Genesis 15:6 (cf. James 2:23, Romans 4:3), both state that it is the belief, the faith that is reckoned as righteousness. However James also makes reference to where Abraham’s faith is tested on Mount Moriah in Genesis 22:1ff, stating that if your faith does not work through love and you simply have correct doctrine, the faith of the Demons, dead faith, that which does not work through love, and useless faith which is idle, empty, or ineffective it will not stand God’s testing of faith. However one must understand what was being tested; it was the faith of Abraham. This was not where Abraham was justified though, that was back in Genesis 15:6.
Therefore in James 2:21 which states that Abraham was justified by works, James means something different from when Paul denies that man is justified by works (Romans 3:28; 4:2; 4:5) If asked the following question, does the ongoing and final reckoning of Abraham’s righteousness depend on works as the evidence of true faith? Both James and Paul would answer the same way. Yes. However if you asked how an ungodly person become justified and receive the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus as a gift? Both would answer as James did in James 2:23 “believe God, and it will counted to him as righteousness" (paraphrase mine)
To ask if justification is dependent upon works of love in order to have a final right standing with God, Paul will answer no, if by works of love you mean anything done to show that we deserve God’s blessings. James will answer yes, if by works you mean evidence of faith or fruit such as that Abraham’s obedience showed on Mount Moriah.
Thus for Paul justification by works means gaining a right standing with God based upon the merit of our works, Paul rejects this notion. James on the other had when speaking of justification by works means maintaining a right standing with God by faith alone with the evidences of faith, works of love. However based upon each others definitions they would agree.
We are justified by faith alone but Christ works in us through that faith to make us a new person, a new creation that is works through love. Paul describes this relationship of faith and works in Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Well that proves it, the Bible is not inspired right? Well being a bible believing Christian I don’t think so. We must look at the texts more closely along with Paul’s other writings. If scripture cannot be broken (John 10:35) then these two must coincide somehow. Both James and Paul quote Genesis 15:6 thus we must ask if James is correcting Paul, or if he is correcting an abuse of Paul. These are two very different things, yet if we are to believe that both what Paul and James wrote was scripture and breathed out by God then we must state that the latter is true, which scripture agrees with.
Paul was not a foolish man, he understood that His teaching of grace alone would be abused and twisted by some false brothers. This is why he wrote in Romans 3:8, “And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.” And Romans 6:1,2 “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means!”
In Galatians 5:13 Paul tells us, “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” Does this mean that we are justified however we must work to be justified? Is grace simply the starting point from which we work to be fully saved? Is that what Paul meant?
No, if we look back a few verses to Galatians 5:6 we see James and Paul in harmony “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.” Note that it is not the works that count for anything but the faith working through love. It is not faith plus works rather it is the correct type of faith that counts with God. What is the correct type of faith, the faith that justifies? Faith from which love flows.
That is what James was trying to correct in the churches he was writing to. Faith without love is useless, it is the sort of faith that at best the demons have. James 2:14, “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?” Note the concern of James is not the works, but the faith. If I simply believe yet do not love can I be saved, as James later asks, “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?” (v.15;16) According to James such faith is dead, as it does not work through love. James addresses this dead faith in other ways, those with perfect doctrine such as the demons (v.19) and useless faith that is empty (v.20). These passages agree with Paul that faith that does not work through love is dead, useless, and cannot justify anyone as it has no life.
As I previously stated both Paul and James quote Genesis 15:6 (cf. James 2:23, Romans 4:3), both state that it is the belief, the faith that is reckoned as righteousness. However James also makes reference to where Abraham’s faith is tested on Mount Moriah in Genesis 22:1ff, stating that if your faith does not work through love and you simply have correct doctrine, the faith of the Demons, dead faith, that which does not work through love, and useless faith which is idle, empty, or ineffective it will not stand God’s testing of faith. However one must understand what was being tested; it was the faith of Abraham. This was not where Abraham was justified though, that was back in Genesis 15:6.
Therefore in James 2:21 which states that Abraham was justified by works, James means something different from when Paul denies that man is justified by works (Romans 3:28; 4:2; 4:5) If asked the following question, does the ongoing and final reckoning of Abraham’s righteousness depend on works as the evidence of true faith? Both James and Paul would answer the same way. Yes. However if you asked how an ungodly person become justified and receive the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus as a gift? Both would answer as James did in James 2:23 “believe God, and it will counted to him as righteousness" (paraphrase mine)
To ask if justification is dependent upon works of love in order to have a final right standing with God, Paul will answer no, if by works of love you mean anything done to show that we deserve God’s blessings. James will answer yes, if by works you mean evidence of faith or fruit such as that Abraham’s obedience showed on Mount Moriah.
Thus for Paul justification by works means gaining a right standing with God based upon the merit of our works, Paul rejects this notion. James on the other had when speaking of justification by works means maintaining a right standing with God by faith alone with the evidences of faith, works of love. However based upon each others definitions they would agree.
We are justified by faith alone but Christ works in us through that faith to make us a new person, a new creation that is works through love. Paul describes this relationship of faith and works in Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
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