For Bible Scholars...?

Question

Can anyone explain how Paul's theology of faith alone saves us seemingly contradicts James' faith+works=salvation kind of theology. It seems strange to put human works in with God's grace? Any serious thoughts would be appreciated.

Answer 1

It isn't an either/or proposition. It takes grace and it takes works.

Works alone cannot ever save us. That's what throws atheists and agnostics. They think if it's just a matter of being moral, they can do that without Jesus and so they should be okay. We cannot earn salvation any more than we can earn love. Think about it. Has anyone ever tried to buy your love? If you've ever experienced it, you know it doesn't work. Love cannot be bought and sold. It cannot be "earned." And the flip side of that is that if you go through life thinking that you have to earn love, you never really feel loved in return because you know you have to keep up the work or fear that love will fail. It's exhausting.

Grace is what saves us. We don't deserve salvation. Plain and simple. And we love people that way, too, don't we? Your newborn baby does not have to earn your love. He or she does not have to deserve it. You give it. And when your baby throws up on you, keeps you awake all night, and tries to remove your eyelids, you still love him/her. Grace!

If your child ended up in jail, you would still love the child. Not because of his/her works, but by grace.

But if your child is rebellious and will not obey you, even though you love the child, you will not have a good relationship. As children show love and respect for parents through obedience, we show our love and respect for God through our obedience.

It's an empty sort of love to say we love God and accept His grace, and yet live lives of rebellion against Him.

We show our love through our obedience. Faith is our willingness to test what God tells us. It shows our trust in Him. We are perfected (we become mature) through our service and obedience to Him.

Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments."

I believe faith plus works (obedience) show our love for God and are our part of the new covenant with God. Grace is God's contribution to our salvation. Without it, we simply could not attain salvation no matter how much or what kind of work we could do. But not obeying God after accepting His grace makes light of His great gift and shows a lack of love and respect for Him.

Answer 2

It is true that all have sinned and cannot saved except by the grace of God. However, who is entitled to the Grace of God? Those who put their faith in Christ. How does God know that we have faith in Christ? James answered that question when he said the faith without works is dead. We show our faith through our works. Every time we keep a commandment, we demonstrate our faith. Every time we do something nice for someone else without the thought of repayment, we demonstrate our faith.

Those who claim to have faith but do not back it up with good works are no better than the Pharisees and Sadducees that Jesus railed on all the time for being so hypocritical. They only made the outward appearance of being religious but in their hearts they were far from God.

Answer 3

That is a fine question! Seemingly they contradict each other. But further investigation shows that their teachings dovetail quite nicely.

Simply put, James is teaching that faith without works is dead. In other words, real faith cannot help but have works to back it up. A man tells a woman he is madly in love with her and wants her for his wife. But he does nothing to make her his bride. See? No works. He doesn't really love her. His love (faith) is dead.

Paul, on the other hand, is talking about works of law - the Mosaic law, specifically. Paul is saying you cannot get to where you want to go by doing works of the Mosaic law. You can try all you want to keep the Mosaic law (and we're talking 613 statutes and regulations), but it will not do you any good because the righteous man lives by faith.

They are talking about two different things. Did you get the sense of that?

Hannah J Paul

Answer 4

Pauline theology depended a bit on the magical thinking, that God tracked our thoughts and that God's grace was available to any who believed in Jesus as the Christ. This, of course, led him to have to keep all the varying theological discussions in his churches under control. His letters often are trying to restore peace between divergent viewpoints.

James, which is probably a much later work and probably not the James that was either a disciple or Jesus' brother, runs counter to the Pauline theology. James looked for evidence that faith was at play in someone by seeing them change in the way they behaved. Paul is more accepting of people's unchanged personalities, but James insists that faith cannot exist if there is no transformation of behavior. Needless to say, James is read much less than Paul among the standard protestant churches.

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Answer 5

The misunderstanding come from not realizing that James was writing about evidences of true faith and not contradicting Paul's teaching about salvation through faith alone. James was comparing people who had made a mere profession of faith but whose lives didn't demonstrate that they had been changed by God with people who by their works showed that change.

James 2:18 But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

The works that James gave examples of were outward evidences of an inward change that comes about when a person is born again and the Holy Spirit starts to make them more like Jesus and less like their "old man". People seem to forget verse 10 in Ephesians 2 which was written by Paul.

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Answer 6

James is written to the Jews (the house of Israel).

James 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

Paul was a minister to the Gentile. Saved by Faith of Jesus Christ.

Romans 3:22 - Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

Romans 3:28 - Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

Romans 5:2 - By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Answer 7

It is faith alone in so far as the receiving of salvation is concerned. It is faith and works in regards to living the saved life. James wasn't laying down the criteria for salvation, rather he was laying the criteria for a living faith. Before our salvation, works counts for nothing, but only grace can bring us unto salvation. After salvation, our works will be counted and tested and will be the basis for our rewards in heaven.

Answer 8

Faith without works is dead.

It means that we are saved by faith in Jesus, the action or work on our part is believing and living like you believe.

You have to exercise your faith, put it into action. It does not always mean doing a lot of good deeds.

Works has to be exercised or operational. Say that I have faith that God will grant me a request according to His will and purpose. I still have to pray and ask for it. If I just have faith only nothing will happen.

No contradiction here.

Answer 9

Paul tells how to become a Christian. And the half brother of Jesus, James goes more into detail what is expected from you once you already are Christian.

We get saved only by the grace and mercy of God when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. But we are expected to show that by deeds, even though our salvation is not by deeds. It is more like an obedience thing : )

Answer 10

If you try to live by faith alone you be like the man who was convinced God said he would win the lottery. He spoke it and believed it, but he never bought a lottery ticket. His faith could not come to fruit because he did not take the steps he needed to take. James is just saying that you have to do somthing for faith to become a living thing. If you are not willing to do anything you are still saved but you faith will have no fruit.