James%20vs.%20Paul

1
James vs. Paul

• Justification by faith?
• Justification by works?
• Or both?

2
James vs. Paul

• James Ye see that by works a man is justified,
  and not only by faith (James 224).

• Paul We reckon therefore that a man is
  justified by faith apart from the works of the
  law (Rom. 328)

3
Luthers View of James

• Martin Luther condemned the Catholic works of
  merit and substituted his own system of
  justification of faith alone
• Luther presented a false dichotomy between faith
  (passive) and works (active)
• Luther inserted the word only into his
  translation of Roman 328 in A.D.1522
• Luther called the book of James an epistle of
  straw and gave the book of James a secondary
  status and placed it in the appendix of his
  Bible
• Luthers teaching of justification by faith
  alone made its way into the Augsburg Confession
  (1530) and Heidelberg Catechism (1563)

4
Luthers View of James

• James has aimed to refute those who relied on
  faith without works, and is too weak for his task
  in mind, understanding, and words, mutilates the
  Scriptures, and thus directly contradicts Paul
  and all Scriptures, seeking to accomplish by
  enforcing the law what the apostles successfully
  effect by love. Therefore I will not place his
  Epistle in my Bible among the proper leading
  books (Werke, XIV, 148)

5
Luthers View of James

• Many have toiled to reconcile Paul with James
  but to no purpose, for they are contrary, Faith
  justifies Faith does not justify I will
  pledge my life that no one can reconcile those
  propositions and if he succeeds he may call me a
  fool (Colloquia, II, 202)

6
James 224

• This verse, then, remains hard, but it is hard
  because its teaching is uncomfortable. God is
  concerned with our deeds, and they are related to
  whether or not we enter the kingdom. It is not
  hard because there is any conflict between this
  teaching and Pauls. The two merely sound
  contradictory rather than are contradictory. In
  fact, a lot of apparent contradiction is due to
  the misunderstanding of Paul found in Luther and
  perpetuated by those who fail to put Paul into
  his proper Jewish background

7
James 224

• The James-Paul issue, then, is partially a
  misunderstanding of Paul (stemming from the fact
  that Luther was concerned with earning his
  salvation through penance and pious deeds rather
  than with Jewish ritual, thus a reading of Luther
  into Paul) and partially a problem of reading
  Paul into James. In reality, the writings of
  James and Paul demonstrate a relative harmony,
  combined with differing spheres of ministry and
  thus differing perspectives (Hard Sayings of
  the Bible, 699)

8
James vs. Paul

• Explanation 1 James and Paul contradict one
  another
• This explanation is maintained by the skeptics,
  agnostics, atheists and liberal theologians
• Answer James and Paul writing by H.S.
  inspiration would not contradict each other

9
James vs. Paul

• Explanation 2 James wrote his epistle before
  he had time to fully understand what Paul meant
  (or, James attacked a misrepresentation of Paul)
• One thing, however, is certain, that the man who
  wrote this passage cannot have read Paul or
  understood what Pauls doctrine really meant
  (E.F. Scott, The Literature of the New Testament,
  215)
• Answer James and Paul writing by H.S.
  inspiration would not misunderstand and
  misrepresent each other

10
James vs. Paul

• Explanation 3 James wrote about faith and how
  it demonstrates itself before man, and Paul wrote
  about faith and how it justifies us before God
• God knew Abrahams faith was genuine because he
  saw his heart (Paul) men only knew Abrahams
  faith was genuine when they saw his good works
  (James)
• Answer This is an artificial distinction.
  Abrahams faith demonstrated to God and all men
  (Jew and Gentile) how one should be obedient
  (Rom. 412,23-25).

11
James vs. Paul

• Explanation 4 James wrote about the faith of
  the godly saint Abraham (after he believed), and
  Paul wrote about the faith of an the ungodly
  sinner Abraham (before he believed)
• Abraham the sinner came to God by faith only (the
  beginning of the Christian life) Abraham the
  saint came to God by faith and works
• According to some, we are not saved by works, we
  are saved for works
• Answer Abraham believed and obeyed God the
  moment he left Ur and prior to Genesis 156 (Gen.
  121ff,7-8 134,17-18 1418-20 Heb.
  118)

12
James vs. Paul

• Explanation 5 James and Paul used the word
  justify (dikaiosis, dikaioo) differently James
  and Paul used the word faith (pistis, pisteuo)
  differently
• Answer James and Paul use the word works
  (ergon) differently
• Works of merit (Paul)
• Works of faith (James)

13
Paul and Faith

• Paul denounces Jewish works of law keeping (works
  of merit) in Romans 3-4, not obedience to the
  gospel (Rom. 31,19-20,27-28 42,4-5,6 see
  911,30-32 116)
• Worketh not does not mean obeyeth not (Rom.
  45 Heb. 118)
• Pauls contrast is not be between faith and
  obedience, but between justification by a law of
  faith (grace) verses justification by a law of
  works (perfect law keeping, no sin, merit,
  boasting, debt) - Rom. 327

14
Paul and Faith

• Paul contrasted
• Faith and works of law (Rom. 44-8)
• Faith and circumcision (Rom. 49-12)
• Faith and law (413-17)
• Paul never contrasted faith and obedience

15
James and Paul

• Paul preached works in their rightful place just
  as much as James (Romans 15 26-10 617
  99-10 101-8 1518 1626 2 Cor. 98 Gal.
  56 Eph. 210 2 Thess. 217 1 Tim. 618 Tit.
  214 38)
• James preached saving faith in Jesus just as much
  as Paul (21,5)
• James and Paul were in agreement in Jerusalem
  (Acts 1512-18 Gal. 29)

16
James and Paul

• James and Paul were addressing different
  opponents, different contexts, different works
• James was addressing the Jewish Christian
  intellectualist (antinomianism, dead orthodoxy)
  who merely said he believed (like demons) but did
  not work did not have an active faith (see say
  in 214,16,18)
• Paul was addressing the Jewish Christian legalist
  (Pharisaism, self-righteous piety) who desired to
  earn his salvation by works of the law of
  Moses works of merit (217-28 31,19)

17
Life of Abraham life of faith
Abraham believed God and reckoned for
righteousness 86 years old Gen.156 163,16
Death of Abraham 175 years old Gen.25
Call of Abraham 75 years old Gen.121-4
Abraham circumcised 99 years old Gen.171
Abraham offered Isaac 100 years old?
Gen.215 221
13 Years
11 Years
Quoted by Paul in Rom.43,5,9,22 Gal.36 Quoted
by James in Jas.223
Quoted by Paul in Gal.38
Referred to by Paul in Rom.49-12, 17-19
Referred to by James in Jas.221-22
same faith
same faith
same faith
Impute (KJV) is from the Gr.
logizomai meaning to put to ones account (Rom.
46)
The same faith was reckoned for righteousness
all through life Abrahams faith was obedient
(Gen. 124 171 1819 2133 2218)