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The Paul/James Controversy
What is faith? What are works? How can seemingly contradictory Scriptures be reconciled? In particular the writings of Paul repeatedly say that we can only be saved by faith apart from works (Rom 1:16, Rom 3:20-26, Rom 4:4-5, Gal 2:16, Gal 3:2, Eph 2:4-10, Titus 3:3-7, and many others), while James says that we are saved by faith and works (James 2:14-26). What gives? I propose to reconcile these by coming to a deeper understanding of the actual definition of faith and of works.Two very famous scriptures cut right to the crux of the matter and tell us the first important clue:
Rom 3:19-4:5 [WEB]. Note especially verses 3:28 and 4:2-5
19 Now we know that whatever things the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God.
20 Because by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. For through the law comes the knowledge of sin.
21 But now apart from the law, a righteousness of God has been revealed, being testified by the law and the prophets;
22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all those who believe. For there is no distinction,
23 for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;
24 being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus;
25 whom God set forth to be an atoning sacrifice , through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness through the passing over of prior sins, in God’s forbearance;
26 to demonstrate his righteousness at this present time; that he might himself be just, and the justifier of him who has faith in Jesus.
27 Where then is the boasting? It is excluded. By what manner of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.
28 We maintain therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.
29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Isn’t he the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,
30 since indeed there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith, and the uncircumcised through faith.
31 Do we then nullify the law through faith? May it never be! No, we establish the law.
1 What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather, has found according to the flesh?
2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not toward God.
3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
4 Now to him who works, the reward is not counted as grace, but as something owed.
5 But to him who doesn’t work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.
and James 2:14-26 [WEB] Note especially 19-24
At first (and maybe second and third) glance, these two scriptures seem completely and diametrically opposed. This indicates to us that a greater understanding of these passages awaits which will make them fit together into one harmonious framework.
14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him?
15 And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food,
16 and one of you tells them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled;” and yet you didn’t give them the things the body needs, what good is it?
17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.
18 Yes, a man will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I by my works will show you my faith.
19 You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe, and shudder.
20 But do you want to know, vain man, that faith apart from works is dead?
21 Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
22 You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected;
23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness;”*n and he was called the friend of God.
24 You see then that by works, a man is justified, and not only by faith.
25 In like manner wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way?
26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.
A Brief Glimpse of James' definition of "Faith"
The most amazing part to me is that they both use the example of Abraham; Paul explaining that Abraham was justified by faith and James explaining that Abraham was justified by works. James 2:19 really hides a key truth. When James is discussing "faith" or "belief", he is discussing one thing: the belief the God is real and God alone is God. The demons certainly know that, see Matt 8:28-32 or Mark 5:1-13. But clearly this type of belief or faith wouldn't make Abraham justified in the sight of God, it certainly didn't justify the demons.
An Outline of Paul's definition of "Faith"
Paul is using the terms "faith" and "belief" to mean something much more involved than the belief that God is real and God alone is God. I will explain this using only the teachings of Paul himself in order to be clear. Paul himself alludes to this in verse 25 through use of the phrase "faith in his blood" (see also Rom 5:9, "justified by His blood"). Paul's definition of faith is something close to:
A faith/belief that God is God, that God alone is God, that God has given us laws(Rom 2:5-6, 12-13), that we are all guilty of transgressions (Rom 3:10-12), and that Jesus Christ is the Son of God(Rom 1:4), whose sinless sacrifice and resurrection to eternal life fulfilled the law (Rom 3:24) for all who accept and believe that His sacrifice has done so (Rom 3:25).While James' definition of faith is not consistent with Paul's above quoted teaching, this is. See Rom 10:8-9:
8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth, and in your heart;”*n that is, the word of faith, which we preach:
9 that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Paul is discussing a type of faith which includes an understanding not only that God is real and God alone is God, but also includes a knowledge that the atonement was made for us (there would never be any other reason for Him to die!) and therefore a realization that God loves us and that we will always be better off when His will is done, not ours. This is what it means that you "believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead" and "faith in his blood". Human language here is somewhat insufficient to detail this. Let's remember how Jesus was raised. He wasn't raised to die again (like Lazarus or the boy whom Elijah prayed over). Jesus was raised eternally. This is what Paul means by raised from the dead; and this carries with it all of the fulfilled prophesies and full teachings of Christ Himself, for what could it possibly mean to have "faith in his blood" while disbelieving his words?
Paul doesn't say that we need to understand, just believe. But this type of belief is a powerful thing. To believe that Jesus was raised from the dead in this way, you must believe that he died to atone for our sins.
4 For Christ is the fulfillment*n of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.If you believe this in your heart, I intend to show, it is impossible to remain unchanged. There are direct consequences of this faith, including: gratitude, a realization of God's love for us, a desire for submission of our will to God's, a desire to please God, and the strength to resist temptation and to follow God's commandments. Let's make each of these points individually before continuing:
gratitude
1 Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;
2 through whom we also have our access by faith into this grace in which we stand. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
realization that God loves us
8 But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we will be saved from God’s wrath through him
we will always be better off when His will is done, not ours, tied to a desired submission of our will (v. 10-11)
Phillipians 2:
5 Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross.
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name;
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Heb 5:
8 though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered.
a desire to please God. This isn't really said clearly because it is so elementary, following from the above. If you accept God's omniscience and that He loves you and wants what is best for you, then you clearly want His will to be done, rather than your own, far-less-than-omniscient will. We can see this sentiment elsewhere in Paul's letters:
2Tim 2:3-4
3 You therefore must endure hardship, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
4 No soldier on duty entangles himself in the affairs of life, that he may please him who enrolled him as a soldier.
Heb 13:
18 Pray for us, for we are persuaded that we have a good conscience, desiring to live honorably in all things.
19 I strongly urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you sooner.
20 Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, our Lord Jesus,
21 make you complete in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
strength to resist temptation and follow God's commandments:
1Cor 10:13
13 No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
James' Definition of "Works"
We can see generally throughout the book of James that when he refers to "works", he is referring to actions taken in response to a prompting by the Holy Spirit. He isn't talking about a checklist. Over and over he explains that if you are following the Spirit, then you know that you are in communion with the Spirit, and will therefore be receiving faith from Him. This is how you know that you faith is "real" (aka faith in Paul's sense). Being in communion with the Spirit in order to receive His gifts is what James means above when he says "receiving with humility the implanted word". See Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown's Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) (note KJV translation="engrafted word", WEB translation="implanted word"):
engrafted word—the Gospel word, whose proper attribute is to be engrafted by the Holy Spirit, so as to be livingly incorporated with the believer, as the fruitful shoot is with the wild natural stock on which it is engrafted. The law came to man only from without, and admonished him of his duty. The Gospel is engrafted inwardly, and so fulfils the ultimate design of the law ( De 6:6; 11:18; Ps 119:11 ). ALFORD translates, "The implanted word," referring to the parable of the sower ( Mt 13:1-23 ). I prefer English Version.Repeatedly, James says that if you act in a manner which doesn't even try to do those things that you know are right, then you are fooling yourself. Note how many of his examples of "lacking works" are clearly not about someone who tries to please God but fails, but are rather about those who aren't trying.
Isn't this just the flip side of the coin that we are all saved by faith (in Paul's sense)? Paul rests our entire salvation on our faith (in his own sense of the word). He explains that faith is a gift from the Holy Spirit, not something that we can simply "do". In other words, Paul is explaining that our salvation is, simply put, obtained when we receive God's gifts. James, simply put, says the same thing: if we see that we are receiving the Spirit's gifts, then we know that we are saved.
Paul's Definition of "Works"
So why does Paul seem so down on works if they are an indication of your communion with the Holy Spirit? Going back to the quote at the beginning of this study from Romans, note that Paul is not speaking of "works" in general, but rather "works of the law". This is a big distinction. For an example of those who choose a "work of the law" over a "work that pleases God", we only need to look as far as the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37). The work of the law is the ritual cleanliness which the priest and the levite chose. The work that pleased God was, clearly, the actions of the Samaritan, an action inspired by the Spirit against all worldly wisdom. When discussing faith and works, we must be very careful to remember this distinction. I fear that we, that is Christians, may be a bit sloppy in our choice of words. Sometimes we intend only one type of work and not the other, yet we generically use the term "works".
A Difference in Focus: Causality versus indication to self ... what is the Court of Trial?
Conclusion
Paul is teaching the great philosophers of the ancient world. His focus, especially in his letter to the Romans, is to explain details and causality. James, on the other hand, is writing a pastoral letter, focused on assisting with the struggles of everyday life.
You see, James is teaching men how to evaluate themselves, how to ensure that they are not deluding themselves. It is very easy for a man to say "I believe", but it is impossible for a person to truly have faith of their own doing. This is basically a difference in who is doing the evaluation. Paul discusses how one may be found righteous before the Almighty God. James discusses righteousness as seen by fallible humans, especially the self (see 1:26).James 1:
21 Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls*n .
22 But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves.
26 If anyone among you thinks himself to be religious while he doesn’t bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is worthless.
27 Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
James correctly points out the human tendency to justify themselves (rather than to be justified by God). One of the forms that this tendency can take is to claim to have saving faith (faith in Paul's sense) without actually having that faith. I fear that there have been many in history; many today; who say "I have faith", but do not.
Paul and James are really discussing faith and works in two very different ways, and some confusion can result from overlapping terms with different meanings. In particular, two major differences are seen:
- James defines faith as the simple knowledge that God is God alone. Paul uses faith to mean something much, much larger. Faith, as James defines it, cannot lay hold to God's promises. Faith, as Paul defines it, does. When we discuss faith, we should be careful to explain what we mean by that word. This difference can be critical. I have known a number of Roman Catholics who casually use James' definition of faith and therefore take issue with those who claim that salvation is given by grace through faith alone. Protestants generally use Paul's definition of faith, sometimes trying to make the distinction by clarifying "justifying faith".
- The court of trial differs between James and Paul. Paul discusses justification before God. James discusses how *we* see salvation. (Note the phrase "You see" in James 2:24: You see then that by works, a man is justified, and not only by faith.) He is discussing how to evaluate whether saving faith is kindled in you or not. He never discusses how God does His evaluation.
The early reformers addressed this topic in great detail. A very nice explanation is found in the Apology to the Augsburg Confession, "What is Justifying Faith?"
48 The adversaries feign that faith is only a knowledge of the history, and therefore teach that it can coexist with mortal sin. Hence they say nothing concerning faith, by which Paul so frequently says that men are justified, because those who are accounted righteous before God do not live in mortal sin. But that faith which justifies is not merely a knowledge of history, [not merely this, that I know the stories of Christ's birth, suffering, etc. (that even the devils know,)] but it is to assent to the promise of God, in which, for Christ's sake, the remission of sins and justification are freely offered. [It is the certainty or the certain trust in the heart, when, with my whole heart, I regard the promises of God as certain and true, through which there are offered me, without my merit, the forgiveness of sins, grace, and all salvation, through Christ the Mediator.] And that no one may suppose that it is mere knowledge, we will add further: it is to wish and to receive the offered promise of the remission of sins and of justification. [Faith is that my whole heart takes to itself this treasure. It is not my doing, not my presenting or giving, not my work or preparation, but that a heart comforts itself, and is perfectly confident with respect to this, namely, that God makes a present and gift to us, and not we to Him, that He sheds upon us every treasure of grace in Christ.]49 And the difference between this faith and the righteousness of the Law can be easily discerned. Faith is the latreiva [divine service], which receives the benefits offered by God; the righteousness of the Law is the latreiva [divine service] which offers to God our merits. By faith God wishes to be worshiped in this way, that we receive from Him those things which He promises and offers.
50 Now, that faith signifies, not only a knowledge of the history, but such faith as assents to the promise, Paul plainly testifies when he says, Rom. 4, 16: Therefore it is of faith, to the end the promise might be sure. For he judges that the promise cannot be received unless by faith. Wherefore he puts them together as things that belong to one another, and connects promise and faith. [There Paul fastens and binds together these two, thus: Wherever there is a promise faith is required, and conversely, wherever faith is required, there must be a promise.] 51 Although it will be easy to decide what faith is if we consider the Creed, where this article certainly stands: The forgiveness of sins. Therefore it is not enough to believe that Christ was born, suffered, was raised again, unless we add also this article, which is the purpose of the history: The forgiveness of sins. To this article the rest must be referred, namely, that for Christ's sake, and not for the sake of our merits, 52 forgiveness of sins is given us. For what need was there that Christ was given for our sins if for our sins our merits can make satisfaction?
53 As often, therefore, as we speak of justifying faith, we must keep in mind that these three objects concur: the promise, and that, too, gratuitous, and the merits of Christ, as the price and propitiation. The promise is received by faith; the "gratuitous" excludes our merits, and signifies that the benefit is offered only through mercy; the merits of Christ are the price, because there must be a certain propitiation for our sins. 54 Scripture frequently implores mercy; and the holy Fathers often say that we 55 are saved by mercy. As often, therefore, as mention is made of mercy, we must keep in mind that faith is there required, which receives the promise of mercy. And, again, as often as we speak of faith, we wish an object to be understood, namely, the promised mercy. 56 For faith justifies and saves, not on the ground that it is a work in itself worthy, but only because it receives the promised mercy.
57 And throughout the prophets and the psalms this worship, this latreiva, is highly praised, although the Law does not teach the gratuitous remission of sins. But the Fathers knew the promise concerning Christ, that God for Christ's sake wished to remit sins. Therefore, since they understood that Christ would be the price for our sins, they knew that our works are not a price for so great a matter [could not pay so great a debt]. Accordingly, they received gratuitous mercy and remission of sins by faith, just as the saints in the New Testament. 58 Here belong those frequent repetitions concerning mercy and faith, in the psalms and the prophets, as this, Ps. 130, 3 sq.: If Thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? Here David confesses his sins, and does not recount his merits. He adds: But there is forgiveness with Thee. Here he comforts himself by his trust in God's mercy, and he cites the promise: My soul doth wait, and in His Word do I hope, i.e., because Thou hast promised the remission of sins, 59 I am sustained by this Thy promise. Therefore the fathers also were justified, not by the Law, but by the promise and faith. And it is amazing that the adversaries extenuate faith to such a degree, although they see that it is everywhere praised as an eminent service, as in Ps. 50, 15: Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee. 60 Thus God wishes Himself to be known, thus He wishes Himself to be worshiped, that from Him we receive benefits, and receive them, too, because of His mercy, and not because of our merits. This is the richest consolation in all afflictions [physical or spiritual, in life or in death, as all godly persons know]. And such consolations the adversaries abolish when they extenuate and disparage faith, and teach only that by means of works and merits men treat with God [that we treat with God, the great Majesty, by means of our miserable, beggarly works and merits].
Further Listening: An interview with Pr. Bryan Wolfmueller on Issues, Etc. (mp3)
Back to a Defense of Justification by Grace through Faith