2:14 What [doth it] profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 2:15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 2:16 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? 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 2:22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 2:23 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. 2:24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
James 2:14-24 KJV
I came across this issue recently. This passage can be easily interpretted to endorse works based salvation.
The problem is if that were true then salvation is based on works and no one is perfect enough to make it to heaven. Even greater problem would be the fact that James would be contradicting the apostle Paul makine the scriptures the works of man and not God. However I know in my heart that this is not the case.
Many times when we practice our faith or are reading the Bible we see roadblocks too our faith. These "problem passages" can give a sinner the excuse of denying God and leaving the faith.
Why would an all powerful God allow this room for confusion?
Alan Dershewitz a Jewish atheist intellectual was claimed if he were confronted by God, why did God not allow him evidence?
As a defender of the Bible I have read an interesting answer by KJV defender and scholar Ed Hills.
God in his providence leaves somethings around but hidden so that the believer will search for him will the unbeliever will shown fo his lack of faith. If you love God you must search for him. He is there, but he wants a relationship.
So what about this passage?
first the context.
1. James may have been the earliest written epistle. Well before Paul's Epistles.
2. Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles, He would begin a period of the NewCovenant we call the age of GRace. Before this Between John the Baptist and him we had a short period of time called the Gospel of the Kingdom. The Apostles were Apostles of the Jews trying to reconcile the nation of Israel to Christianity. When Israel rejected the gospel, paul was commissioned to bring the gospel to the Gentiles and allow them to posess the spiritual benefits. We call this the age or reign of grace.
3, here James is speaking to Jewish Christians.
1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
James 1:1 KJV
4. His focus is upon the gospel of christ as it relates to proper religion
1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion [is] vain. 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep himself unspotted from the world. 2:1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [the Lord] of glory, with respect of persons.
James 1:26-2:1 KJV
5. When it is discussing faith in this epistle,(2:1) the emphasis is upon faith for religion, not faith for salvation.
6. Paul would write later in the book of romans discussing the faith of Christ which is his perfect religion which helps him acquire the righteousness of God.
3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 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: 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 3:25 Whom God hath set forth [to be] a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 3:26 To declare, [I say], at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 3:27 Where [is] boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
Romans 3:21-27 KJV
4:18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 4:19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: 4:20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 4:21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 4:22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. 4:23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 4:24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 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.
Romans 4:18-5:2 KJV
So Paul will later show us the difference of the faithfulness of Christ and our faith to recieve Christ for Justification.
7. So James is writing his epistle without Paul in mind.
8. He is speaking to Jewish christians who obvious have an idea of salvation in Christ yet are interpretting salvation as religion. They are assuming because christ was righteous I have no need to be righteous.
9. James is explaining to them that Faith makes us become righteous and so he is discussing to faiths for Christian religion.
on point nine James is referring to religion and delineates between two faiths
2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
James 2:18 KJV
10. So Faith alone is correct for salvation. But faith alone is heretical for religion
So then the question is what is right for perfect religion?
It is good works that perfects religious faith.
2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 2:22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
James 2:20-22 KJV
Here we see James argueing that in terms of religion you can not have just religious faith but also religious action and try to make a difference in our society.
Look back on james discussing faith and works, it is obvious that he is concern about the community and not the soul.
2:15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 2:16 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? 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
James 2:15-17 KJV
James is attacking those Christians who preach a good game but do not back up there preaching with action.
11. Final james mentions abraham being justified by faith before works
Finally James brings up the imputation passage.
2:23 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.
James 2:23 KJV
Years before Abraham had faith in God. God counted Abraham as righteous. the works Abraham would do years later authenticate that faith. However before he did any works Abraham had already Justified by faith alone.
So here James admits Justification by grace through faith alone. However saving faith is the faith at will bring for the fruits of right religion. But good religion unlike salvation can not be justified by faith alone.
2:24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
James 2:24 KJV
But once again do not be confuse this is not justification as the declaration of God but this is justification to show righteous. For example
16:15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
Luke 16:15 KJV
So I think James would agree that we should first be justified by God by grace through faith. Then we should make our faith justified by good deeds making a good witness.
In Christ,
Matt
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
I accidently included my password in the post. I trust you will remove it.
Dear deeper truth,
Your ignorance comes in at the start.
Salvation is not the work of man but the work of God by Jesus Christ.
you must no the Bible specifically says that salvation not of works (romans 9:11-16, Ephesians 2:8-9 Titus 3:5)
While there are independant works judgements(the heavenly judgement of over the rewards of crowns. And the earthly judgement separating the sheep from the goats)
My punishment was already paid by Jesus Christ.
If you want to be judged by your works, by all means at the end of it you will be shown to be a vile heretic on top of countless other sins. At the end of time, You will be resurrected just to be cast in a literal eternally burning lake of fire.
The New testament gospel teaches that Jesus died for our sins. Any other gospel will damn us to hell.
(galatians 1:6-10)
My freind turn, or burn.
In respect to deeper truth's privacy here is his comment minus code.
DEEPER TRUTH said...
This kind of pathetic exegisis will not help your salvation. The New Testament is excruciatingly clear that man will be judged by his works, inspired by, or in rejection of, faith.
For you to try and spin James into not saying what he clearly does say is a grave perversion of the sacred scriptures.
Paul said the same;
Romans 2
5But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6God "will give to each person according to what he has done."[a] 7To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.
That this is a painful truth for you, I concede. However, would you rather know the true path to salvation or hold to a protestant invention scarcely 500 years old?
February 10, 2009 10:40 AM
DEEPER TRUTH,
You need to also recognize that you are incorrect in your historical slam. The Lumbees of IReland and the Swiss Wladensees had been preaching salvation not of works more than a thousand years before any mention was made of the reformation. The gospels have declared this truth from the start though.
Dear Matt,
Unfortunatly, it is YOUR ignorance (in the objective sense, not in the pejorative) that is being made manifestly clear here.
Paul does indeed teach that Salvation is not OF works (and no Catholic would dispute that).
Salvation is OF faith in Christ. It is THROUGH works. This is what James CLEARLY shows.
and Paul as well. The citation from Paul's epistle to the Romans (which you convienently avoided) states quite clearly that we will be judged by our actions. Likewise, virtually every chapter of every New Testament book.
Your emotional outbursts notwithstanding, each and every Catholic does accept Christ as Savior but we accept Him (as He COMMANDED) to be Lord as well.
Lordship means obedience and obedience is the PROOF of Faith...
just as James prescribes...
18But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
Paul teaches likewise. When you fundamentalists make the "no reason for boasting" argument, you miss the entire point. What reason is there for boasting when you are only doing what is REQUIRED?
Your faith without works nonsense is a Protestant invention. For, if one believes Paul's admonition, that we can do all through Christ,
then to not do so, unrepentant and unpunished, nullifies the words of the scriptures and the justice of God.
Be not deceived. God is not mocked. Man will reap only that which he sows Galatians 6
Another thing my brother,
Whilst you spew your hatred and rail about ignorance, let's take a look at the ignorance laid bare by your spurious and irrational claims.
You claim that the Pope is the anti-Christ.
This claim undercuts any credibility you may have had because your CLEAR and UNDENIABLE ignorance of scripture is made manifest.
First....
Anti-Christ was someone living at the time of the Apostles.
1 John 4:3
He denies that Jesus came in the flesh 1 John 1:7
He denies that Jesus is from God and is the Christ 1 John 2:22, 4:3
He is revealed by Paul's death
1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
His name is Gematria for 666
Revalation 13:8
Of course, NONE of these criteria apply to any of the 237 Popes (even to the 5 or 6 bad ones). The anti-Christ was Nero... but you go ahead and keep calling God's house a house of satan...exactly as Jesus said you would. Matthew 10:25
As you continue to brawl against the Holy Catholic Church- Divinely ordained by the Father, built by the Son, preserved by the Holy Spirit, you are only storing up wrath for yourself.
For despite your caustic and ill informed rhetoric, YOUR Bible says that the children of Mary are the TRUE believers and keepers of the TRUE testimony of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 12:17
That these truths hurt you, I am sorry...but your soul is in peril if, having the opportunity to know the truth, you reject it.
There is only 1 FULLY TRUE, COMPLETE and INFALLIBLE Church.
It is the Roman Catholic Church. All other creeds fall short of her completeness. Those are the facts and they are indisputable.
"Paul does indeed teach that Salvation is not OF works (and no Catholic would dispute that)."
Actually salvation is of works. it is the works of Christ. It is not recieved by our works but instead by grace/free gift of God through faith. It is not recieved by works lest any man should boast.
"Salvation is OF faith in Christ. It is THROUGH works. This is what James CLEARLY shows."
This is ignorance due to a faulty bible translation. Salvation is of the the faith "OF" Christ.(his faithfulness) (Rom. 3:22KJV)
as mentioned in the article James is writing to the new Messianic Jews in teaching the religion of the Messiah. It would only be later that Paul woul recieve the New revelation as the Apostle to the gentiles of salvation by grace.
You must also remember that Romans two is followed up by Romans 3:10-19
3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 3:12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 3:13 Their throat [is] an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps [is] under their lips: 3:14 Whose mouth [is] full of cursing and bitterness: 3:15 Their feet [are] swift to shed blood: 3:16 Destruction and misery [are] in their ways: 3:17 And the way of peace have they not known: 3:18 There is no fear of God before their eyes. 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."
"What reason is there for boasting when you are only doing what is REQUIRED?"
It is boasting because you are not doing what is required. You have made the illusion of reighteousness through lies and hypocrisy.
1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:7-9
"Your faith without works nonsense is a Protestant invention. For, if one believes Paul's admonition, that we can do all through Christ,
then to not do so, unrepentant and unpunished, nullifies the words of the scriptures and the justice of God."
You call it an invention because no other religion could invent it.
Neither could the protestants. it is the word of God.
"9:14 What shall we say then? [Is there] unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 9:15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 9:16 So then [it is] not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. 9:17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 9:18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will [have mercy], and whom he will he hardeneth. 9:19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? 9:20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed [it], Why hast thou made me thus? 9:21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? 9:22 [What] if God, willing to shew [his] wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 9:23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,"
Romans 9:14-23
Now this comment on the pope, goes beyond the topic of this Post.
My views on Salvation are not directly linked to my views on the Pope. Which is an interpretation of prophecy, I have recently acquired.
I will discuss this in a future article. You may think it is hateful of me to believe this interpretation of Bible prophecy.
But honestly,
before this I never had personal beef with Roman Catholicism. I just realized this to be the teaching of scripture and found it to connect world history in a brillian revelationary way.
You have a warp understanding of reality. Much like the Islamic fascist. you judge every thing in the world through a world view that claims the perfection of your cult and evil of the rest of the world.
I claim everyone including myself as evil. Only boasting in Christ. You can harass me and taunt me all you want me all yopu want. But at the end of the day you are condemning yourself with your own hatred.
Post a Comment