Does James Contradict Paul?
The quotes from James
and Paul will seem to some to be an argument, but it is not. Both sides of the
coin of truth are true. Antinomians need James and those going about to
establish their own righteousness need Paul. To take only one and not the other
is dualism.
James:…
faith apart from works is useless (James 2:20)
Paul: God imputes righteousness apart
from works (Rom 4:6)
James:
Was not Abraham our father justified by works? (James 2:21)
Paul: For if Abraham was justified by
works, he has something to boast about (Rom 4:2)
James:
a person is justified by works and not
by faith alone (James 2:24)
Paul: a man is justified by faith apart
from the deeds of the law. (Rom 3:28)
And the dead were judged according
to their works (Rev 20:12) [Not according
to their faith. We are saved by faith but faith is not alone. The proof of
faith on judgment day is works.]
Disobedience Equals Unbelief
And to whom did He swear that they
would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. (Heb 3:18)
[We are slaves to what we believe in the heart.]
Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?
(Luke 6:46
ESV)
And then I will declare to them, ‘I
never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Mt 7:23)
One can
obey “outwardly” without faith, but cannot obey inwardly. “No one who abides in
him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known
him” (1 John 3:6 ESV).
