Of Paul and James on Faith and Works

James must have meant that faith alone justifies, but not faith, which is alone. There is no contradiction between Paul and Peter. The two writers are discussing totally different subjects. Paul is justifying the reception of the Gentiles into the church without circumcision whereas James is discussing the problem of the failure of works of charity within the church. Paul’s implication is that the performing works of the laws of Moses without embracing the gospel truth cannot earn man righteousness. Justification is by faith only and genuine faith in God alone makes one acceptable. On the contrary, James writes of justification by works before other human beings, who need outward evidence because they cannot see into the heart. He is not contradicting Paul, who writes of justification by faith before God, Who does not need outward evidence because he can see into the heart.James was not arguing for two salvation requirements: faith plus works, neither was he contradicting Paul as though Paul taught salvation by faith, and James taught salvation by works. What James was contrasting was true faith, which inevitably produces action because it is alive, versus a mere claim to faith, which is profession only and has no life-changing power as such claim is spiritually dead, it is powerless to produce any works. It is not a faith that entrusts the soul to God’s provision of grace in Christ. Such a faith is not only outwardly unproductive but is also inwardly dead. It is not a matter of adding works to such a faith. It is rather the wrong kind of faith. A faith that has no accompanying works is dead as measured by its own barrenness. Thus, it is shown to be lifeless. True faith will be energetic in displaying itself by its fruits, but a merely claimed faith without any observable effect is dead. It is instructive here to consider Lk.23: 43.The penitent thief had no time left for works; and faith had no time in which to die. James would not have dissented from this. He sees faith as having had time for expression in works but the opportunity was not taken. Faith worked along with works (and not vice versa). The works were not secular morality but deeds of faith; as a result of works, faith is shown really to exist (vs.18), to be living or dead (vs.17) and fruitful (vs.20), i.e. completed, perfected, mature. True faith thus combines beliefs (of doctrine), trust (in Christ), and moral action (works of love). Surprisingly as it may seem, Pauline justification is abstract. The doctrine has been sharpened, emphasized and isolated in thought as a result of the conflict of faith and works. But justification itself is abstract in the sense that though we may consider it by itself as a doctrine, the experience does not occur by itself. There is no case of pure justification. No man ever existed who was justified without something else happening at the same time. At the moment of justification he is born again, receives a new nature and is incorporated in Christ. So far James would not be unsympathetic. But now a new factor enters: the time element. At least some period must elapse, however small, between first faith and good works. Paul’s point is that god accepts a man as soon as he believes. James is considering a man who believes but who has neglected every opportunity for good works from the time of his “first faith”. James looks for fruits and finds only leaves. Paul understands this (cf. Gal. 5: 6) but at the moment of conversion, faith for him is everything; and James says that the word must be received (Jas. 1: 21). During the subsequent Christian life the believer must avoid sin, which is not merely the negative sins of commission; he should obey God (cf. Rom. 6: -4, 13, Eph. 2: 8-10). This Pauline emphasis on good works is reflected in the view of James that faith without works is worthless (2: 14); it is not faith at all, certainly not Christian faith. These two positions are not inconsistent. Paul thinks especially of the beginning of Christian life; James thinks of its continuance. At the beginning all that is needed is faith; if faith is genuine works will follow. Rather than proclaiming a doctrine of faith plus works, James was arguing for a different kind of faith, a faith that is fully alive and shows its vitality by the things it does. It is faith that saves, whether it is the initial trust in God by the sinner or the more fully developed faith of the mature believer. The important feature is that it be genuine trust, not just mental assent. Abraham’s faith brought God’s promise of justification long before he offered Isaac, but it came into full flower when he demonstrated his vitality during trial. He thus sees in all this the fulfillment of Gn.15: 6. Abraham really believed. It was a work of faith. Thus, a man is justified by faith, and justified by works. The faith must be living and the works inspired by faith. They are distinguished in thoughts and must be united in fact. James, therefore, was not discounting faith but was proclaiming the fact that true faith is active, while mere profession has no life whatever.