Faith and Works

The familiar debate surrounding faith and works as expounded upon in the writings of Paul and James excellently demonstrates the importance of worldviews and, specifically, of presuppositions.

At first glance, it appears that Paul’s doctrine of justification by faith alone cannot be reconciled with James’s teaching on the necessity of works. If one presupposes that the Bible is errant and contains mistakes, the easiest conclusion is that one of the teachings is true and the other false. This forces an either-or dilemma, which inevitably reduces Scripture and overlooks a key soteriological truth.

But if another presupposes that Scripture is inerrant, or completely free from error as the inspired Word of God, he cannot accept the possibility of a contradiction but must seek to resolve the purported opposition. By submitting to the authority of Scripture and assuming that any error is in his own understanding, he will, in fact, see that the two teachings are complementary and paint a clear picture of biblical salvation.

An understanding of each author’s wider theological ideology and the context in which he was writing will amply prove that their teachings do not contradict each other. In fact, it will reveal a truly harmonious relationship, which offers a lesson far greater than what either author offers independently.

Paul

Paul’s theology is at the heart of the New Testament, and readers can glean much of what Paul believes from his many epistles. A crucial aspect of Paul’s teaching is his emphasis on man’s spiritual bankruptcy, his inability to choose God. In his letter to the Romans, Paul writes,

For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith” (Romans 3:22-25 ESV).

Here, after declaring the universal need for a savior, Paul points to Christ for salvation. He writes that Christ’s blood satisfies the just wrath of God, that Jesus redeems men from slavery to sin. And, he describes this salvation as a gift of grace, neither earned nor a reason to boast. Thus, at the core, Paul teaches that all men fall short of God’s law and can only be saved by Christ’s gift of salvation.

Further, in Romans 4, Paul writes more deeply of the salvation “received by faith.” He clarifies that

1. "Faith is counted as righteousness. . . apart from works” (Romans 5-6 ESV, italics added).
2. "A person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ” (Galatians 2:16 ESV).
3. "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8 ESV).

Hence, Paul clearly states that man is saved, or “justified,” by faith alone. He does not leave room for interpretation but definitively writes that salvation cannot be earned through works of the law and must be received as the gift of grace through faith.

James

Analyzing James’s theology is far different than analyzing Paul’s, however, because he wrote much less — compared to Paul’s thirteen books, James wrote only one book of five chapters. When seeking to know what James believes, the context provides essential background. James was writing during the Dispersion, when Jewish believers were scattered throughout the Roman Empire. Because the Church was facing persecution, James focused primarily on practical guidance and encouragement. He wrote, not to discuss what he believed, but to provide pragmatic instruction for Jesus-centered living in the face of trials.

James certainly appears to contradict Paul when he writes,

1. "Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17 ESV); “faith apart from works is useless” (James 2:20 ESV).
2. "A person is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:26 ESV).

Whereas Paul teaches “a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ” (Galatians. 2:16 ESV), James seems to believe quite the opposite.

No Contradiction

However, in actuality, James does not disagree with Paul but simply writes for a different reason. Remember that Paul taught that man is born spiritually dead. According to Paul, man cannot follow the law and meet God’s standards; he will never even desire to. Thus, Paul focuses on the necessity of faith to highlight the futility of trying to earn salvation. He will not tolerate arrogant humans thinking they deserve the gift they have received.

James, on the other hand, in what little he writes, addresses practical Christian living. He focuses on the importance of works because he does not want to see complacency. He knows selfish, lazy men will abuse the truth of justificatio sola fide (“justification by faith alone”). He is warning against an empty, false, or “dead” faith. James recognizes that works will always accompany true, saving faith. He knows that saving faith cannot exist without manifesting itself through godly living and good works.

Undoubtedly, Paul and James believe in the same salvation, but they teach about faith and works with different motives. Consequently, they address two distinct aspects of justification. Paul addresses the supreme importance of faith and the abject insufficiency of working to meet God’s glorious standard, and James identifies the impossibility of a faith that does not lead to works.

Conclusion

Again, if one holds the presupposition that the Bible contains mistakes and consequently assumes Paul contradicts James, he faces a dilemma and must accept one teaching and deny the other. If he affirms Paul’s truth, he will know that he can receive salvation by faith alone. Yet he will miss a defining mark of saving faith– the expression of faith through works. And if he rejects Paul’s teaching and accepts James’s, he will understand the value of works. But he will neglect man’s inability to earn salvation by works and may fall into a form of legalism.

However, if he presupposes that the Bible is free from error, he will seek to reconcile Paul’s truth with James’s. He will read Paul’s letters and humbly recognize his insufficiency. He will accept the gracious and merciful salvation of God by faith in the Cross. He will also read James and understand the nature of the faith he holds. He will live out that faith in godly living full of good works.

Therefore, the soteriological doctrines of Paul and James do not conflict; they are merely two sides of the same coin. Paul emphasizes man’s spiritual bankruptcy by declaring the supreme value of faith and the failure of works to achieve salvation. At the same time, James encourages perseverance and action amidst persecution by underscoring the inevitability of works in the presence of true faith. So, the Bible does not present an either-or choice here, but rather reveals the whole picture of biblical salvation through the pens of two different inspired authors. When one neglects either author, he falls off the narrow path into a “dead” faith or into futile legalism. But when both teachings are accepted and understood, salvation becomes clear to anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear.