“Faith Apart from Works Is Dead” -- James 2:14-26 (Part One)
“Faith Apart from Works Is Dead” — James 2:14-26 (Part One)
From a sermon series on the Book of James, preached at Christ Reformed Church in 2007 and edited for the Riddleblog
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It would be hard to find a passage of Scripture which is more controversial than James 2:14-26.
The reason for the controversy is James’ assertion in verse 24 of chapter two of his epistle that “a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” On its face, this seems to fly in the face of a number of passages in Paul’s letters where the apostle appears to be saying the exact opposite thing. Take, for example, Galatians 2:16. “Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” Are James and Paul on the same page? Yes, they are as I intend to demonstrate.
Those who believe that the justification of sinners is a process which is not complete until death (Rome), view James’ assertion here as a classic proof-text which supports this view. But those who see justification as an instantaneous declaration made about the sinner because the merits of Christ are imputed to them through the means of faith, seem to stumble all over James’ declaration that works are somehow tied to justification, and that we are not justified by faith alone. But as we will see, James and Paul do not contradict each other. In fact, when James’ assertion is put in its proper context, there is nothing whatsoever in James 2 which conflicts with the doctrine of justification sola fide.
This section of James is somewhat of a sore spot to confessional Protestants who champion Paul’s doctrine of justification. One reason for this is because when addressing justification, the Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent (sixth session, Canon X)–Rome’s official response to the Protestant Reformation–teach that justification is a day to day process, depending upon how effectively people submit themselves to God’s grace, so that they increase their justification over time, and hopefully, attain final justification. James 2:24 is cited by the Council of Trent (sixth session, Chapter VII) as a proof-text supporting Rome’s view that justification is a process connected to the merit of our good works.
Granted, at first glance, James seems to be saying something quite different than Paul. And those who oppose the Reformation doctrine of justification often seize upon comments made by James in this chapter to prove that we are not justified by faith alone, but that we are justified by faith plus continual inward transformation, and the performance of good works which merit (earn) a reward from God.
Let me be clear here. Yes, James is saying something quite different than Paul is saying. But James is not contradicting Paul. The two apostles are addressing completely different issues. This is the critical point to keep in mind. I think a good case can be made that James wrote his epistle sometime in the mid 40's of the first century—perhaps the first New Testament epistle written. The date of the composition of this epistle, understanding the context in which it was written, and then keeping in mind the specific issue which James is addressing, is the key to understanding James’ teaching on justification. When these factors are in place, the supposed controversy between James and Paul, and the apparent contradiction between James 2:24 and passages like Galatians 2:16 and Romans 3:28, is easily resolved. In fact, there is no contradiction, since James is addressing a completely different matter than Paul is addressing.
There are three key points to consider. First, James writes this epistle several years before the controversy broke out in Asia Minor between Jewish and Gentile Christians over the role of the ceremonial law in the justification of sinners. According to Acts 15, when the Jerusalem Council convenes (about 49 A.D.), James, Peter, and Paul (along with all the elders of the church) were absolutely united in teaching that Gentiles are saved by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, just as Jews were saved. This means that elsewhere in the New Testament (outside the Epistle of James), we have iron-clad evidence that the church was of one mind on the doctrine of justification sola fide. Christ saves us by grace, through faith, from beginning to end. Jesus does not give us grace so that we can improve ourselves and thereby earn a right-standing before God as Rome teaches. Given the fact that the apostles were of one mind on this critical doctrine in Acts 15, and since we believe in the inspiration of Scripture, we cannot interpret James in such a way as to contradict Paul, or vice-versa.
A second fact to consider is James’ purpose in writing this letter. James is writing to Jewish Christians in Palestine and Syria who were enduring difficult times and facing great persecution. Paul’s letter to the Book of Galatians was likely written in A.D. 48, after the controversy over justification broke out in Asia Minor. James is writing to Jewish Christians with the intent of exhorting them to put their faith in Christ into practice. James is concerned that people in the churches to whom he was writing were professing to have faith in Christ but not acting in a way consistent with their profession. They were mistreating the poor and favoring the rich (among other things). James exhorts his audience not to be mere hearers of the word but to do the word (obey) once they’ve heard it. Therefore, it would only be natural for James to appeal to the account of Abraham, pointing out that the patriarch believed God, but that his faith in the promise was confirmed (justified) by the fact that he actually took Isaac up on the mountain to sacrifice him when God commanded him to. Abraham believed the promise, but confirmed his faith by works.
Paul, on the other hand, is writing to address a controversy which James and the other apostles would later address at the Jerusalem Council, where James stood up and declared “my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood” (Acts 15:19-20). Prior to the Jerusalem council’s decision, “certain men” claiming to be from James made their way into Galatia and were arguing that Gentiles needed to become practicing Jews when they came to faith in Christ. Directly contradicting James and the rest of the apostles (as borne out by the Jerusalem Council), these so-called “Judaizers” were insisting that Gentiles must keep the dietary laws, observe the feast days, and undergo circumcision in order to be justified.
James declares that as a result of “turning to God,” Gentiles ought to avoid doing those things which offended their Jewish brethren. Paul’s anger toward the Judaizer’s heresy prefigures his full agreement with James, Peter, and all the elders, that Gentiles are justified by grace through faith in Christ. Therefore, in his letter to the Galatians, Paul lets the Judaizers have it. He calls their teaching a false gospel, and anathematizes them because they are teaching something which the entire church will condemn and then demanded that they stop. In such a case, it is vital that Paul tell Gentiles in Galatia how they are justified before God–through the merits of Christ, received through faith alone apart from any works of law (circumcision, dietary laws, etc). With this teaching, James is fully in agreement. To ignore this fact and pit James against Paul is to do great violence to the word of God.
A third thing to consider is that James has already told us in this same chapter of his epistle (James 2:1), that he is writing to people who “hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.” James is writing to Christians–people who according to James 1:18, have already been brought forth by God through the word of truth (the gospel). These are people in whom the word has already been implanted (1:21), and people who receive that word humbly when it comes to them. These are people for whom the law is no longer a standard of judgment and condemnation, but is now a law of liberty, which those who are truly Christians obey because they trust in Christ who has fulfilled all of God’s commandments, and who died for all those times they transgressed the law of God. This is why James can demonstrate to us in verse 10 that the law renders all of us transgressors because we cannot keep it, and then turn right around and go on to speak of the law as a “law of liberty” because we have been shown mercy, and in turn, we must show that mercy to others. All of this related to James’ primary purpose in writing–we must not only hear the word of God, we must put it into practice and be “doers” of that word.
This means that before James even takes up the subject of justification, we must understand that he is addressing an entirely different issue than Paul is addressing. Paul is refuting false teachers who were adding works of law to faith as a condition of justification. James is writing before that controversy even broke out. He is exhorting Jewish Christians to obey the word which has brought them forth, which has been implanted in them, and which they receive with humility. There can be no doubt from the preceding verses that James assumes that those in his audience are already Christians. This means that James is writing to people who profess faith in Christ and who need to accompany that profession of faith with good works. James is speaking to those in the churches who have been showing favoritism to the rich, and discriminating against the poor, conduct inconsistent with their profession.
So, James is not addressing the same question Paul is–“how do Gentiles become Christians?” And “do they need to trust in Christ and then undergo circumcision in order to be justified?” Paul says good works have no place whatsoever when it comes to the ground of our justification (i.e., Galatians 2:16). No, says Paul, the only basis upon which we can be justified are the merits of Christ received through faith. James, on the other hand, is dealing with the question as to how can we tell if someone truly has faith. James’ readers must be aware that good works will accompany their profession of faith in Christ, if that profession is genuine. James is saying nothing more, but certainly, nothing less.
But in no sense whatsoever does James contradict Paul (or vice-versa). In fact, as is clear from Ephesians 2:8-10, Paul agrees with James. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Every point in Paul’s assertion is already found in the Book of James. Faith in Christ precedes good works. But faith in Christ, if it be genuine, will produce good works. Good works are not the ground of our justification before God. Rather good works are the fruit of a faith which has already justified the one now doing the good works. Get this one right and the New Testament will make perfect sense. Miss this one, and suddenly everything associated with the gospel becomes muddy.