From: wagner@spinoza.math.uh.edu (David Wagner)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Re: Sola Fide & James 2:24
Date: 16 Aug 92 04:47:34 GMT
Organization: UH Dept of Math

"Eric" == Eric James Ewanco <ewanco@kalvin.enet.dec.com> writes:


eje> - How do evangelical Protestants justify (unintentional pun)
eje> their "justification by faith alone" teaching when James directly
eje> and explicitly contradicts it?

eje> - How is it that even after 400 years, the word "alone" remains
eje> (in people's minds) right where Luther added it, ignoring the
eje> fact that Paul never said we were justified by faith alone, only
eje> that we were justified by faith?

I believe Luther inserted the word `allein' into Ephesians 2:8-9,
to read as follows auf Englisch:

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith `allein'--
and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works,
so that no one can boast."

I hope you can see that the change is simply one of additional 
emphasis.  The basic meaning of the passage is the same without
the word `allein'.

In addition, Romans 3:28 reads,

"For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing
the law."

Catholics and Mormons seem to read this passage very narrowly, as if
it is just talking about the ceremonial law, with particular reference
to circumcision.  But this view ignores the whole context of Paul's
letter to the Romans, which is well summarized by Romans 3:19-24:

"Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are 
under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world
held accountable to God.  Therefore no one will be declared righteous
[this is the definition of `justified'] in his sight by observing
the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

"But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made 
known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  This righteousness
from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the 
redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

Paul's main point is that no one, neither Jew nor Greek, has any 
righteousness before God.  So we all need `righteousness from God'.
God supplies this through Christ's work of redemption. On the basis
of Christ's work, all men are declared righteous.  "Consequently,
just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men,
so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification
that brings life for all men" (Romans 5:18).  In Lutheran theology
this is called `Objective justification'.  Yet, in order to receive
the benefit of this justification, each individual must receive it
by faith.  This is what we call `subjective justification'. But 
justification is still something that God does.  It is not the 
same as conversion--although that is the impression that I get
from some Catholics. 

Turning back to Ephesians 2:8,9, we see that Paul says that even
faith itself is not something we can take credit for, but it is
a gift of God.  The point is that all of the credit for our
salvation belongs to God.  There is nothing that we can boast
about.  So in a sense `Works righteousness' is taking credit
for some aspect of our salvation.  Sometimes this takes place
among `evangelicals' who say that they `made a decision' to
believe in Christ on a certain date.  I presume most people who
say this do not think in terms of taking credit for their conversion,
but it can come across that way.

eje> - How can an evangelical in conscience rally around a slogan that
eje> is patently contrary to Scripture?

Eric> For the sake of order, I ask that we keep replies very closely
Eric> to the issue of reconciling James 2:24 with Sola Fide, not with
Eric> attacking any other church's position (especially when
Eric> understanding may be vague), not with discussing faith vs. works
Eric> in general. 

I hope I have adequately explained why Paul's writing in Romans and
Ephesians supports the `slogan' of Sola Fide (The entire slogan is,
`Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Sola Scriptura', or some permutation
thereof). So then, what about James?   James, particularly in 2:14-26,
speaks to lazy Christians, encouraging them in works and
sanctification.  He writes,

"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has
no deeds?  Can such a faith save him?...In the same way, faith by
itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead....Show me your
faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
You believe that there is one God.  Good!  Even the demons believe
that--and shudder."

There are several things to be learned from this.  One is that the
faith through which we are saved, is not just knowledge such as the
demons have.  Faith is a loving relationship with God, which trusts
him and does not rebel against him.  The proverb states, "Trust
in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own
understanding."  That is a good description of faith.

Secondly, James is talking about how we recognize faith. We recognize
faith by means of a person's deeds.  As James points out, faith
is more than agreement with doctrinal principles.  It shows itself
through deeds.  Thus works are the evidence of faith.

James' discussion of Abraham is a bit more difficult, but I think
it is made more clear by the foregoing discussion.  It begins with
"You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is
useless?"  Again, this is principally a lecture against laziness.
"Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did
when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?  You see that his faith
and his actions were working together, and his faith was made 
complete by what he did.  And the scripture was fulfilled that says,
`Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness'
(Gen 15:6) and he was called God's friend."

This passage, Gen 15:6, occurs years before Isaac was even born.
Abraham was justified through faith, long before he offered his son
as a sacrifice.  But Abrahams action's, recorded in Scripture for us,
not for Abraham, show us that Abraham was indeed a man of faith--
though far from perfect.  And that is the sense in which `the 
scripture was fulfilled'.  So the conclusion, "You see that a 
person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone", is 
not talking about our justification before God, but about how 
we recognize faith in each other.  

In a sense, God doesn't need to examine our works
to judge us, because he knows our hearts, better than we do ourselves.
He knows whether we have faith or not.  Human beings do not have this
privilege.  We can only recognize faith on the basis of deeds,
including a confession/profession of Christian faith, and the living
of a life of sanctification.

I hope this answers your question.

David H. Wagner
a confessional Lutheran.	"All righteousness by works is vain,
				The Law brings condemnation;
				True righteousness by faith I gain,
				Christ's work is my salvation.
				His death, that perfect sacrifice,
				Has paid the all-sufficient price;
				In Him my hope is anchored."
			-"Wenn dein herzliebster Sohn, o Gott", v. 4
			-Johann Heemann, 1630

My opinions and beliefs on this matter are disclaimed by
The University of Houston