From: eje@irenaeus.dec.com (Eric James Ewanco)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Re: Sola Fide & James 2:24
Date: 17 Aug 92 07:03:28 GMT
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation, LENaC

In article <Aug.16.00.47.32.1992.23770@athos.rutgers.edu>
wagner@spinoza.math.uh.edu (David Wagner) writes:

> 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'.

Well, I do think that adding _anything_ to the Scriptures, for any reason
whatsoever, no matter for what intention, is not a good idea ...

> In addition, Romans 3:28 reads,

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

Right.  We fully agree with this.  The question is, is faith in every case
sufficient.   We cannot be justified by works, Law, deeds of charity, nothing. 

> 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:
...  
> 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.

Surely we agree that no one is justified by observing the Law of Moses.  But
keep in mind that Paul is talking about the Jewish law (though, of course, we
are not justified by any works at all by themselves, but only through faith.)

> "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."

Correct -- we are "said to be justified gratuitously (i.e., by grace), because
none of those things which precede justification, whether faith or works, merit
the grace itself of justification, for `if it is a grace, it is not now by
reason of works, otherwise (as the same Apostle says) grace would no longer by
grace'" (Council of Trent, Decreeon Justification, Chap 8).  And, "We are
therefore said to be justified by faith, because `faith is the beginning of
human salvation,' the foundation and root of all justifiecation; `without which
it is impossible to please God" (Heb 11:6) and to enter the fellowship of his
sons." (Ibid).

> Paul's main point is that no one, neither Jew nor Greek, has any 
> righteousness before God.  So we all need `righteousness from God'.

No disagreement here... 

> 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.

Yes, justification is done by God alone. I am not sure what you mean by the
last sentence, though -- how does Luther's "subjective justification" relate to
conversion? Pre-conversion? 

> 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.

Absolutely. Catholic Christianity teaches that faith comes from grace alone,
and the grace comes freely and is not based on anything we do. Read St.
Augustine. 

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

> 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.

I do not believe that works and faith can be separated -- this is what I think
James was saying.  To speak of faith apart from works is useless, because such
a faith cannot save because it isn't "real" faith.  In a sense, yes, works are
evidence of faith -- fruits of faith -- but Jesus says that anyone without such
fruits will be cut off from the vine and cast into the fire of Hell. Work of
Christian charity -- again, not works of the Law Paul condemned -- complete
faith.  If we lack either one, we do not have saving faith.

> 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.

James goes on to say that faith without deeds is dead -- not the language of
someone speaking of how we recognize faith in each other. I must confess I
disagree with your interpretation of James' meaning of "justification."  IMO
the phrases "faith completed by what he did", "faith without deeds is dead",
"faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead", "faith without
deeds is useless" demonstrate that the subject at hand affects one's salvation.
James is admonishing his readers harshly, not giving them instructions on how
they may identify "real Christians".

> I hope this answers your question.

Well, it gives me another viewpoint.

> David H. Wagner
> a confessional Lutheran.

It's good to see a Lutheran who is well familiar with the Lutheran writings.

Eric
--
/=============================================================================\
| Eric Ewanco - Software Engineer     For the rash and outrageous opinions ex-|
| Digital Equipment Corp, Maynard MA  pressed herein I alone am responsible;  |
| ewanco@kalvin.enet.dec.com          they do not belong to DIGITAL(TM).      |
\==============================- 2 Th 2:15 -==================================/

[I'm sure Luther didn't think of his translation as adding to God's
word.  Sometimes to make clear the implications of something you read
in one language, you end up putting things in a translation that don't
correspond to any words in the original.  It's useful to know that
Luther's goal in his translation was what we would now call "dynamic
equivalence": Jesus and Paul should sound he had spoken or written
originally in German.  --clh]