- James and Paul have the same understanding of faith and works
- Salvation is always based on faith demonstrated by works
- Salvation can be by fulfillment through faith or by acceptance through faith
- James addresses the issue of faith requiring works to be present
- Paul addresses the issue of faith being more important than ritual
An easy way of clarifying the teaching is by redefining a few terms.
The first term we need to redefine is repentance.
Repentance is meta noia, change of mind, having a different outlook.
Conventional thinking finds nothing wrong in work. This is where i will lay out a basic rule:
Work is unrighteous mammon in the sense that at some stage in the process, one party will exploit, take advantage of, the other.
This is why God calls His followers out of Egypt: Abraham, Moses, Christ.
Hosea 11:1When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.
When the believer obeys, his sustenance depends on Godś provision, not his own efforts, he enters rest. In this way, no one is being exploited.
Moreover, since the believer is free from fear of hunger and even death, he is able to focus on being a blessing to the world.
To understand easily, see the process in the life of the heroes of faith:
Abraham was the son of Terah, a manufacturer of idols. Humans devote all their energy in providing for themselves. Sometimes they will even create a god, a patron of a desired objective, to ensure success in their strivings. Baal could help in gathering good harvest and other forms of wealth, Astarte in finding success in relationships. Abraham saw the exploitative nature of the world system, and left his fatherś house, when he heard Godś voice:
Hebrews 11:8-16
8By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; 10for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. 12Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants AS THE STARS OF HEAVEN IN NUMBER, AND INNUMERABLE AS THE SAND WHICH IS BY THE SEASHORE.
13All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.15And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.
The city Abraham was looking for was the new humanity, now found in Christ. In this humanity, we have rest from our labours. Now freed from striving for the necessities required for physical life, because along with the Kingdom of God, we also have all these necessities added on to us, we can be blessings to the world.
The next important substitute is instead of grace, let's use the word “leniency”. If you go to a dinner in jeans and a tshirt where the dress code is black tie, you can only enter if the host is gracious, lenient, and allows you in. Under grace, we can be accepted in Christ, because of the leniency bought for us by the Cross.
Replacing grace with leniency, ẃe see that salvation which we have is lenient one, entered by faith, loyalty, to Jesus. This salvation was technically only meant for Jews, but we are now included, not because Gentiles deserved it more than Jews, because of better behaviour, but because it is a gift. For that matter, even Israel was chosen because of grace, a gift, not worked for.
Ephesians 2:4-10 (addressed to Gentiles)
4But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
11Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— 12remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. 17ANDHE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; 18for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. 19So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, 20having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, 21in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, 22in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.
Notice, grace appears twice. Leniency in meeting the requirements to be blessings to the world, and leniency in being included in the group called the People of God.
8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Gentiles have been included by a lenient salvation through loyalty, and even this inclusion is a gift a result of grace, leniency.
Good time to see what the context is. There are two important contexts:
- Paul explaining to Gentiles why Israel is no longer the single component of the people of God
- James explaining why circumcision and food laws are not enough, but also good deeds are required.
