- Dec 13, 2015
- 5,263
- 4,248
- 37
- Country
- United States
- Faith
- Calvinist
- Marital Status
- Married
Now I know what many of you are going to say, you're going to say that I can't be nitpicky about the Bible and I can't pick and choose parts of the Bible that I like and ignore parts that I dislike and that James's words were God inspired. Normally, I'd agree with you but James's words were NOT God inspired and they go against the rest of the Bible. In fact, it was the Catholics who got the book of James added to the Bible in the first place to support their claims that Justification was by Faith + works. Now let me think... what else is part of the Catholic Bible and was removed because it taught Justification by works? Oh right! The Apocrypha! In case people don't know what the Apocrypha is, The Apocrypha used to be a part of the Bible until It's removal in 1881. It was removed because the Apocrypha didn't fit in with the rest of the Bible and because it taught Justification by works. Well, what does the book of James teach? That's right! Justification by works (James 2:21)! So why is it still a part of the bible? Why didn't the book of James get removed along with the Apocrypha?
The answer is simple. Because there are Christians today that say that James supported Pauls teachings that Justification was by Faith and that true saving faith would have works. Not only is this against what the Bible teaches it isn't what James was saying. Paul and James were two apostles that completely disagreed with each other. Paul claimed that Justification was by faith and James claimed that Justification was by works (Ephesians 2:9) (James 2:21-24). In James 2:21-24 James says
"Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only."
Yet Paul, Jesus, and just about every other apostle that lived during the time claimed that Justification was in fact, by faith only and not Faith + Works. In Romans 4 Paul teaches to the contrary that Abraham was justified apart from works, by his faith. In fact, the rest of the Bible claims that justification is by faith only. To say that true saving faith would result in works is not what James was saying and it is not what the bible says. The bible teaches that salvation is by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone (John 3:16), (John 6:40), (John 20:31), (Romans 10:9), (Luke 8:12), (John 1:12), (John 6:29), (John 8:24), (John 12:36), (Acts 16:31), (Romans 3:22), (Romans 4:24), (Romans 10:9), (Galatians 3:22),(1 John 5:13), (1 Thess 4:14). It does not teach that true saving faith would result in good works like people who try to make sense of the book of James claim.
It's true that I cannot pick the parts of the Bible that I like or dislike. But, when comparing things the ENTIRE Bible has to be compared to itself and not a single part of the book of James fits in with the rest of the Bible. So, do you agree or disagree with what I'm saying? Should the book of James be removed from the Bible or be kept in?
The answer is simple. Because there are Christians today that say that James supported Pauls teachings that Justification was by Faith and that true saving faith would have works. Not only is this against what the Bible teaches it isn't what James was saying. Paul and James were two apostles that completely disagreed with each other. Paul claimed that Justification was by faith and James claimed that Justification was by works (Ephesians 2:9) (James 2:21-24). In James 2:21-24 James says
"Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only."
Yet Paul, Jesus, and just about every other apostle that lived during the time claimed that Justification was in fact, by faith only and not Faith + Works. In Romans 4 Paul teaches to the contrary that Abraham was justified apart from works, by his faith. In fact, the rest of the Bible claims that justification is by faith only. To say that true saving faith would result in works is not what James was saying and it is not what the bible says. The bible teaches that salvation is by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone (John 3:16), (John 6:40), (John 20:31), (Romans 10:9), (Luke 8:12), (John 1:12), (John 6:29), (John 8:24), (John 12:36), (Acts 16:31), (Romans 3:22), (Romans 4:24), (Romans 10:9), (Galatians 3:22),(1 John 5:13), (1 Thess 4:14). It does not teach that true saving faith would result in good works like people who try to make sense of the book of James claim.
It's true that I cannot pick the parts of the Bible that I like or dislike. But, when comparing things the ENTIRE Bible has to be compared to itself and not a single part of the book of James fits in with the rest of the Bible. So, do you agree or disagree with what I'm saying? Should the book of James be removed from the Bible or be kept in?
