The word justified in James 2:21 is dikaióō which can also mean to show or exhibit one to be righteous. I think Abraham was justified long before offering Issac because he had obeyed God constantly. Offering Issac wasn’t the first time he obeyed God so I think the context being used in James 2 is that he was shown to be righteous.
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had
offered Isaac his son upon the
altar?
justified
G1344
Lemma:
δικαιόω
Transliteration:
dikaióō
Pronounce:
dik-ah-yo'-o
Part of Speech:
Verb
Language:
greek
Description:
1) to render righteous or such he ought to be
2) to show, exhibit, evince, one to be righteous, such as he is and wishes himself to be considered
3) to declare, pronounce, one to be just, righteous, or such as he ought to be
This is the general consensus among scholars.
It seems to be reasonable.
However that is a discussion for another time.
My point is the principle or law of faith that James is teaching, and not whether Abraham was justified before.
Faith without this action of obedience is dead, dormant, lifeless, inactive and incomplete, just as a body without a spirit is dead and lifeless, in active and incomplete; unable to function.
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
James 2:21-22
- Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac
Not good works
Not the works of the law
Not works that earn a wage
The work of obedience.
- Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
Perfect here means
complete.
If faith does not have the corresponding action of obedience,
it is incomplete; dormant, dead and unable to function and produce the intended divine result.
In this case of Abraham, it was justification.
That is what "by faith" means: God spoke and someone obeyed.
That's why it's called the obedience of faith.
The entire book of Romans is describing the obedience of faith, which is why it begins and ends with this principle. Paul calls this the law of faith.
But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for
the obedience of faith: Romans 16:26
That's the point I was making:
Faith without this action of obedience is dead, dormant, lifeless, inactive and incomplete, just as a body without a spirit is dead and lifeless, in active and incomplete; unable to function.
JLB