Angela53510 had this to say about Paul and James..I thought it was excellent..it's long but thorough a and well documented..
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins [SUP]2 [/SUP]in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— [SUP]3 [/SUP]among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. [SUP]4 [/SUP]But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, [SUP]5 [/SUP]even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— [SUP]6 [/SUP]and raised us up with him andseated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, [SUP]7 [/SUP]so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.[SUP]8 [/SUP]For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [SUP]9 [/SUP]not a result of works, so that no one may boast. [SUP]10[/SUP]For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand,that we should walk in them." Eph. 2:1-10
The author of Ephesians, which may be Paul, states clearly in the above verses TWICE that we are saved by grace. In Greek, verse 8 is a bit different because the word grace or τῇ (γὰρ) χάριτί has a definite article, because "salvation" has already been mentioned. Paul wanted his readers to remember what he wrote only a few verses back in verse 5 - "by grace you have been saved!!" This is a powerful statement of the gospel.
"τῇ γὰρ χάριτί ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι διὰ πίστεως· καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν, θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον" Eph. 2:8
Continuing with the verse above, σεσῳσμένοι or sesosmenoi from soso, (which is the same word used in Eph. 2:5,) in the same tense. It is the perfect passive participle, and means "to rescue, to save." Perfect points to the completed action with a continuing result, thus emphasizing the continual state or condition. It is vital to note that σεσῳσμένοι is in the passive, indicating it is something done TO US, not something we do ourselves. God saves us, we do not save or justify ourselves - not by works, lest anyone should boast.
However, since salvation has already been accomplished and experienced. The verb "to save" includes God's acts of making us, raising us up and seating us with Christ. it describes a rescue from death, wrath and bondage, and a transfer to a new dominion with its manifold blessings. The periphrastic perfect construction in verses 5 and 8 draws attention to the resulting state of salvation.
Through faith, or διὰ πίστεως· or dia pisteos in Greek, is the next phrase to look at in detail. Dia or διὰ is a preposition which indicates the channel through which salvation or faith comes. Faith is NOT viewed as the positive work or accomplishment of the individual, but of God, or θεοῦ. Having the word "God" in the genitive case emphasizes its position before the noun and stands in emphatic contrast to the word ὑμῶν or "you" in the plural. In other words, faith is not something from ourselves, but its origin is in God and his love.
As for the word πίστεως orpisteos, this is a faith which is not some kind of vague trust. Instead, it means "trust, confidence" in people or gods. The word appears 59 times in the LXX and in the New Testament it is used 243 times including 8 times in Ephesians!! In short, one does not work to obtain salvation, but instead we have "trust, reliance or faith." Indeed, we rely on what God accomplished in his Son at the cross 2000 years ago.
Thus faith comes totally as a gift of God. It is given by God, "the gift" τὸ δῶρον, of salvation. Paul is emphatic therefore, that salvation comes totally from God, it is never something we do ourselves.
So is James wrong in the verses quoted by the OP?
"What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? [SUP]15 [/SUP]If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,[SUP]16 [/SUP]and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? [SUP]17 [/SUP]So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." James 2:14-17
Well, as an epistle which is basically in sermon format, James is certainly preaching to admonish and inspire his congregation, of Jewish Christians, about things which he is seeing in a church which is being persecuted, and people are starving. He is emphasizing what Paul has already said in Eph. 2:1-10!
First, Paul notes in verse 9:
"not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Eph. 2:9
"οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων, ἵνα μή τις καυχήσηται." Eph. 2:9 Greek
This is a very clear verse, it simply and plainly says that our faith, our salvation, is not of works, in order (ina or ἵνα ) that we might not boast. What GOD purposes will result! Accordingly, because salvation cannot be obtained due to some inherent good, or by good works, but only by faith, boasting is excluded.
Verse 9 starts with the word NOT or οὐκ. It continues with the genitive phrase "OF WORKS" (or deeds). The genitive of the source, means "Not out of their works." Does this line up with what James says or not?? We need to continue to verse 10.
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand,that we should walk in them." Eph. 2:10 ESV
"αὐτοῦ γάρ ἐσμεν ποίημα, κτισθέντες ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ἐπὶ ἔργοις ἀγαθοῖς οἷς προητοίμασεν ὁ θεὸς ἵνα ἐν αὐτοῖς περιπατήσωμεν." Eph. 2:10 Greek
Reason: God's workmanship
It becomes apparent that the reason salvation is not from humans or their efforts, but because we are God's workmanship.
i. Statement: God's workmanship -
- the conjunction γάρ or gar, "for" tells us WHY this salvation is not of human origin or human work. The reason is because "we" (recipients of salvation) are "his" (God's) workmanship. The possessive pronoun αὐτοῦ or autou "his" which is placed first in the Greek in this verse, emphasizes once again that it is "God's workmanship."
- The word ποίημα or poiama or workmanship is used only in Romans 1:20, to refer to God's creation. In verse Eph. 2:10, it is used of God's new creation. This refers to the spiritual re-creation in the individual believer's life. God's masterwork is the crafted work of God.
This is where Paul gets very close to James. Good works are God's design for his new creation and flow from his gracious salvation as the consequence of fruit. The New Testament generally, and Paul in particular, consistently urge those who have experienced God's gracious redemption to lead holy lives. A "true and lively" faith is to work itself out in love. Hence the agreement with James 2:18, and Eph. 2:10.
"But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." James 2:18.
James is not boasting, he is exhorting his congregation to demonstrate the good works which God created us to do beforehand. Thus, it is NOT us performing good deeds to earn salvation, but it is God's will that all those who belong to the new creation should be characterized by a lifestyle which ultimately reflects God's character and action.
"For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead." James 2:24
"ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ σῶμα χωρὶς πνεύματος νεκρόν ἐστιν, οὕτως καὶ ἡ πίστις χωρὶς ἔργων νεκρά ἐστιν." James 2:24
Looking at James 2:24, it appears to contradict Paul in both Eph. 2:1-10 above and the following in Romans:
"For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law." Romans 3:28.
First look to James use of the word "works" in the phrase "οὕτως καὶ ἡ πίστις χωρὶς ἔργων νεκρά ἐστιν, " does not include the word "law" as does Romans 3:28. In other words, is James talking about salvation, or is he concluding the chapter which is actually devoted to exhorting and encouraging the congregation to stop sitting in their metaphorical pews, and being bogus Christian? Without those works which God created for us beforehand, James questions whether they really are Christians in chapter 2.
James is in one accord with Paul's concluding words of this part of Ephesians 2.
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand,that we should walk in them." Eph. 2:10
We have been created for a purpose. God's workmanship is different than human works (Eph. 2:9) God's workmanship is different because believers are a new creation in Christ Jesus. "κτισθέντες ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ" - the verb is an aorist passive participle which means "to create." The word points to God's new creation in Christ. And since the participle is passive, it indicates the believer is the recipient of the action, and may also denote the cause. Thus the reason we are God's workmanship is because we are a new creation in Christ.
ii. But what is the purpose of all this??
"that we should walk in them." Eph. 2:10c
The goal of being created in Christ Jesus is for good works. This is exactly what James is declaring in James 2! So God's workmanship is not achieved by good works, but rather it should RESULT is good works as God has purposed them!
Finally, we have to consider that we are God's workmanship, because we were created in Christ Jesus for the goal of good works, that we might walk in them. The word for "walk" in Greek is περιπατήσωμεν or peripatasomen. It is also the verb "to live." Thus as we walk in those good works God prepared before had, we also "live" them.
Next, it is interesting to note that we are NOT "to work in them" but rather "walk in them." God has prepared beforehand good works for believers that he will perform in and through them as they walk by faith in his power. It is not doing a work for God, but God doing a work in and through the believer. Hence, our good works cannot be a cause for boasting, as is also the case with our salvation, because both elements are accomplished by God's grace by means of faith.
Thus, as James and Paul both say, if no good works are evident, it may indicate that the person is not a believer, because what God has purposed in the believer is not being accomplished.
In conclusion, perhaps the most profitable approach is to look at the fact that Paul talks about "works of the law" in Romans 3:28, whereas James talks about "works," in James 2:24. Paul is talking about the Torah, and how keeping it is of no avail to salvation. James is talking about the works, which are not part of salvation.
And while Paul uses "faith," James uses the phrase ἐκ πίστεως μόνον or ek pisteos monon, or "by faith alone." The addition of "alone" shows James refers to the bogus faith that he has been attacking throughout the paragraph. The person "claims" to have faith (v 14) when in fact that faith is dead (vv 17 & 26) and useless (v 20).
The way the word "faith" is used in Romans 3:28 and James 2:24 are very different. Paul teaches that faith is dynamic and powerful force, through which the believer is intimately connected with Christ, his Lord. And since faith is in a Lord, the need for obedience to follow from faith is part of the meaning of the 'word for Paul. Paul speaks therefore of "the obedience of faith" (Romans 5:1) and says that it is "faith working through love" that matters in Christ. (Gal. 5:6)
Once we understand "faith alone" is a neat summary of the bogus faith that James is criticizing, and we can find no reason to expect that Paul would have any quarrel with the claim that "faith alone" does not justify,
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins [SUP]2 [/SUP]in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— [SUP]3 [/SUP]among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. [SUP]4 [/SUP]But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, [SUP]5 [/SUP]even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— [SUP]6 [/SUP]and raised us up with him andseated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, [SUP]7 [/SUP]so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.[SUP]8 [/SUP]For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [SUP]9 [/SUP]not a result of works, so that no one may boast. [SUP]10[/SUP]For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand,that we should walk in them." Eph. 2:1-10
The author of Ephesians, which may be Paul, states clearly in the above verses TWICE that we are saved by grace. In Greek, verse 8 is a bit different because the word grace or τῇ (γὰρ) χάριτί has a definite article, because "salvation" has already been mentioned. Paul wanted his readers to remember what he wrote only a few verses back in verse 5 - "by grace you have been saved!!" This is a powerful statement of the gospel.
"τῇ γὰρ χάριτί ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι διὰ πίστεως· καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν, θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον" Eph. 2:8
Continuing with the verse above, σεσῳσμένοι or sesosmenoi from soso, (which is the same word used in Eph. 2:5,) in the same tense. It is the perfect passive participle, and means "to rescue, to save." Perfect points to the completed action with a continuing result, thus emphasizing the continual state or condition. It is vital to note that σεσῳσμένοι is in the passive, indicating it is something done TO US, not something we do ourselves. God saves us, we do not save or justify ourselves - not by works, lest anyone should boast.
However, since salvation has already been accomplished and experienced. The verb "to save" includes God's acts of making us, raising us up and seating us with Christ. it describes a rescue from death, wrath and bondage, and a transfer to a new dominion with its manifold blessings. The periphrastic perfect construction in verses 5 and 8 draws attention to the resulting state of salvation.
Through faith, or διὰ πίστεως· or dia pisteos in Greek, is the next phrase to look at in detail. Dia or διὰ is a preposition which indicates the channel through which salvation or faith comes. Faith is NOT viewed as the positive work or accomplishment of the individual, but of God, or θεοῦ. Having the word "God" in the genitive case emphasizes its position before the noun and stands in emphatic contrast to the word ὑμῶν or "you" in the plural. In other words, faith is not something from ourselves, but its origin is in God and his love.
As for the word πίστεως orpisteos, this is a faith which is not some kind of vague trust. Instead, it means "trust, confidence" in people or gods. The word appears 59 times in the LXX and in the New Testament it is used 243 times including 8 times in Ephesians!! In short, one does not work to obtain salvation, but instead we have "trust, reliance or faith." Indeed, we rely on what God accomplished in his Son at the cross 2000 years ago.
Thus faith comes totally as a gift of God. It is given by God, "the gift" τὸ δῶρον, of salvation. Paul is emphatic therefore, that salvation comes totally from God, it is never something we do ourselves.
So is James wrong in the verses quoted by the OP?
"What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? [SUP]15 [/SUP]If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,[SUP]16 [/SUP]and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? [SUP]17 [/SUP]So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." James 2:14-17
Well, as an epistle which is basically in sermon format, James is certainly preaching to admonish and inspire his congregation, of Jewish Christians, about things which he is seeing in a church which is being persecuted, and people are starving. He is emphasizing what Paul has already said in Eph. 2:1-10!
First, Paul notes in verse 9:
"not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Eph. 2:9
"οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων, ἵνα μή τις καυχήσηται." Eph. 2:9 Greek
This is a very clear verse, it simply and plainly says that our faith, our salvation, is not of works, in order (ina or ἵνα ) that we might not boast. What GOD purposes will result! Accordingly, because salvation cannot be obtained due to some inherent good, or by good works, but only by faith, boasting is excluded.
Verse 9 starts with the word NOT or οὐκ. It continues with the genitive phrase "OF WORKS" (or deeds). The genitive of the source, means "Not out of their works." Does this line up with what James says or not?? We need to continue to verse 10.
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand,that we should walk in them." Eph. 2:10 ESV
"αὐτοῦ γάρ ἐσμεν ποίημα, κτισθέντες ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ἐπὶ ἔργοις ἀγαθοῖς οἷς προητοίμασεν ὁ θεὸς ἵνα ἐν αὐτοῖς περιπατήσωμεν." Eph. 2:10 Greek
Reason: God's workmanship
It becomes apparent that the reason salvation is not from humans or their efforts, but because we are God's workmanship.
i. Statement: God's workmanship -
- the conjunction γάρ or gar, "for" tells us WHY this salvation is not of human origin or human work. The reason is because "we" (recipients of salvation) are "his" (God's) workmanship. The possessive pronoun αὐτοῦ or autou "his" which is placed first in the Greek in this verse, emphasizes once again that it is "God's workmanship."
- The word ποίημα or poiama or workmanship is used only in Romans 1:20, to refer to God's creation. In verse Eph. 2:10, it is used of God's new creation. This refers to the spiritual re-creation in the individual believer's life. God's masterwork is the crafted work of God.
This is where Paul gets very close to James. Good works are God's design for his new creation and flow from his gracious salvation as the consequence of fruit. The New Testament generally, and Paul in particular, consistently urge those who have experienced God's gracious redemption to lead holy lives. A "true and lively" faith is to work itself out in love. Hence the agreement with James 2:18, and Eph. 2:10.
"But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." James 2:18.
James is not boasting, he is exhorting his congregation to demonstrate the good works which God created us to do beforehand. Thus, it is NOT us performing good deeds to earn salvation, but it is God's will that all those who belong to the new creation should be characterized by a lifestyle which ultimately reflects God's character and action.
"For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead." James 2:24
"ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ σῶμα χωρὶς πνεύματος νεκρόν ἐστιν, οὕτως καὶ ἡ πίστις χωρὶς ἔργων νεκρά ἐστιν." James 2:24
Looking at James 2:24, it appears to contradict Paul in both Eph. 2:1-10 above and the following in Romans:
"For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law." Romans 3:28.
First look to James use of the word "works" in the phrase "οὕτως καὶ ἡ πίστις χωρὶς ἔργων νεκρά ἐστιν, " does not include the word "law" as does Romans 3:28. In other words, is James talking about salvation, or is he concluding the chapter which is actually devoted to exhorting and encouraging the congregation to stop sitting in their metaphorical pews, and being bogus Christian? Without those works which God created for us beforehand, James questions whether they really are Christians in chapter 2.
James is in one accord with Paul's concluding words of this part of Ephesians 2.
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand,that we should walk in them." Eph. 2:10
We have been created for a purpose. God's workmanship is different than human works (Eph. 2:9) God's workmanship is different because believers are a new creation in Christ Jesus. "κτισθέντες ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ" - the verb is an aorist passive participle which means "to create." The word points to God's new creation in Christ. And since the participle is passive, it indicates the believer is the recipient of the action, and may also denote the cause. Thus the reason we are God's workmanship is because we are a new creation in Christ.
ii. But what is the purpose of all this??
"that we should walk in them." Eph. 2:10c
The goal of being created in Christ Jesus is for good works. This is exactly what James is declaring in James 2! So God's workmanship is not achieved by good works, but rather it should RESULT is good works as God has purposed them!
Finally, we have to consider that we are God's workmanship, because we were created in Christ Jesus for the goal of good works, that we might walk in them. The word for "walk" in Greek is περιπατήσωμεν or peripatasomen. It is also the verb "to live." Thus as we walk in those good works God prepared before had, we also "live" them.
Next, it is interesting to note that we are NOT "to work in them" but rather "walk in them." God has prepared beforehand good works for believers that he will perform in and through them as they walk by faith in his power. It is not doing a work for God, but God doing a work in and through the believer. Hence, our good works cannot be a cause for boasting, as is also the case with our salvation, because both elements are accomplished by God's grace by means of faith.
Thus, as James and Paul both say, if no good works are evident, it may indicate that the person is not a believer, because what God has purposed in the believer is not being accomplished.
In conclusion, perhaps the most profitable approach is to look at the fact that Paul talks about "works of the law" in Romans 3:28, whereas James talks about "works," in James 2:24. Paul is talking about the Torah, and how keeping it is of no avail to salvation. James is talking about the works, which are not part of salvation.
And while Paul uses "faith," James uses the phrase ἐκ πίστεως μόνον or ek pisteos monon, or "by faith alone." The addition of "alone" shows James refers to the bogus faith that he has been attacking throughout the paragraph. The person "claims" to have faith (v 14) when in fact that faith is dead (vv 17 & 26) and useless (v 20).
The way the word "faith" is used in Romans 3:28 and James 2:24 are very different. Paul teaches that faith is dynamic and powerful force, through which the believer is intimately connected with Christ, his Lord. And since faith is in a Lord, the need for obedience to follow from faith is part of the meaning of the 'word for Paul. Paul speaks therefore of "the obedience of faith" (Romans 5:1) and says that it is "faith working through love" that matters in Christ. (Gal. 5:6)
Once we understand "faith alone" is a neat summary of the bogus faith that James is criticizing, and we can find no reason to expect that Paul would have any quarrel with the claim that "faith alone" does not justify,
