Is It about Faith or Works?
5/23/24
Some of the questions people ask have agendas. In fact, hopefully every question someone asks has an agenda of some sort. However, some of the agendas are more hidden than others.
Here's a question that comes up sometimes which deserves probing into the agenda. I'll use "Q" for the questioner, and "M" for me.
Q "What's the relation of faith and works?"
M "Why do you ask? Talk about that a little bit."
Q "Real Christians are known by their works. Deeds, not creeds."
M "Yes, you identify most things based on their appearance and behavior. What's the real issue there?"
Q "Well, like the way James and Paul were enemies."
M " So you want me to agree and say something against Paul, since Christianity is about works?"
Q "Yes, why don't you care about social justice but you call yourself a Christian."
Clarity at last. Let's build a case using the Bible. That can help avoid having a discussion built on personal opinions.
I think the questioner is thinking about James 2:14-26. On campus, I'd probably open up my trusty "analog" Bible so we could look at the passage in print. It happens to be a New King James version, so I'll paste that below.
14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Now, let's look at the works that are cited here. My questioner mentioned a conflict between James and Paul. I also think that James was probably written by James, the half-brother of Jesus, who was a prominent leader among Christians in Jerusalem. He seems to be the one moderating everything in the extended discussion in Acts 15, normally dated in the spring of 51. That discussion included Paul as well.
In verses 15-16, James lists provision of clothing and food for "a brother or sister." Normally we would consider that to be someone within the Christian community. Christians are to help care for those bodily needs. The passage never suggests that we shouldn't pray for God's blessing on the person, but it does say clearly that Christians are also to care for bodily needs. To avoid providing physical care is considered faith that is dead.
Verse 18 tells us how we show faith. It doesn't talk about how we have faith. Just like you can't show me that you are intelligent or caring without saying or doing something, I also can't show intelligence of care just by being. I have to do something that would be visible.
James continues with a reference to Abraham in Genesis chapter 22. In that instance, Abraham, who is repeatedly described as believing God, is shown acting in obedience to God's command. The key verse, drawn from a slightly earlier instance in Genesis 15:6, is quoted by James in verse 23. Paul also refers to this in Romans chapter four and Galatians chapter three. Abrahams belief is counted as righteousness. However, Abraham shows his belief by acting based on God's commands, as well as acting based on God's promises.There's no conflict between James and Paul in this.
James brings in another example in verse 25, referring to Rahab, who showed mercy and hospitality to God's messengers before the overthrow of Jericho. She believed God is merciful, and she acted out of mercy herself.
We are therefore brought back to James' thesis. There is no way other than through our actions and normally accompanying words to show the faith we have in God.
It is then fitting to come back to the questioner, who made an accusation that Christians don't care about "social justice." We want to ask our questioner what he (or, more likely, she) means by "social justice."
This line of questioning normally yields suggestions that Christians are solely responsible for feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, and making certain that underprivileged people have access to medical care. Food, clothing, and medical care are awfully important to everyone's life. We don't do well at all without the first two, and the third also has serious repercussions when ignored for a substantial period of time. James certainly speaks to the first two, and there's plenty of reason to think that in chapter five, verses 13-15, he is speaking about at least some form of medical treatment.
Something we need to bear in mind is that James has been speaking throughout his letter about care for "a brother or sister." He is specifically talking about how Christians care for other Christians. It's especially obvious in chapter five, where the acts of mercy are all presented in the context of caring for those who are struggling with sin. They need forgiveness above all else.
Does this mean that Christians aren't to care for those who aren't Christians? Not at all. But it does mean that the primary target of Christian care is to be Christians who are in need. Showing our faith through our works thus becomes a means by which we welcome people into the caring community of the Church. This has eternal, not merely temporal application.
As God cares for all his creation, so do Christians. Yet we do need to recognize that God's primary care for his creation is to reconcile humans to himself. This happens by His grace, received through faith. Believing in God results in our care for all His creation, especially for those "in the household of faith" (Galatians 6:10, written by Paul). There's no contradiction, no animosity here between James and Paul.
5/23/24
Some of the questions people ask have agendas. In fact, hopefully every question someone asks has an agenda of some sort. However, some of the agendas are more hidden than others.
Here's a question that comes up sometimes which deserves probing into the agenda. I'll use "Q" for the questioner, and "M" for me.
Q "What's the relation of faith and works?"
M "Why do you ask? Talk about that a little bit."
Q "Real Christians are known by their works. Deeds, not creeds."
M "Yes, you identify most things based on their appearance and behavior. What's the real issue there?"
Q "Well, like the way James and Paul were enemies."
M " So you want me to agree and say something against Paul, since Christianity is about works?"
Q "Yes, why don't you care about social justice but you call yourself a Christian."
Clarity at last. Let's build a case using the Bible. That can help avoid having a discussion built on personal opinions.
I think the questioner is thinking about James 2:14-26. On campus, I'd probably open up my trusty "analog" Bible so we could look at the passage in print. It happens to be a New King James version, so I'll paste that below.
14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Now, let's look at the works that are cited here. My questioner mentioned a conflict between James and Paul. I also think that James was probably written by James, the half-brother of Jesus, who was a prominent leader among Christians in Jerusalem. He seems to be the one moderating everything in the extended discussion in Acts 15, normally dated in the spring of 51. That discussion included Paul as well.
In verses 15-16, James lists provision of clothing and food for "a brother or sister." Normally we would consider that to be someone within the Christian community. Christians are to help care for those bodily needs. The passage never suggests that we shouldn't pray for God's blessing on the person, but it does say clearly that Christians are also to care for bodily needs. To avoid providing physical care is considered faith that is dead.
Verse 18 tells us how we show faith. It doesn't talk about how we have faith. Just like you can't show me that you are intelligent or caring without saying or doing something, I also can't show intelligence of care just by being. I have to do something that would be visible.
James continues with a reference to Abraham in Genesis chapter 22. In that instance, Abraham, who is repeatedly described as believing God, is shown acting in obedience to God's command. The key verse, drawn from a slightly earlier instance in Genesis 15:6, is quoted by James in verse 23. Paul also refers to this in Romans chapter four and Galatians chapter three. Abrahams belief is counted as righteousness. However, Abraham shows his belief by acting based on God's commands, as well as acting based on God's promises.There's no conflict between James and Paul in this.
James brings in another example in verse 25, referring to Rahab, who showed mercy and hospitality to God's messengers before the overthrow of Jericho. She believed God is merciful, and she acted out of mercy herself.
We are therefore brought back to James' thesis. There is no way other than through our actions and normally accompanying words to show the faith we have in God.
It is then fitting to come back to the questioner, who made an accusation that Christians don't care about "social justice." We want to ask our questioner what he (or, more likely, she) means by "social justice."
This line of questioning normally yields suggestions that Christians are solely responsible for feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, and making certain that underprivileged people have access to medical care. Food, clothing, and medical care are awfully important to everyone's life. We don't do well at all without the first two, and the third also has serious repercussions when ignored for a substantial period of time. James certainly speaks to the first two, and there's plenty of reason to think that in chapter five, verses 13-15, he is speaking about at least some form of medical treatment.
Something we need to bear in mind is that James has been speaking throughout his letter about care for "a brother or sister." He is specifically talking about how Christians care for other Christians. It's especially obvious in chapter five, where the acts of mercy are all presented in the context of caring for those who are struggling with sin. They need forgiveness above all else.
Does this mean that Christians aren't to care for those who aren't Christians? Not at all. But it does mean that the primary target of Christian care is to be Christians who are in need. Showing our faith through our works thus becomes a means by which we welcome people into the caring community of the Church. This has eternal, not merely temporal application.
As God cares for all his creation, so do Christians. Yet we do need to recognize that God's primary care for his creation is to reconcile humans to himself. This happens by His grace, received through faith. Believing in God results in our care for all His creation, especially for those "in the household of faith" (Galatians 6:10, written by Paul). There's no contradiction, no animosity here between James and Paul.
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