Paul and James appear to disagree on whether salvation is by faith alone or faith plus works. However, when examining the full context and comparing passages, it becomes clear they are not contradicting each other. Paul emphasizes that justification is by faith alone, while James emphasizes that true faith will be evidenced by good works. James is refuting the idea that one can claim faith without deeds, arguing dead faith is like a body without a spirit. Both teach that while salvation is through faith, genuine faith in Christ will be demonstrated through good works in one's life.

1. "Salvationby faith alone or Faith plusworks?" – 16th
September2016
“Whatgoodis it,my brothers and sisters,if someoneclaimsto have faith buthas no deeds? Cansuch
faithsave them?”( James 2:14)._
Thisis perhapsthe mostimportantquestioninall of Christiantheology.Thisquestionis one of the main
causesof the Reformation,the splitbetweenthe ProtestantchurchesandCatholicChurch.Thisquestion
isa keydifference between biblicalChristianityandmostof the “Christian”cults.Is salvationbyfaith
alone,orby faithplusworks? What one maywant to know is whether amI savedjustby believingin
Jesus,ordo I have to believeinJesusanddocertainthings?
The questionof faithalone orfaithplusworksismade difficultbysome hard-to-reconcileBible
passages. Therefore we needtocompare the passagesstatedin Romans3:28, 5:1 and Galatians3:24
withJames2:24. In Romans3:28 tellsus: ”Forwe maintainthat a person isjustifiedby faithapart
from the works of the law”. In Galatians3:24 tellsus:“Sothe law was our guardianuntil Christcame
that we might be justifiedbyfaith”. In James2:24 we can learn:“Yousee that a person is considered
righteousby what they do and notby faithalone”. We can observe adifference betweenPaul where
he says salvationisbyfaithalone andJames sayssalvationisbyfaithplusworks. Againwe can note that
Paul assertivelysaysthatjustificationisbyfaithalone aswe readfrom Ephesians2:8-9, “For it isby
grace you have been saved,through faith—andthisisnot fromyourselves,it is the gift ofGod— 9
not
by works, so that noone can boast”. But Jamesappearsto be sayingthatjustificationisbyfaithplus
works.
ThisapparentproblemisansweredbyexaminingwhatexactlyJamesistalkingabout.Jamesisrefuting
the belief thatapersoncan have faithwithoutproducinganygoodworks.We can read thisfromJames
2:17-18, “Inthe sameway, faithby itself,if it isnot accompaniedby action,is dead.18
Butsomeonewill
say, “Youhavefaith;I have deeds.”Showmeyour faithwithout deeds,and I will show youmy faith by
my deeds”. Jamesisemphasizingthe pointthatgenuine faithinChristwill produce achangedlife and
goodworks.
We can learnthiswhenwe read James 2:20-26, “Youfoolishperson,do youwant evidence that faith
withoutdeeds is useless? 21
Wasnot our father Abrahamconsideredrighteousfor what he did when
he offered hisson Isaacon the altar? 22
Yousee that hisfaithand hisactionswere workingtogether,
and hisfaithwas made completeby what he did. 23
Andthe scripture was fulfilledthatsays,“Abraham
believed God,andit was credited to him asrighteousness,” andhe was calledGod’sfriend. 24
Yousee
that a person isconsidered righteousby what they do andnot by faithalone. 25
In the same way, was
not even Rahab the prostitute consideredrighteousfor what she didwhen she gave lodgingto the
spiesand sent them off ina different direction? 26
Asthe bodywithoutthe spiritis dead,so faith
withoutdeeds is dead”.
When we read through we observe that James is not sayingthatjustification isby faith plus works,but rather that
a person who is truly justified by faith will havegood works in his or her life.If a person claims to be a believer, but
has no good works in his/her life,then he or she likely does not have genuine faith in Christ.We can learn this by
readingthe followingpassages. Wecan read from James 2:14,“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if
someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?” We can learn from James 2: 17, “In

2. the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead”. Again we can learn from James 2: 20,
“You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? And also read from James 2: 26,
“As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead”.
Paul saysthe same thinginhiswritings.The goodfruitbelieversshouldhave intheirlivesislisted as
fruitof the Spirit inGalatians5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spiritis love,joy, peace, forbearance,
kindness,goodness,faithfulness, 23
gentlenessandself-control.Againstsuch thingsthere isno law”.
Immediatelyaftertellingusthatwe are savedbyfaith,not works inEphesians2:8-9, “Forit is by grace
you have been saved,through faith…” apostle Paul tellsusthatwe were createdtodo goodworks as
we learnfrom Ephesians2:10, “Forwe are God’shandiwork,created inChrist Jesusto do goodworks,
whichGod prepared inadvance for usto do”. We can alsolearnthatapotsle Paul expectsjustasmuch
of a changedlife asJamesdoes: “Therefore,if anyoneis inChrist,he isa new creation;the oldhas
gone, the new has come” (2 Corinthians5:17).
Whenwe read above,itisclearto us that Jamesand Paul donot disagree intheirteachingregarding
salvation.Theyapproachthe same subjectfromdifferentperspectives.Paul simplyemphasizedthat
justificationisbyfaithalone whileJamesputemphasisonthe factthat genuine faithinChristproduces
goodworks.