Paul vs. James

James vs. Paul

Some have suggested that James and Paul were at odds in their gospel theology. The controversy centers on the issue of faith.

Paul says in Roman 3:28, “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.”

Five “sola’s:

·         saved by grace alone (sola gratia)

·         through faith alone (sola fide)

·         in Christ alone (Solus Christus)

·         as taught by the Scriptures alone (sola scriptura)

·         for the glory of God alone (soli deo gloria)

(Martin Luther – Protestant Reformation)

He reiterated the truth in Ephesians 2 and Titus 3.

But in James 2:24, James concluded that, “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.”

At first glance, it appears that Paul and James are teaching from opposite truths. The tension is alleviated when we realize that Paul was discussing the essence or root of justification (with regard to the believer’s standing before God), whereas James was addressing the evidence or results of justification (with regard to the believer’s life after conversion).

On one hand, sinners are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone. That was Paul’s point and James agreed with him. That was the issue that was resolved at the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. *

On the other hand, those who are truly saved will demonstrate in their lives the fruits of repentance; if their lives are fruitless, their profession of faith is false.

That was James’ point and Paul would readily have agreed with it. Paul and James were perfectly in agreement with one another; they were merely emphasizing two sides of the same reality: faith and its fruit.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2: 8-10)

By emphasizing both faith and the fruits of repentance, both Paul and James were echoing the teachings of Jesus.

Paul’s focus on faith reiterated the truth of John 3: 16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

James’s emphasis on fruit had the ring of Matthew 7:21; “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”

Paul declares that righteous deeds cannot save us. James stated that if there are no righteous deeds, we haven’t been saved. In other words, both Paul and James saw good works as the proof of salvation – not the means of salvation.

Their meetings in Acts 15 and 21 confirm that fact. Any contradiction between them only exists in the minds of the skeptics.

* The Jerusalem Council settled a major theological controversy in the early church regarding the gospel. It was stimulated when, in AD 49, after completing their first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas came into conflict with legalistic teachers who insisted that Gentile Christians must practice certain aspects of Judaism in order to be saved.  The Judaizers were false teachers combining the works of the Mosaic Law with the grace of the gospel. As a result, they were destroying grace and preaching another gospel altogether.

The issue was critical since it dealt with the very heart of the gospel and salvation. So a council was called, and Paul with Barnabas traveled to Jerusalem in order to meet with the twelve apostles and the church leaders in Jerusalem. With reference to this visit, Paul described James as on of the “pillars” of the church (Galatians 2:9) alongside the apostles Peter and John.

Acts 15: 4:30 details the specific role James played in giving direction to the Jerusalem Council. After a lengthy debate and discussion, Peter expressed the decision of the Council – that all believers, whether Jew or Gentile, are saved by grace through faith alone.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9)

When Peter had finished speaking, James also gave a full response that carried the full weight of authority, not only because he was the leader of the Jerusalem church and the one presiding over the council.

Note: There is no indication in any of the gospels that James, or in fact, any of his brothers, came to believe in Jesus during his earthly ministry. But after His death and resurrection, there was a dramatic and miraculous change. His brothers are present among the believers who have gathered in the upper room, awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

The answer to James’ conversion is found in 1 Corinthians 15 – Jesus appeared to James after His resurrection. “After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.”

Although James had known Jesus for over three decades, he did not believe in Him until his risen brother appeared to him and saved him.

All of Jesus’ brothers became instrumental members of the early church. Jude wrote the epistle that bears his name

According to church tradition, James was martyred around AD62. When the Roman Procurator Porcius Festus died, there was a brief gap before the next Roman governor could be installed in Judea. During that transition time, the Jewish high priest took advantage of the lack of imperial oversight, had James arrested under the authority of the Sanhedrin. It is said that James was thrown off the edge of the temple, then stoned and beaten to death by an angry mob.

(12 Unlikely Heroes – John Macarthur)