# James 2:24



## Batman (Dec 16, 2004)

James 2:24 "You see that people are justified by what they do and not by faith alone." NIV

I don't have any other translation other than NIV within reach at the moment, so I'm wondering if other translations are similar. This verse is undoubtedly one that raised Luther's blood pressure a few notches. Any thoughts? If I'm not justified by faith alone, I'm toast.


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## blhowes (Dec 16, 2004)

Jam 2:24 (ESV) You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

Jam 2:24 (KJV) Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.


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## Batman (Dec 16, 2004)

Isn't the battle cry of the reformers sola fide, sola gratia?
Faith alone, grace alone. Does James 2:24 contradict that?


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## Scott Bushey (Dec 16, 2004)

Jam 2:17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 
Jam 2:18 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.

Our works are a fruit of our justification........Paul is not at odds with James.

Rom 3:20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

James is echoing Christ:

Luk 6:46 "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you? 
Luk 6:47 Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 

The harmony of scripture supports justification by faith alone. One needs to remember this when assessing the book of James.

[Edited on 12-16-2004 by Scott Bushey]


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## larryjf (Jan 2, 2005)

I believe Martin Luther said something like this...
"Scripture alone, and scripture is never alone".

That's an important concept that even Paul would agree with - if your faith does not produce works(fruit), then you really don't have faith.

We cannot be saved by faith alone in the sense that saving faith always produces works(fruit).
We are saved by faith alone in the sense that we can add nothing to merit our salvation.


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## AnonymousRex (Jan 3, 2005)

Actually, James means precisely what he says. Righteousness is integral to justification. It is not enough for one to simply "believe"; works (righteousness) must accompany faith in order for God's declaration of righteousness (which is the essence of justification) to have legal basis. "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified." (Romans 2:13)

Of course, righteousness (obedience to the law) must be perfect if God is to certify it. (James 2:10) He will not compromise his standard of righteousness and "grade on a curve" those whose obedience is "partial". Can you or I meet this standard? No. If God kept a record of every single sin you committed in your life, and you were to stand before Him on the day of judgment, would He receive you into heaven? (Ps. 103:3) No. "There is none righteous, no, not one." (Romans 3:10)

Christ, however, obeyed the law perfectly. As our substitute, our sins are imputed to him (He bears the punishment for them) and His perfect righteousness is imputed to us, or reckoned to our account (proponents of N.T. Wright's theology will question the latter imputation but I'll save that for another discussion). We receive all that Christ has done for us by faith alone and His righteousness is the legal basis upon which God declares us righteous. There is no need for the believer to "maintain" or "improve" his standing before God through works. Christ has already met His Father's demands for us and to think that we must do anything more is abomination and infidelity.

Based on the analogy of faith, I believe that this is the purest intepretation of what James is saying in this passage. 

AnonRex

[Edited on 3-1-2005 by AnonymousRex]


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## Authorised (Jan 3, 2005)

Institutes III.XVII.11



> 11. James against Paul?
> 
> But they say that we have a still more serious business with James, who in express terms opposes us. For he asks, "Was not Abraham our father justified by works?" and adds "You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only," (James 2: 21, 24.) What then? Will they engage Paul in a quarrel with James? If they hold James to be a servant of Christ, his sentiments must be understood as not dissenting from Christ speaking by the mouth of Paul. By the mouth of Paul the Spirit declares that Abraham obtained justification by faith, not by works; we also teach that all are justified by faith without the works of the law. By James the same Spirit declares that both Abraham's justification and ours consists of works, and not of faith only. It is certain that the Spirit cannot be at variance with himself. Where, then, will be the agreement?
> 
> ...




[Edited on 3-1-2005 by Authorised]


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## doulosChristou (Jan 3, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Batman_
> James 2:24 "You *see* that people are justified by what they do and not by faith alone." NIV
> 
> I don't have any other translation other than NIV within reach at the moment, so I'm wondering if other translations are similar. This verse is undoubtedly one that raised Luther's blood pressure a few notches. Any thoughts? If I'm not justified by faith alone, I'm toast.



Notice that James 2:24 does not say: "People are justified by what they do and not by faith alone." The operative word to see here is "see." How do you see that a person is justified? Answer: by their works and not by their faith alone. James 2 is about _demonstrating_ (living out) living faith for all to *see*.


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## larryjf (Jan 3, 2005)

> The operative word to see here is "see."


Excellent point.


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## AnonymousRex (Jan 3, 2005)

I suspected that my post would cause some irritation on account of my neglecting to discuss the relevance of works. 
Some may have read what I said and assumed that I departed from the historic Reformed understanding of works. Let me say for the record that I believe, in the same manner as those theologians who have preceded me, that there is a difference between "dead faith" and "living faith" (fides viva), and that "living faith" is substantiated by both the will to do good works and the act of doing them. Nonetheless, even these "good works", wrought by the grace of God, are not sufficient to merit salvation. 

This will and action, however, is wrought by God in the believer, and is a component of sanctification, NOT justification. "For whom He did predestine, them he also justified, and whom he justified, he glorified..." (Romans 8:29-30). We are "created in Christ Jesus to do good works..." (Ephesians 2:10). If the desire and action are seemingly absent from the professing believer, he is either going through a season of intense struggle with sin or he is not truly saved.

Perhaps whatever confusion has ensued here is a result of my wording and if that is the case, I apologize. Nevertheless, I stand by what I say as representing the historic position. Far too often have I heard preached a gospel tainted by tacit legalism (e.g. "if you don't endure in active obedience to God then you'll be damned"), which undermines the work of Christ and compromises God's standard of perfection.

AnonRex

[Edited on 3-1-2005 by AnonymousRex]


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