James 2 vs. Romans 3:28

“For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.”

• Romans 3:28 (Paul)

“You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.”

• James 2:24 (James)

Is there a biblical contradiction between James and Paul? No.

In Romans Paul goes on to speak about the father of the nation of Israel, Abraham, believing God and that belief being credited to him as righteousness in the following chapter. Paul says that God credits us righteousness apart from works of the law.

But Paul asks the question ‘when?’ When was this righteousness credited to Abraham? When was he justified before God? (verse 9–10). Was it before circumcision (works) or after circumcision? Paul says that Abraham was justified, counted righteous, before God *before* he was circumcised. Paul says that circumcision was the sin of the righteousness that he had by faith, which he received while he was still uncircumcised. And to add to this, we must ask ourselves as well, was his justification before the written law or after the law? Before.

Abraham was justified by faith, according to Paul, before circumcision, before Isaac on the altar, and even before the law given by Moses. That’s Paul’s whole argument. His entire analogy for how man is justified is Abraham. Abraham was justified, by faith, before having performed any work.

But what does James say in his letter? James says that ‘a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.’ How can we understand this apparent contradiction? Should we simply pull single verses out of the context and discussion in which they are given, walking away dismayed that Paul and James seem to be arguing with each other about what justifies man before God? Paul says faith, and James says, faith and works, what are they talking about?

James says in chapter two and in verse 10, ‘for whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.’ But then he goes on to say that Abraham was justified by his works. The contradiction seemingly becomes more apparent between these formidable men. Are they fighting with each other? Do they contradict each other?

No. They are not even in the same discussion. They are answering two different questions. Paul is telling us how we are ‘vertically’ justified, as in, how can wicked men stand before a righteous and just God, while James is speaking to how we are ‘horizontally’ justified to our fellow man. In Romans, Paul clearly teaches us that we (as was Abraham) are counted righteous through faith, justified, by God before circumcision, before Isaac on the altar, and even before the law given by Moses.

One might say, ‘well Paul just meant ‘Works of the Law’ not all works!’ I’m not disputing that there are different ‘categories’ of works. Works of the law, works of the flesh before the law, works, and works of righteousness. None of these categories play a part in our justification according to Paul. It is God who justifies.

Romans 3:28, Romans 4:2, Ephesians 2:8–9, Galatians 4:16, Titus 3:5, etc..

The most damning of all these is Ephesians. It contains the word ‘works’ alone, and never mentions works of the law. Did Paul forget to tell the Ephesian church that what he really meant by ‘ergon’ (Greek Word for works meaning: Physical exertion) was actually ‘works of the law’? I don’t think we can argue such a conclusion. All categories of works are excluded from meriting our justification.

And what does James say? James is speaking about how a Christian should live and act amongst the world, but more specifically, the Church.

“What good is it my brothers, if someone *says* he has faith but does not have works? Can *that/the* faith save him?” (verse 14)

What is his point there? His point is to rebuke the person that professes to have faith but does not display this faith actively in his working. James even categorizes this when he says, drawing us back to the simple declaration of faith, ‘Can the faith save him? And what should all Christians say to his question? Can that “faith” save him? No. That kind of faith cannot save anyone. Because it isn’t true faith.

Paul has already told us how a person is justified before God, James is addressing what kind of faith saves. Can a faith that is a mere professed/claimed, but not held, save anyone? No.

“If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 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?

Here he illustrates what he has just said in the prior verse. If someone comes to you in need and you tell them, ‘be warm and filled!’ and then ignore helping them at all, what good is that? What does it tell the Church if you do such things? What does it tell the people around you about your faith? It tells them you’re lying. You did not mean what you said. Why? Because you did not give them anything to assist them in their need. A profession does not mean one has truly put the money where their mouth is.

“So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

The question here is not whether we are saved through faith alone or faith and works. That is not what James is discussing. His question is whether dead faith saves or living faith.

“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. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe — and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? “

Wait, Paul uses the word justification through faith apart from works of the law, and here James also uses it but seemingly says the opposite. ‘Was not Abraham justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?’

They aren’t talking about the same things. Paul has said the Abraham was justified by faith before and apart from the law. But James has said that Abraham was justified by his works, decades after Paul says Abraham was justified, by obeying the command regarding Isaac. They are not even talking about the same point in Abraham’s life! James is not speaking about what justifies us before God, he is speaking about Abraham’s faith being vindicated by his works.

Some say, well James is speaking about what justifies us before God because he uses the word ‘justified’. If such is to be claimed, then is Jesus saying that wisdom is justified before God by works when he speaks in Matthew 11? Of course not. Wisdom is wisdom by itself, but it is made apparent by its fruits.

Note also, who does James demand faith be shown to? ‘Show ME your faith’ Show the body, not God. God knows the heart, he did not need to wait until Abraham at the sacrifice to know if Abrahams faith was true.

“You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.”

What is James saying? James is telling us that Abraham’s faith was justified, vindicated, and displayed, by his actions. James is telling us that our faith if we have true and living faith, will be evidenced by our works. In other words, put your money where your mouth is.

“Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.”

Our works are a reflection, a vindication, of what is within us.

There is no inconsistency between Paul and James. James is expanding on the teaching Jesus gave in Luke 6:43–45. James’s teaching perfectly complements Paul’s. The scriptures teach us that salvation is by faith and demonstrated by faithfulness to obey the commands of God.

Paul even echoes this in his letter to the Ephesians chapter 2.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Many people like this verse (myself included) but it does not end there.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus *for good works*, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Something fundamentally changes within us when we are saved, we go from death to life, a heart of stone to a heart of flesh, made new by the Spirit of God. If there are no good works, there is no faith. There is an important distinction here. If one truly believes, they will live like it. But our works, no matter how good we deem them, do not play into our justification before God.

“God doesn’t need your good works, but your neighbor does.”