Paul v James
Do faith and works disagree?
Paul says we're justified by faith apart from works. James says we're justified by works and not by faith alone. So which is it? We look at who each apostle was writing to, the hard questions people raise (including Martin Luther's struggle with James and the Catholic reading of "not by faith alone"), and the places where Paul and James meet: Abraham, Rahab, and Ephesians 2.
- "For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law."Romans 3:28
- "You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone."James 2:24
Our view (opinion): Paul and James agree. We are saved by grace through faith alone, but real faith never stays alone. It shows itself in how we live.
Something to think about: if someone watched your life for a week, what would they say you actually believe?
Chapters
- 0:00 Intro
- 0:07 Welcome to LTM Bible Talk
- 0:27 Faith and works today: hyper-grace vs rule-keeping
- 2:07 The problem: Romans 3:28 vs James 2:24
- 3:16 Who was Paul writing to? (Ephesians 2:8–9)
- 4:22 Who was James writing to? (James 2:15–19)
- 5:28 The root and the fruit
- 5:57 Hard question: Is James correcting Paul?
- 6:27 Hard question: "Not by faith alone"
- 7:03 Where they meet: Abraham (Genesis 15 and 22)
- 7:32 Rahab: justified by works, and by faith
- 8:16 "Not a result of works"… "created for good works"
- 9:15 Bottom line: real faith never stays alone
- 9:50 If the house is on fire, you leave the building
- 10:54 Believing that God exists vs trusting in Him
- 12:21 Real trust requires action
- 13:01 The bigger danger: earning God's favour, or a faith that changes nothing?
- 14:09 Wrap-up and your topic suggestions
- 15:21 Bloopers
Scriptures
- Romans 3:28
- Romans 4:5
- Romans 6:1–2
- Ephesians 2:8–10
- James 2:15–26
- Acts 15
- Genesis 15:6
- Genesis 22
- Hebrews 11:31