The different statements in Romans 4:3 and James 2 have caused many Bible readers a headache as they thought they had encountered a contradiction here. It even led the great reformer Martin Luther to call the book of James a difficult epistle. While James 2:21 uses the example of Abraham to show that a person is justified by works, Paul uses the same example and even the exact same quote from Genesis 15 to explain that Abraham was not justified by works, but by faith.
These seemingly contradictory statements are a feast for any biblical critic. But the believer knows that all Scripture is inspired by God, and that it is therefore impossible to find even the slightest contradiction in the Bible. But how can the problem be resolved? Are we justified by faith or by works? A comparison of the two passages makes the matter clear.
- Paul and James are Addressing Different Audiences
Paul writes to the “beloved of God” and the “called saints at Rome.” His letter addresses believers who must be confirmed in the gospel (Rom. 1:7, 11, 15). Not only did they have a Christian confession, but their changed lifestyle demonstrated their faith so clearly that it was proclaimed “throughout the whole world” (Romans 1:8).
Therefore, they did not need to be admonished that their faith should be manifested in works. No, Paul wanted to strengthen them in the truth that their salvation was based solely on the work of redemption accomplished by the Lord Jesus on the cross and that they could not add anything to it by their efforts.
In his letter, James addressed “the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad” (James 1:1). He had in mind the Jewish people, a mixed society of believers and unbelievers. Although many professed the Christian faith, James had to expose evil and unrighteous behavior among them. They made distinctions between rich and poor in their meetings, tolerated envy and strife, and talked against one another; others amassed wealth and withheld their workers’ just wages.
James must address their consciences and tell them that their faith, of which they talked so much, lacked the corresponding works. THE faith that does not manifest itself at all in Christian behavior, that is limited to believing specific facts about God and Jesus Christ to be true (which the demons also did), THAT faith cannot save. It is dead. - They speak about a Different Kind of WorksPaul and James both speak of works. But they do not mean the same thing. Paul speaks of works of the law (cf. Rom. 3:20, 26; Gal. 2:16) by which someone tries to become righteous before God. Paul makes it very clear in Romans 3 that this is not possible because no human being can keep the law. James does not contradict this when he says that “a man is justified by works” (James 2:24), because the works James is referring to are not works of the law, but works of faith. Faith must have works, works of faith, otherwise, it is dead (v.17). So it is not works by which one seeks to obtain a position before God, but works that are produced in a person by the faith that has already brought him to that position.
Incidentally, when James speaks of works of faith, he is not thinking of good works in the conventional sense, i.e. charity, otherwise, he would certainly have chosen other examples from the Old Testament than Abraham and Rahab. The sacrifice of the son or the betrayal of the land were not good from the point of view of the people, and yet they were works that proved their faith because they showed that they put their love for God (Abraham) or God’s people (Rahab) above their natural relationships. In this way, the Spirit of God avoids giving the impression that one can earn heaven through charity.
It remains the same: “But without faith it is impossible to please him”, because “those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Heb. 11:6; Rom. 8:8). - Different Sides of Justification
Paul sees man before God: “Therefore by the works of the law no flesh will be justified in his sight” (Rom 3:20). James, on the other hand, sees man before his fellow man. “Show me your faith“, says one to the other. God does not need works to see whether someone has faith. He imputes righteousness to people at the moment of their conversion without them having done a single good work – apart from their conversion. But the believer must show other people his faith, and this requires works that prove that someone has faith. Only when these works become visible is faith “perfected”, i.e. confirmed before people.
The quotation from the life of Abraham used by both writers makes it clear that they are thinking of different things when they speak of justification. Paul sees Abraham as justified (before God) at the moment he believes God (Gen. 15). James, on the other hand, sees Abraham as justified (before men) only at the moment when he proved his faith in the sacrifice of Isaac (Gen. 22).
Abraham had already believed in Genesis 15 that God could bring life from the dead, but how could he prove it better than by sacrificing the one of whom God had said: “In Isaac shall your seed be called” (Gen. 21:12).
The example of Rahab also illustrates James’ particular view of justification. Rahab had already believed when she heard the news of Israel’s crossing of the Red Sea. But she was not justified before men (and this is James’ point) until her works proved her faith. Only then did the spies realize what God had already perceived in her heart.
It is also significant that James does not speak of salvation by works. Salvation comes only from God. James therefore fully agrees with Paul when he writes to the Ephesians: “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” (Eph. 2:8-10). First we need salvation by faith. And then good works “should” come out of faith, proving the possession of faith – not works to be saved, but works because we are saved.
If this does not happen, then faith is dead.
Does James’ view of justification not appeal to our consciences? Are we not neglecting some of the good works that God has prepared for us? “Show me your faith” – do we sometimes need to be told? We see that the letter of James is not so difficult at all, as Luther meant. My faith should also “show itself more by my works”!
