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Faith that Saves (James 2:14-26)
What a controversial passage this has been
down the years. Luther initially declared James' letter a 'book
of straw', insisting that it didn't belong in the Bible because
of James' apparent contradiction of Paul on the matter of faith
and works (compare this passage with Eph.2:8-10 for example). Mormons
use this perceived contradiction as an argument to show that the
Bible contradicts itself and, therefore, there is a need for some
third party to step in and adjudicate in the name of God - enter
Joseph Smith. And they are not by any means the first people to
use this passage to preach a gospel that requires faith and works
in order to be saved.
This is the most argumentative part of James' letter and he is almost
certainly preaching against a heresy that was creeping into the
church. Perhaps an early antinomianism that taught that Christians
were free from moral obligation because they were saved by grace.
James was not the first to come up against this error, Paul refuting
it most strongly in his letter to the Romans (Ro.3:8). Ironic when
you think that, according to some James and Paul were meant to contradict
each other over the issue.
They were, however, in agreement on the issue and the apparent contradiction
results from the fact that they were addressing different errors
when they wrote about faith and works. When James and Paul write
about 'works' they both mean much the same thing, i.e. anything
done in obedience to God, in the service of God. When they write
about faith that saves they also mean the same thing, i.e. putting
our trust in the saving work of Jesus. The difference comes when
Paul addresses himself to the problem of those who would add works
to the faith that alone saves, i.e. do their bit towards their salvation,
such as when the Mormons insist that "we are saved by grace after
all we can do". Paul's argument is very clear:
"It is by grace you have been saved, through
faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not
by works, so that no one can boast" (Eph.2:8,9)
James, on the other hand, is addressing himself to the problem of
those who would, once saved, feel no moral obligation, no need to
show patience, seek wisdom, walk humbly, avoid evil desires, be
slow to anger, look after orphans and widows and everything James
has so far urged on Christian believers. The absence of these moral
imperatives calls into question the quality of the faith someone
might claim to have. As Douglas Moo points out, "The difference
between Paul and James is in the sequence of works and conversion:
Paul denies any efficacy to pre-conversion works, but James is pleading
for the absolute necessity of post-conversion works." (Tyndale NT
Commentaries, James, p.102)
What is brought into question is not the teaching that faith alone
saves, but the quality of a faith that subsequently bears no fruit
in changed lives and good works.
"What good is it, my brothers, if
a man claims to have faith, James but has no deeds? Can such faith
save him?"
The King James Bible translates, "Can
faith save him?" but this is not quite
on the mark, suggesting that we are not saved by grace, through
faith, and not of works. The NIV gives us, "Can
such faith save him?" and the
NASB has, "Can that faith
save him?" It is clear from both that
it is faith that is being looked to for salvation and the comparison
is being made between saving faith that issues in works, and professed
faith (lip service) that effects no change at all in a person's
life.
To paraphrase, the NIV compares "such faith as that" with
"such faith as this", while the NASB compares "that faith"
with "this faith". In both cases it is clear that two
kinds of 'faith' are being compared. It is the relative quality
of each 'faith' that is being looked at and not 'faith' versus 'faith
and works'. Luther summed it up well when he wrote, "A man is justified
by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone."
This is rather technical for a Briefing really, but there are important
lessons to be had from this passage.
1. Even the best minds in the Christian Church struggle with things
sometimes so be encouraged that you are not alone in wrestling with
a Bible truth.
2. Some Bible truths do have to be worked at (as James might argue)
and we should be prepared to dig and toil until we hear clearly
what God is saying to us in his word.
3. There are those who will abuse the truth, perhaps unintentionally,
and we must be prepared to defend the truth robustly as James and
Paul did.
4. When we examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith
it is not just a question of doctrine because, "What good
is it, my brother, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?
Can such faith save him?"