I agree with you. James the Just is well known, both in scripture as well as in historical evidence, to be very insistent on works for a Jew to be considered justified before God.
The passage in Acts 20:21-25 summed up his perspective very clearly.
Not By Works
- Thread starter dcontroversal
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I agree with you. James the Just is well known, both in scripture as well as in historical evidence, to be very insistent on works for a Jew to be considered justified before God.
The passage in Acts 20:21-25 summed up his perspective very clearly.
You are talking about the definition of 'justified' that Paul used.
Definition of justify
transitive verb
...
2a: to judge, regard, or treat as righteous and worthy of salvation
God justifies with his forgiveness and grace the man who comes to him— Will Herberg
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/justify
SHOW ME YOUR faith is clear.....and I see he is arguing facts and no need to engage him.....Jesus explains why in is words.....LET your light shine so MEN can see your works and the FATHER be glorified before men....as long as they conflate JAMES and PAUL and deny facts like they do....it is an utter waste of time...
Generally in social media, the more likes you get from people, the more you identify with them, and hence you tend to stick in the same threads as those that give you the likes.
Don't tell me, tell God:
8The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 9No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child
1 John 3:8-10
That’s the only justification in Scripture. People create other definitions because they cannot reconcile Paul with James.
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Which verse in Matthew 25:31-46 does Jesus talk about sheep with no righteous works?
It’s sad that you quote Luther rather than Jesus Christ. I don’t speak on my own behalf I speak for everyone who proclaims the fullness of Christ’s saving grace, but if you want to make it personal that’s fine. I’m a hospice chaplain. I’ve dedicated my life to serving God by serving His people in their most delicate hours of life. So don’t preach to me about needing a changed life. I am carrying my cross daily, to God’s infinite glory.
Yes, but it’s been placed after Paul’s writings to the Church. Yes? The tribulation and the second coming was at hand in early Acts when James wrote this letter to the Jews. It is not a Christian epistle. Do you agree?
Nope, they are addressing different audiences. Simple. Paul addresses the body of Christ. James addresses the Jews.
But you said 'yes' when I asked you if you are depending on a faith that has no works attached to it to save you. So how can you be depending on a faith that has no works attached if you don't have a faith with no works attached?
Abraham shows us that justification has never been by works. So it's impossible that the Jews have a gospel where you are made righteous by what you do.
Yes, but that is because I also follow the principle of rightly dividing the word.
You will have a hard time convincing people here about that, but all the best
There are basically a few ways people use to handle James
- Martin Luther way: Ignore James completely
- Vertical vs horizontal justification: Seen here, where they reason that Paul is talking about justification before God (vertical) but James is talking about justification before man (horizontal)
- Believe that all of us are justified by faith initially, but we need works to remain justified.
How we treat our enemies especially shows us to be converted, born again people:
32“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. - Luke 6:32-36
Lots of people take false comfort in treating people the same way even unsaved people treat people. But the evidence of conversion is much higher than that and is best seen in how one treats his enemies.
The reason you miss the mark so many times theologically is because of a refusal to acknowledge context and verbiage...
SHOW ME YOUR FAITH is the context of JAMES.....and yes INDEED a man's claim of FAITH can be JUSTIFIED before MEN based upon actions.....
The first line is why you and I will never be in agreement on most truths.....
JESUS was clear.....OUR WORKS before MEN justify our claim of faith and GLORIFY the FATHER