Reading: Theological Analysis (Slides)

IV. THEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS
Problem of James' Argument Revisited

• Issue: Does James contradict Paul on the relationship of faith and works?
• Response: No! The apparent problem stems from fact that both James and Paul use the language/vocabulary of "faith" to address quite different specific situations.
  
  
• Context: James is facing a serious problem in the Jewish Christian churches of Jerusalem and surrounding area--the discrimination against the poor in either worship or matters of judgment (2:1-13) and the neglect of the poor (2:15-16).
• Claim: James exhibits a positive view of "works"--not as a means to obtain righteousness but instead as a natural and essential element of true, saving faith; James is not contrasting works versus faith but a false faith versus a true faith.
  
  
• Context: Paul in a few letters (Galatians, Romans) is facing a serious problem of legalism or works-righteousness--some who claimed special status before God based on their works of the law.
• Claim: Paul in this context exhibits a negative view of "works", stressing instead that one is justified by faith, i.e., by belief in the person and work of Jesus Christ; in a different context, however, Paul agrees with James by speaking positively about "works" as acts of obedience in response to the gift of grace.
• Paul's positive statements about "works"
• Romans 8:4 "in order that the righteous requirement of the law may be fully filled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but the Spirit."
• Galatians 5:6 "faith working through love"
• 1 Thessalonians 1:2 "work of faith" = "work produced by faith" (NIV)
  
  
• James, in his specific historical context, stresses the necessity of "post-conversion works"--works of love for one's neighbor, namely, care for those in need and not showing favoritism, all done as a natural response to God's gift of righteousness.
• Paul, in his specific historical context, strongly denies "pre-conversion works"--works of the law such as circumcision, following food laws and the Jewish religious calendar, all done in order to obtain God's righteousness.
• Frances Gench's medical metaphor: "Paul is dealing with obstetrics, with how new life begins; James, however, is dealing with pediatrics and geriatrics, with how Christian life grows and matures and ages” (Hebrews and James. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox, 1996, p. 106).
  
  
• Luther's comments about faith in the preface to his Romans commentary captures, somewhat ironically, the key message of James 2:14-26.
  "Oh, it is a living, busy, active thing, this faith. It is impossible for it not to be doing good things incessantly. It does not ask whether good works are to be done, but before the question is asked, it has already done this, and is constantly doing them. Whoever does not do such works, however, is an unbeliever. He gropes and looks around for faith and good works, but knows neither what faith is nor what good works are. Yet he talks and talks, with many words, about the faith and good works."