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In this episode I address a question that Christians have been asking for centuries: do Paul and James disagree about faith and works? In passages like Romans 3:27-30 and Galatians 2:15-16, Paul says that we are justified by faith and not the works of the Law. In James 2:14-26, however, James claims that faith without works is dead. What’s going on here? I explore how the word ‘faith’ itself is a dynamic term which denotes action, including the concepts of faithfulness and obedience, and that Paul and James are both arguing that true faith acts. I then look at the text more carefully, showing that Paul is not arguing against good works in general but against “works of the Law”, claiming that Gentiles are incorporated into Abraham’s family without having to adopt Jewish rites and identity markers such as circumcision and dietary laws. James, on the other hand, is arguing that faith that isn’t put into practice is dead, a sentiment with which Paul would be in full agreement. In other words, Paul and James have the same perspective on faith and works.
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The Protestant Libertarian Podcast is a project of the Libertarian Christian Institute and a part of the Christians For Liberty Network. The Libertarian Christian Institute can be found at www.libertarianchristians.com.
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