Wednesday in the Word

what the Bible means and how we know

  • Home
  • Bible Studies
    • New Testament Bible Studies
    • Old Testament Bible Studies
    • Topical Bible Studies
    • What is the Gospel?
  • Study Help
    • Bible Study 101: Learn to Study the Bible
    • Bible Maps, Charts & Tools
    • Study Resources by Book of the Bible
    • Bible Study 201: Learn to teach the Bible
    • Quotations: where Scripture quotes Scripture
  • Topics
    • Theology
    • Faith & Life
    • Family
    • Women’s Ministry Resources
    • Most Popular
    • Podcast Browser
  • What is WitW?
    • Meet Krisan
    • What We Believe
    • Looking Back
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Passages / James / 06 James 2:14-20 Do James and Paul agree?

06 James 2:14-20 Do James and Paul agree?

February 15, 2012 By Krisan Marotta

https://media.blubrry.com/wednesday_in_the_word_with/p/www.wednesdayintheword.com/wp-content/uploads/sermons/WITW-20120215_KM.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:48 — 8.0MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Email | RSS | More

06 Do James & Paul agree? Part 1 - James 2:14-20 | WednesdayintheWord.com

James 2:14-26 is the “problem” passage of the book of James where it looks like James and Paul disagree.

James and Paul appear to contradict each other because they use the same vocabulary.  They both talk about faith, works and justification, and they both appeal to Abraham to support their claim.

But they use the same language in very different contexts.  They are addressing different problems and answering different questions.

In Galatians, Paul addressed the question raised by the theology of the Judaizers. Must I keep the law in order to be saved?  Do my outward acts of obedience gain me any favor with God?  Paul strongly asserts that our works have no value in bringing us into a right relationship with God.  Our outward acts of obedience can not earn us salvation.

In James, the apostle answers a different question.  James asserts that after establishing a right relationship with God, works will necessarily follow because genuine saving faith changes both what we believe and how we act. James is focusing on the question:  “What does real saving faith look like?”  Essentially, he’s saying, I agree we are saved by faith alone.  But let’s make sure you understand what faith alone really means.  Let’s make sure you know the difference between pseudo-faith and genuine saving faith.

He is NOT asking the question what use is it if a person claims to have faith and still sins on occasion.  The question is NOT will I ever sin again after believing the gospel?  IF that’s the question, all of us are in trouble.

The question is what if I claim to have faith and nothing in my life, nothing in my attitudes, nothing in my values, nothing in the way I speak or the way I treat people or the way I respond to trials changes?  What then, is that faith?  James says no, that is not faith.

Discussion Questions – James 2:14-20

  1. Define: “the royal law” (vs 8); “law of liberty” (vs 12);  judgment & mercy (vs 13)
  2. What does it mean to “love your neighbor”?  What does it look like in daily life?
  3. What does 2:14 mean in the context of chapter 1-2?
  4. What does 2:17 mean in the context of chapter 1-2?
  5. What are the biggest obstacles to being merciful?  How can we face them and/or overcome them as individuals? And as a church?
For more detail and explanation, please listen to the podcast.

Next: 07 James 2:21-26 Do James and Paul agree, Part 2

Previous: 05 James 2:1-13 What is on the inside counts

Series: James: The Gospel in Shoe Leather

Study: James Resources

Photo by Elisei Abiculesei on Unsplash

(Visited 772 times, 3 visits today)

Related posts:

  1. 07 James 2:21-26 Do James and Paul agree, Part 2
  2. 04 James 1:19-27 How to respond to the gospel
  3. James 5: Spiritually weak or physically ill?
  4. 03 James 1:9-18 Who is better off: the rich or the poor?
  5. 02 James 1:1-8 Why does God test our faith?

Filed Under: James, Passages Tagged With: faith, James, Paul, works

Find the podcast on:


  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • Google Play

  • iTunes Podcasts

  • Pinterest

  • SoundCloud

  • Spotify

  • Amazon

  • Stitcher

  • TuneIn

  • iHeart

  • Email

  • RSS Feed

Wednesday in the Word is the podcast about what the Bible means and how we know.

Contact us

Categories

© 2011 by Krisan Marotta. Site by Author Media.