Reconciling James and Paul

 Rom 4:2-3 – For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, & it was accounted to him for righteousness.”  Jas 2:21-22 – Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, & by works faith was made perfect?

 “justification” is dikaiosis – “denotes the act of pronouncing righteous, justification, acquittal.” (Vine)

 Rom 4:24-25 – It [righteousness, the result of justification, bj] shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, & was raised [for, kjv] because of [dia: the channel of an act] our justification.

 Gal 3:23-25 – But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

 Titus 3:7 – that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.  Jas 2:24 – You see then that a man is justified by works, & not by faith only.  Rom 5:1 – Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

 “Justification, the pardon of sin, & the promise of eternal life...are solely through faith,” (Art. 5, pg. 48).  “Salvation is a free gift from God...we exercise faith in order to be saved, but even our faith is also a gift of God” (Cox, Amillennialism, pg. 33).

 “We are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ, by faith, & not for our own works or deservings. Wherefore, that we are justified by faith, only, is a most wholesome doctrine, & very full of comfort” (Art. 9)

 Romans deals w/ justification by faith in Christ as opposed to justification by deeds of “law”.  Justification cannot be obtained by keeping “the Law” perfectly, because all sin (Rom 10:5; Gal 3:10)  Abraham was justified by faith before the covenant of circumcision, which became part of “the Law”.  God grants justification by grace through faith in Christ, not through the deeds of “the Law” (11:4-6).

 James deals with justification by works (obedience to Christ) Christ as opposed to justification by faith only.  Jas 2:14, 24, 26 – What doeth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, & have not works? can faith save him? …24 You see then that a man is justified by works, & not by faith only For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

 Paul was writing about justification to Jews who thought they could be justified by keeping their law (the Law of Moses).  James was writing about justification to Christians who thought they could be justified without keeping their (the Law of Christ).