My friend Mike Arara from Kenya recently put forth this argument:
The Argument: You see, then, that it is by our works/actions that we are put right with God, and not by our faith alone. James 2:24 GNT Righteousness is by faith, and Faith alone cannot earn one’s salvation. James the writer of the book of James 2 continues to make the case that those who truly trust in God “naturally” end up participating in good “works”. As James showed in prior verses, no one can be saved by good works. Works are not required for salvation—they are a “symptom” of saving faith.
In verse 22, he used the Greek word eteleiōthē to explain good works as the “completion,” or the natural end result, of saving faith. James is urgently making the case that all those who are saved through faith by God’s grace will participate in good works.
Here are two things you need to remember.
1. James is not claiming that works are required for salvation. His entire argument has been about what kind of faith actually saves. He is on the attack against the attitude that one can be saved by a faith that has no works. He has stated repeatedly that such a faith is dead, useless. He is not saying that faith is not the means through which we receive God’s Grace; he is saying that a so-called-“faith” which results in no actions is not a genuine faith. A “works-less” faith cannot justify anyone.
2. James has been consistent in upholding faith as necessary for salvation. This includes his quote in verse 23 that Abraham was counted as righteous for believing God.
It is in that spirit that James writes that a person is “justified” by works and not by faith alone. In verse 21, James used the concept of “justification,” which some see as a contradiction to Paul’s use of “justification James, according to this context, is referring to “justification” in the sense of proof for human beings. Faith saves, says James, but “saving faith” cannot be a mere intellectual opinion, which produces no resulting actions.
The Response: This individual has effectively articulated a common argument held by those who believe salvation does not come from works alone, but rather, we are saved to engage in works, thereby achieving the fullness and realization of our salvation. However, I have identified five concerns with this argument and will outline them accordingly.
- To start, it’s crucial to recognize that there’s no such thing as human-saving faith. We must tread carefully amid the subtle insinuations often made by many speakers on this subject. Salvation is entirely the work of God—nothing else and no one else. Your faith doesn’t save you; it can’t, no matter how practical or functional it may seem. While your belief may offer deliverance from earthly troubles and facilitate progress in life, the kind of faith that leads to eternal salvation is beyond human attainment. I’ll delve deeper into this later, but for now, let’s establish that our salvation doesn’t hinge on so-called “saving faith”; it hinges solely on God. Let’s not allow anyone to indirectly suggest that saving faith can supplant God or act as a partner to God in matters of salvation.
- Secondly, individuals who are saved do not attain salvation through their involvement in good works either before or after salvation. Whether they engage in good works or not, their salvation remains unchanged. To promote the necessity of works in the salvation process is to disregard grace and faith entirely. Where there exists works before or after salvation, grace and faith become redundant. Grace is extended to all, irrespective of their actions before or after salvation, highlighting the indispensable need for grace in such cases. As stated in Hebrews 11:1, faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Any faith accompanied by visible works does not align with the faith pertinent to eternal salvation.
- Thirdly, it’s essential to note that James originally wrote in Hebrew, not Greek; hence, his letter was later translated into Greek. The use of the term ‘Etelieothe‘ in James 2:22 indicates that the translators remained faithful to the Hebrew term James employed. In the grammatical context of this text, ‘Etelieothe‘ suggests that it is good works that perfect, complete, and qualify faith. Essentially, this means that faith is not complete without good works. In other words, wherever there are good works, regardless of belief in God or Jesus, there exists faith. This is the message James conveys.
However, challenges arise when considering Gentiles who follow the law but are not part of Judaism (Romans 2:14), and when individuals like Cornelius, who are well-behaved and God-fearing, still require faith (Acts 10). Here, language becomes crucial for understanding the ideological stance. James’ ideology is not that we are saved by grace through faith alone, without works before or after, but rather that a religious Jew who believes in Jesus of Nazareth still participates in Jewish religious rituals (Acts 3:1).
Using and interpreting the Epistle of James in the context of how we are saved for eternal purposes contradicts the entire message of justification as presented in the entirety of the Bible (Old and New Testament). There are two primary reasons for this: Firstly, humanity is not an active agent in these new covenant means of salvation; even the faith through which we are saved is not ours but that of Jesus (Romans 3:22). The saving faith we discussed earlier belongs to Jesus, not us; our role is to choose the finished product of salvation. Secondly, the term ‘Etelieothe’ implies that the goal of salvation is good works or behavior, which is not accurate (Galatians 2:21). The goal of faith is salvation, not good behavior. Good behavior exists even where there is no faith in God. - Fourthly, let’s refrain from distorting the narrative of James to suit our arguments. We should avoid misusing scripture through anachronism. What James conveys in James 2:23 is in line with the context of the work-based premise of verse 21, which asks, “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?” James does not assert that Abraham was justified without works, as some readers selectively interpret verse 23. Instead, James insists that the process of perfecting his faith (Eteliothe=vs 22) was demonstrated in Abraham’s act of offering his son.
It’s crucial to understand that anyone attempting to attach works to the gospel may resort to misquoting and inserting their own ideas. The individual defending James against preaching works is misquoting James in the same manner that James himself misquotes the Old Testament record by suggesting that Abraham was justified when he offered his son Isaac. It’s important to note that Abraham was justified long before Isaac was born (Genesis 15). - Fifthly, to argue that a ‘faith without works’ cannot justify anyone, as James states, involves two assumptions. Firstly, it assumes that every canonized speaker, like James, comprehends the concept of salvation, and because they use salvation terminology, they are addressing how we are saved or not saved for eternal purposes. However, their encounters with Paul regarding the Gospel (as reported by Paul in Galatians 2:1-6), Peter’s initial reluctance to include Gentiles in Jesus’ mission (Acts 10), and the recommendations made in Jerusalem (Acts 15) reveal the limited understanding these early religious figures had of the Gospel. Therefore, it’s risky to assume that simply because individuals were biologically related to Jesus or were physical disciples, they fully grasped the Gospel, and we should accept their statements without question.
James was the leader of a group that advocated selling all possessions in preparation for the immediate return of Jesus (Acts chapters 1-4), illustrating the misunderstanding of the mission by the original disciples (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8). After this group disbanded (Acts chapters 5-8), James and his followers faced shortages and relied on support from believers in Antioch churches founded by Paul. The heart of James’ epistle lies in James 2:14-17, while the rest offers leadership advice.
The target audience of James’ epistle was the Pauline churches in Antioch and beyond, where justification by faith was preached in contrast to the Judaism advocated by the Jerusalem temple leaders before its collapse (Acts chapters 5-8). Essentially, James’ letter serves as a fundraising appeal, reminding believers of their responsibility to assist needy fellow believers and others in their communities.
Similar to other religious figures, James employs salvation as a motivator to ensure generosity among givers, utilizing a reward and punishment model common in religious contexts. However, it’s widely acknowledged today that acts of philanthropy and generosity do not determine salvation.
The second assumption is regarding justification by ‘our’ faith, whether accompanied by works or not. As mentioned earlier, we are not justified by our active faith, nor are we disqualified due to a lack of works; rather, we are justified by God Himself. This justification is facilitated through various means, including the incarnation, Jesus’ obedient life, His sacrificial death on the cross, His descent into Hell, His resurrection, and His restoration to divine authority. Ultimately, justification by grace through faith alone emphasizes that those who choose to accept God’s salvation are declared righteous and eternally saved, with no contribution from humanity in this process.
God bless you.
I invoke Truth, Wisdom, and Faith (2 Timothy 2:7)
Priest Isaiah White Mutabazi Tumwine: (+256 775 822833)
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