What is theDIFFERENCE between the saving faith proclaimed by Paul (Romans 4:1-5)
and that proclaimed by James (James 2:20-24)?
Paul cites Abraham as an example of justification by faith
alone without works (Romans 4:5)
James cites Abraham as an example of justification by
faith accompanied with works (James 2:24)
Why theDIFFERENCE between these two salvation messages?
There is a DIFFERENTaudience being addressed in each case:
Paul's letter to the Romans is addressed to ALL NATIONS
(Romans 1:5)
James' letter is addressed to the 12 tribes "scattered
abroad" (James 1:1), i.e. the 12 tribes of THE NATION of Israel (Matthew 19:28)
There is a DIFFERENTtime in view concerning each case:
Paul's salvation message concerns a time when God is at
peace with the world (II Corinthians 5:18-19) when God is beseeching the world thru His ambassadors to make their
peace with Him by acknowledging what He alone has done for them thru His Son (II Corinthians 5:20-21)
James' salvation message concerns the time when God is
ready to return to the earth as "the Judge" (James 5:8-9) "to make war" (Revelation 19:11) when "endurance to the end" will be the salvation requirement
(Matthew 24:13-14) as illustrated by tbe "patience of Job" (James 5:10-11)
There is a DIFFERENTfaith example to emphasize the DIFFERENTsalvation message in each case:
Paul makes reference to Abraham's faith BEFORE the covenant
of CIRCUMCISION (Genesis 17:9-14) when Abraham was an uncircumcised Gentile (Genesis 15:4-6)
and so his gospel is called the "gospel of the uncircumcision" (Galatians 2:7)
The salvation message is to trust what God has done alone
concerning the payment of the sinner's debt as evidenced by the resurrection of Christ (Romans 4:23-25)
just as Abraham trusted in the God of resurrection alone Who promised to bring forth his seed out of the deadness
of his flesh and that of his wife (Romans 4:17-22)
James makes reference to Abraham's faith AFTER the covenant
of CIRCUMCISION (Genesis 17:9-14) when Abraham was a circumcised Jew (Genesis 22:15-18) and so his gospel is called the "gospel of the circumcision"
(Galatians 2:7)
The salvation message is to be "faithful unto death"
to receive a "crown of life" (Revelation 2:10) just as Abraham was obedient unto the death of his son (James 2:21-24)
and received him back to life and so witnessed in type the resurrection of Christ (Hebrews 11:17-19)
The obedience of faith defined
in each salvation message is
consistent with the purposeof what God is
doing witheach people in each age:
The salvation message for the Gentiles in this age of
"grace and peace" (Romans 1:7) is to trust in what God alone has done thru His Son (Romans 4:23-25) just as Abraham trusted in what God alone had promised to do concerning his seed (Romans 4:17-22)