The controversy between the messages of Paul and James begins long before Biblical scholars look at the Letter of James. The first conflict is described in the book of Acts. But are they really in conflict? James’ message is certainly different than that of Paul, and we should not try to make them one and the same. Martin Luther seemed to think that James contradicted Paul; modern scholars question that view. Even in Acts we can see that James and Paul are reaching to different people, and like good preachers everywhere, are adapting what they say so it can be heard by their respective congregations.

References to Scripture
General Old Testament | Leviticus and Psalm 12
Sermon on the Mount | Paul's Letters | Top of Page

Background Pages
What's In A Word? | James uses Biblical Texts | Paul and James
Will the REAL James Stand Up? | When was James Written?
To Whom is James Sent? | Canon: Is James IN or OUT?
Read it Yourself: Comments on James in the Canon
Annotated Bibliography

Acts 15 is the story of the Council at Jerusalem, where the leadership decided that Gentiles were not required to be circumcised in order to become Christians. Circumcision was closely linked to following Jewish law. The strict view is that it is necessary for them to be circumcised and ordered to keep the Law of Moses –Acts 15:5. Paul responds with the evidence of the wonders done among Gentiles, people who are not circumcised, and are not keeping the law. It is James who proposes the compromise—that Gentiles should abstain from food offered idols, strangled foods, and from blood, and from fornication. When Paul visits James in Acts 21:17-26, we discover that the Jews of Palestine are following the law, while the Jews of the diaspora are not.

Painter suggests that early Christians varied widely on the view of the law. The most conservative, who are identified as Pharisees—and believers—in Acts 15, suggest that Christianity is a part of Judaism, and thus is bound by the law (P74). The other extreme is described in 1 Corinthians: Christians who felt bound by NO laws (P77). Neither James nor Paul supported either of these positions. Yet this does not mean they agreed. James seems to have believed that Jews were bound to the law; Paul apparently did not follow the law himself, and argues that it is not necessary to salvation (P76).

Paul’s point is that only faith in Jesus Christ that is necessary for salvation. Fifteen centuries later the church seems to have missed this, and Martin Luther turns to Paul to remedy the situation. It is Luther’s focus on grace that makes him decide that James was contradicting Paul, and thus a lesser scripture (J197). Link to more on Luther and James. But Paul’s commitment to grace and James’ support of law are both the convictions of first century Jewish-Christians with roots in Palestinian Judaism (J180).

What, then, is Paul’s understanding of Law? How does James understand faith? Because of the conflict described in Acts, we look for conflict in their letters (P265). Yet James style and outlook is quite similar to that of Paul (J180). What will we find when we look for similarities rather than contradictions?

It is a mistake to presume that James is not concerned with faith. Despite our general understanding that the letter is about works, James writes about faith from beginning to end. “Deeds do not replace faith, they complete it” (J198). The letter uses the word faith 16 times, although not so much to develop a theology, as to consider the practical implications of a life of faith (H95). Yet it is clear that James wants us to know that the implication of faith IS works.

In this sense Painter is correct in arguing that James is not denying Paul’s contention that we are justified by faith, but he is opposed to the idea that we are justified by faith alone (P265). So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead –James 2:17. It is not that faith is unimportant, but rather that faith without works is not faith at all. James' concern is that faith and works must be unified (T53), his goal is completeness and integrity. And for James, complete faith is obedience to the Law (H91). It is our actions at living out the law that reveals our faith (J197). Interestingly, this is the same message as Galatians 5:6. The only thing that counts is faith working through love.

While James talks about the works of faith (James 2:22), rather than the works of the law (J197), there is no question that James has a focus on law that could unsettle the Pauline Christian (W93). James is clearly describing Christianity as an ethical religion, that we are called to observe the whole law (W126). Paul makes similar arguments, but in the end concludes that we cannot succeed at following the law. Paul proclaims that the good news of Jesus Christ is that it is our faith, not our works that justify us before God.

And it is the idea of justification that is important to Paul. He certainly agrees that active faith is demonstrated by our good works (P269). His argument is that those works cannot save us. For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law (Romans 3:28). Paul uses Abraham as an example of how even a person of good works is justified by his faith rather than actions. In Romans 4 Paul quotes Genesis 15:6 to argue that Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. The point for Paul is related to the circumcision debate—Abraham is reckoned as righteous before he is circumcised.

James is not interested in circumcision, but uses Genesis 15:6 as well. James’ argument, however, is that it is Abraham’s works that reckoned him as righteous.

Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was brought to completion by the works. –James 2:21-22

Some have argued that this shows that James is written in response to Paul’s letters; that James is refuting Paul’s theology. Painter argues instead that this is evidence that the letter of James is a later document, written in response to believers who interpreted Paul’s theology as acceptance of faith apart from works (P268). What is certain is that both Paul and James accept Abraham as a model for modern Christians, and as a righteous man who had faith and good works. Link to more about Abraham, Rahab, faith and works.

For James, faith without works is dead. For Paul, we are justified by faith alone. James believes we demonstrate our faith by living out the law. Paul believes that the grace of Jesus Christ frees us from living out the law. We do not know whether James is calling believers to follow the ritual law that developed with Pharisaic Judaism, but from Acts we see that he was willing to require a lesser law for Gentile believers. We do not know whether Paul ever saw the letter of James, but from 1 Corinthians and elsewhere we see that he is not calling for Christians to give up ethical living.

Certainly Paul and James would agree that we cannot say to a person without food “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” unless we are willing to supply their bodily needs. For indeed, what is the good of that? -James 2:16

References to Scripture
General Old Testament | Leviticus and Psalm 12
Sermon on the Mount | Paul's Letters | Top of Page

Background Pages
What's In A Word? | James uses Biblical Texts | Paul and James
Will the REAL James Stand Up? | When was James Written?
To Whom is James Sent? | Canon: Is James IN or OUT?
Read it Yourself: Comments on James in the Canon
Annotated Bibliography

Resources (Link to full Bibliography for web site)
Patrick J. Hartin, A Spirituality of Perfection: Faith in Action in the Letter of James, (Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1999).

Luke Timothy Johnson, “The Letter of James” in Leander Keck et al, eds., The New Interpreter’s Bible, Volume XII, (Nashville: Abingdon, 2000).

John Painter, Just James: the Brother of Jesus in History and Tradition, (Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 1997).

Elsa Tamez, The Scandalous Message of James: Faith Without Works is Dead, (New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1990).

Robert W. Wall, Community of the Wise: The Letter of James, (Valley Forge, PA: Trinity Press International, 1997).