Did Paul teach faith-alone Christianity in Romans 2:6-8?

Question

"God 'will give to each person according to what he has done.' To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger."

To paraphrase, Paul is teaching that eternal life is God's free gift in response to our obedience. Eternal life will be given to those who persist in doing good. Those who look after "number one," who reject the truth, and who follow evil will experience God's wrath rather than eternal life.

Am I misinterpreting the words of Paul? As he says elsewhere, anyone who is saved is saved by grace, that is, God's free, unearned gift, and we must believe this on faith--but we do not receive salvation by faith alone. He expects the kind of charity described in the Last Judgment narrative of Matt 25:31-46.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matt%2025:31-46;&version=31;

Answer 1

Paul continues in verse 9: "There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism."



COMMENT: He is certainly not partial to those who pray a sinner's prayer and return to a life of self-absorption and sin.



Here is the often-quoted, much misunderstood passage from Eph 2:



"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.



COMMENT: You were dead in sin when you followed the ways of this world, obedient to Satan.



"All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.



COMMENT: We all made similar mistakes before we became followers of Christ.



"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.



COMMENT: When we repented, got baptized, and began to live for Christ, our salvation began. Note that Paul never mentions "faith alone" as the reason.



"And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.



COMMENT: We didn't correct our broken relationship with God by doing good works. But once it is corrected, good works are expected as a condition of continuing good favor.



"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."



COMMENT: Why were we created? To DO GOOD WORKS. If we refuse these works, we destroy our relationship with God, just as the rich man who took no interest in Lazarus dying on his doorstep.



CDF

Answer 2

It is a missunderstanding of Paul and/or the corresponding Gosple accounts to say that St. Paul contradicts Our Lord. He would not and does not. If it seems that way then their si something we are missing either ion the Gosple of teh letter of Paul. They would not both have been cannonized as Holy Scripture, if they contridcated each oither, must I bring up Jesus's lesson on a house divided?



The answer is simple, it is through the free gift of grace that we are given the ability to do, to do the things the Lrod's commands in mt25:31-46. so, we are saved by His grace, because otherwise without it we would not be able to do these things. Grace unacted on is not salvific; it is like a returend gift. But since grace let's us do these things,; it would be more often occrurring thta those who say they have been saved by grace, but don't do these things are lying about the former; they never recieved the grace in the first place. We get grace via prayer the sacramnets just belongin to the church that Jesus founded proveds certain graces.



No, St. Paul did not teach faith alone christianity nor did Jesus. The idea of it is absurd, it cxomes from trying to read and understand the Bible outside of the teachings of Holy Mother Church. It woudl be innnocent enough but it leads peopl astray, becsue it is easier then the whole enchilada, of true grace not only giving us the ability, but providedin the motivation, almost literally driving us to do these things. What is more a chirstain a memebr of the christain church universal can recieve grace and do these things, all the time being a sinner. That is stumbling falling going to caonfession recieving hte grace do for others etc.



Faith alone how absurd, is that like "i've said the sinners prayer, I'm saved so let me eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die and go to heaven just becasue I believe.



mt75689 - "Be careful"

1- you are talking to a catholic whjo has more knowlege understanig and grace then you can fathom

2- you admoinshed the asker without understanding the quesation or the scripture ie YOU don't know what you are talking about you are lost and blind.

3- go get your KJV trun it upsidedown and read it that way you would probably understnd it better



You ahev no idea waht you are tlking about and btw heretic never never admonsih a catholic. Your answer said nothing it spoke only of you ignorance arrogance and your intrention to lead other's astry hereitc.



Go eat a cracker, drink some grape juice and impress you frineds with you missunderstand of greek interpretaions of the aramiac that you have no understaning of.

I repeat do not EVER admonish a catholic agin hereitc. Go get your pator. why don';t you try answeing the question. do yo know why because you don't even understand it. tehre is no life in you. Be gone.



mt75689 - "Be careful", you remind me of a little leager going up to A-Rod after he's just hit the game winning home runn and telling A-Rod he had his bat upside down.

Answer 3

It’s particularly effortless. The question is what comes first – or what motives what. actual Christians have faith that good works are the mandatory results of a real saving faith. Jehovah’s Witnesses, on the different hand, have faith that good works are the reason for why/how somebody gets stored and remains stored. of direction, the two JWs and Christians have faith that good works are “mandatory” for a real Christian believer. besides the undeniable fact that, actual Christians think of of it like a fruit actual. If I without warning switched over you into an apple tree, then you could produce some apples – thereby proving what style of a tree you're. yet each so often apple timber have “undesirable years.” That doesn’t cause them to the rest. in addition, no stored guy or woman “loses” his salvation because of the fact he didn’t score adequate God factors. Jehovah’s Witnesses are attempting to get into paradise earth by using their good works. regrettably, Jehovah God has a usual for people who're using this equipment. And that usual is absolute (one hundred%) perfection. So how is that going for you JWs? is this a triumphing technique? you recognize what. I’ve concept approximately. And all issues seen, i think of I’m going to flow with Jesus. could you care to connect me?

Answer 4

Eat and be filled is meaningless unless you give a hungry person food. Paul is teaching obedience to God's commandments.

Answer 5

It's amazing to me how this still divides everyone.



Yes, grace is the only thing that saves us. If you have faith but no grace, how could you be saved? So, that is a given, I think. However, God gives everyone enough grace to be able to get to heaven. Faith is how we respond to that grace.



Faith is a matter of the mind and heart. My mind and heart cannot go feed a poor man. I have to get up off my rear end and do it. God won't make me do it as if I am a robot.



I know in my mind and heart that God wants me to do something. It is not always as distinct as my doorbell, but God knows how much is enough for me to turn to Him or away from Him. It can't be measured by us in a beaker. God knows how much grace we need to be able to turn to Him in an act of love *by* responding to His call to serve others.



It is painful to me to hear the atheists here talk about the Christians who are bent out of shape. They probably don't believe in God because we aren't collectively showing God to them. We cannot show God to them by copying and pasting Bible verses at them. They've probably seen Bibles before but if they had ever "seen" God (without a doubt in their hearts) because of the actions of others, then they would most assuredly believe.



I talk to the other Christians here because I think they should know better. I don't talk to the atheists because I believed they are tired of hearing about Christianity and I can't say that I really blame them.



I hope my explanation was enough. Paul could explain it better. Sometimes I wish he had. Thanks be to God for His Church to teach us that salvation is by "grace alone".



EDIT -- In my explanation I should have expounded on the fact that this is why people who believe in "faith alone" are always advocating "a personal relationship with God" whereas with Catholics it is a communion with our fellow human beings because, due to the Incarnation, we are all part of humanity. Our communion with each other as Catholics ties in with our belief in God humbling Himself to become a man, thereby elevating our dignity as humans and connecting us all in His humanity. We are so intimately connected with each other that there is no "personal relationship with God" that excludes others by virtue of making works meaningless.



In "faith only" teaching, the Cross is the only thing necessary. To Catholics, there could have been no Cross and no works coming from Faith through God's grace if there had not been an Incarnation -- God becoming man.



I'm sorry this is so long. All these centuries of division cannot be remedied by one answer on an internet forum.



Hope this helps.

Answer 6

Here's my answer: I think God is waiting for us to use our brain (that HE gave us).



Notice that the Children of Isreal were NOT quite off the hook, even though they hadn't yet seen the tablets when Moses returned to find a golden calf. They were still RESPONSABLE.



That's biblical proof of my point. God gave us a brain, and after 10 - 40 thousand years, He's still waiting. And waiting. And waiting ....ect.

Answer 7

Faith is believing, and without belief, one can not have salvation. But there is much more to salvation then just belief, because it says in James 2:19 "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble." We must also believe in Christ: 1 Tim 2:5 "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;" and 1 Thess 5:9 "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ." So, what is ment by "obey"? Rom 3:31 "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." Rom 6:15 "What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid." Rom 7:7,13 "What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God frobid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful." So, what is ment by all of this? 1 John 5:1-5 "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat (God) loveth him also that is begotten (Jesus) of him. By this we know that we love the chilren of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is bor of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that evercometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?"

Answer 8

Well actually your missing the point ,at the very second

you are sealed as a believer in Christ, the Holy Spirit of God enters, and at that point the desire to works is established

Paul is just speaking as if you already knew this! So you are trying to eat the meat of what he is saying before you drink any milk! We who have faith in Jesus are saved by faith alone!

Yet it is when we have that faith that we are sealed!

We are then sealed by the Holy Spirit of God!

Who teaches us what direction our life should go!

Therefore works seem like they must be accompanied

by true faith but the matter is truly that the gift ,brings the works not the person trying to serve!

So if John truly believes in Christ dying for his sins and he desires to let Jesus come into his heart! He will then lead a life led by the Holy Spirit unto good works not because of good works! You cannot please God without faith and trust!

yet rest assured the Holy Spirit will create a desire in you to go and do good things read Luke 4:18 what does that say?

BINGO good works come when the spirit of the Lord is upon a man ,not because a man think himself to be acceptable to God by doing good things! Now I am not saying men can't in and of themselves do good things but these are not requirements for faith and salvation they are merely the fruits of being saved! the good tree bears good fruit!

Check out my website!

The video entitled "Shocking" at the bottom of the page may explain salvation better!

http://www.maxpages.com/jesuscomes

John C.

Answer 9

No Paul teaches deeds also in that it is not enough to say I believe God but don't do anything or disobey his teaching.

Faith without deed is dead faith.

If you have faith pay your tithe, if you don't pay tithe, you are disobeying the word.

Your faith and your deed will be judged in reward or punishment.

Answer 10

#1 We cannot merit eternal life. Because good works are only possible if you have faith. We by nature do not do any good, there is always a selfish motivation. Even if we do some good, it cannot be true good because of our sins.



#2 To really answer your question: We are made righteous/justified by faith alone (Eph. 2:8-9). THis is not because we are acceptable to God on account of the worthiness of our faith, but because only the satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ is my righteousness before God. (1 Cor 2:2) Also, we cannot receive and apply this righteousness to ourselves any other way than by faith alone. This all simply means that faith is not earned, but given. Also, faith is given by grace, they go hand-in-hand. I hope that this is helpful. Though, I know that even these words can only be understood if they are applied to your heart by the Holy Spirit. God bless!

Answer 11

faith alone" formula is unbiblical language. The phrase "faith alone" (pisteus monon) appears in the New Testament only once-in James 2:24-where it is rejected.

Answer 12

Good question. I'm not sure what you mean by "faith-alone Christianity," but I would say that faith-alone salvation is amply assured by scripture. God's grace + our faith = our salvation. After that, obedient servanthood will flow naturally from a reborn spirit.



"...Paul is teaching that eternal life is God's free gift in response to our obedience."

If that were correct, salvation wouldn't be a free gift.



"...anyone who is saved is saved by...God's free, unearned gift...but we do not receive salvation by faith alone."

OK, but what more can *we* add to faith? We have nothing more to offer Him, else we would be denying both the adequacy of His grace and our faith in it.

Answer 13

Be careful---you're isolating a statement from its context and deriving a man-centered or works based understanding from the text. Keep in mind that when Paul wrote this letter, he didn't assign the chapters and the verses. Those were added for our convenience. Therefore you need to recognize that the first 3 chapters of Romans are part of one long argument which Paul begins to conclude in verses 3 thru 31 in chapter 3. It would be good for you to read the entire book of Romans so that you can see how this letter progresses for yourself.

Answer 14

No, Paul taught grace-alone salvation.



Those who "persist" are those who are called to persist, it is not a human action as humans are "dead in sin" and "serving their father, the devil".



It is by GRACE I am saved, not by faith.

Answer 15

nope that seems pretty clear: if you live only have others serve you, then your life is over when no one is around to take advantage of.

Answer 16

Are We Justified by Faith (Romans)

or by Works (James)?





In Romans it says, "because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight . . . " (Rom. 3:20), and "for we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law," (Rom. 3:28), and "For what does the Scripture say? ‘And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness'" (Rom. 4:3), and "Therefore, having been justified by faith . . . " (Rom. 5:1), and "But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness" (Rom. 4:5).

In James it says, "You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone," (James 2:24) and " . . . so also faith without works is dead," (James 2:26).

Which is it? Are we justified by faith or by works?



Does the Bible Contradict Itself?



It is a fundamental Christian belief that we are justified by faith. Justification means that God declares a sinner to be righteous. He does this by crediting, by reckoning the righteousness of Jesus to the sinner. This is done by faith. That is, when the sinner puts his faith in the sacrifice of Jesus and trusts in Him and not himself for righteousness, then God justifies him. "And Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness," (Rom. 4:3). But, if the Bible teaches that we are justified by faith, does it also teach we are justified by works as James seems to say? Do we have a contradiction? The answer is no.



Context is Everything



It is erroneous to take a verse, read it without its context, and then attempt to develop a doctrine from that verse alone. Therefore, let's take a look at the context of James 2:24 which says that a man is justified by works. James chapter 2 has 26 verses: Verses 1-7 instruct us to not show favoritism. Verses 8- 13 are comments on the Law. Verses 14-26 are about the relationship between faith and works.





For simplicity, I've summarized each verse and arranged the section in an outline style.



14 - What use is it if someone says he has faith but no works?

15 - If you see someone in need

16 - and you don't give him what he needs, but say, ‘Go in peace, be

warmed.' What use is that?

17 - therefore faith with no works is dead

18 - therefore, someone says "I will show you my faith by my

works."

19 - you believe in God? Good. The demons do too.

20 - faith without works is useless.

21 - Abraham was justified by works when he offered Isaac

22 - faith was working with his works.

23 - Scripture says, "And Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as

righteousness"

24 - you see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone.

25 - Rahab, was justified by works

26 - faith without works is dead



Notice that James begins this section by using the example of someone who says he has faith, verses 14. He then immediately gives an example of what true and false faiths are. He begins with the negative and demonstrates what an empty faith is (verses 15-17). Then he shows that that type of faith isn't much different from the faith of demons (verse 19). Finally, he gives examples of living faith by showing Abraham and Rahab as examples of people who demonstrated their faith by their deeds.

James is examining two kinds of faith: one that leads to godly works and one that does not. One is true, and the other is false. One is dead, the other alive; hence, "Faith without works is dead," (James 2:20).

This is why in the middle of his section on faith and works, he says in verse 19, "You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder." James says this because the demons believe in God, that is, they have faith, but the faith they have is useless. It does not result in appropriate works. Their faith is only a mental acknowledgment of God's existence.



Ascentia and Fiducia



Two words are worth introducing here: ascentia and fiducia. Ascentia is the mental ascent, the mental acknowledgment of something's existence. The demons acknowledge and believe that God exists. Fiducia is more than mental acknowledgment. It involves a trust in something, a giving over to it, a complete believing and acceptance of something. This is the kind of faith that a Christian has in Christ. A Christian, therefore, has fiducia; that is, he has real faith and trust in Christ, not simply an acknowledgment that He lived on earth at one time. Another way to put this is that there are many people in the world who believed that Jesus lived: ascentia. But they do not believe that He is their savior, the one to be looked to and trusted for the forgiveness of their sins.

Ascentia does not lead to works. Fiducia does. Ascentia is not of the heart. Fiducia is.



What is James Saying?



James is simply saying that if you ‘say' you are a Christian, then there had better be some appropriate works manifested or your faith is false. This sentiment is echoed in 1 John 2:4 which says, "If you say you have come to know Him, yet you do not keep His commandments, then the truth is not in you and you are a liar."

Apparently, there were people who were saying they were Christians, but were not manifesting any of the fruit of Christianity. Can this faith justify? Can the dead ‘faith' that someone has which produces no change in a person and no good works before men and God be a faith that justifies? Absolutely not. It is not merely enough to say you believe in Jesus. You must actually believe and trust in Him. If you actually do, then you will demonstrate that faith by a changed and godly life. If not, then your profession is of no more value than the same profession of demons: "We believe Jesus lived."

Notice that James actually quotes the same verse that Paul uses to support the teaching of justification by faith in Rom. 4:3. James 2:23 says, "and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘and Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.'" If James was trying to teach a contradictory doctrine of faith and works than the other New Testament writers, then he would not have used Abraham as an example.

Therefore, we are justified by faith. That is, we are made righteous in the eyes of God by faith as is amply demonstrated by Romans. However, that faith, if it is true, will result in deeds appropriate to salvation. After all, didn't God say in Eph. 2:8-10, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

Answer 17

Paul taught a lot of things that went against Jesus's teachings.