Differences in Teachings between Paul and James on Faith

            Teachings on faith differ between Paul and James primarily because of differences in audience.  While Paul focuses on developing doctrine and ideologies surrounding faith in the emerging churches, James assumes prior understanding of faith and directs his attention toward honing faith and its application.  Gundry says on the book of James, “We are dealing, then, with a manual of Christian conduct that assumes a foundation of faith” (p. 474).  Not only are Paul and James consistent in their teachings on faith, but James expands on and approaches issues concerning faith from a more practical and less doctrinal perspective.

            Paul directed his letters toward churches he was helping to start and develop such as in the cities of Corinth, Galatia, and Ephesus to name a few.  For the most part, these churches were very early in their foundations of doctrine and required the careful guidance of Paul.  Furthermore, many of the people Paul was addressing were not yet saved and it is apparent many times in Paul’s writings, that he is answering questions concerning means to salvation.  His answer, “a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law” (NIV, Romans 3:28). Paul also says on faith in Ephesians 2:8-9, “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” (NIV).  Take careful note that the type of works that Paul addresses is legalism and the works of Jews especially that believe salvation through obeying the law exists.  So, so far we have that according to Paul, the only method to obtain salvation is through faith and faith alone.

            James, on the other hand, addresses individuals who either already have Paul’s teachings or by other means understand the concept of faith and salvation through Christ, and therefore looks more toward Christian behavior.  Also, contrary to the audience of Paul’s writings, James’ readers appear to be already saved.  In the beginning of his letter, James calls his intended readers “brothers” (James 1:2).  This appears to be reference to brotherhood in Christ.  When addressing the issue of faith, it at first seems that James’ doctrine might be contradictory to Paul’s; however, upon further investigation we can determine this is not the case.  James says:

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?  Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.  But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.  You believe that there is one God. Good!  Even the demons believe that—and shudder. (James 2:14-19)

James indicates that salvation is not obtainable through faith alone, but through a combination of faith and deeds.  Paul’s writings indicate salvation is obtainable through faith alone, so who is right?  We must again be careful here to distinguish that the deeds or works that James is referring to are good deeds as a result of salvation in Christ through faith. 

If we read further into Ephesians we can also find more information that leads toward the agreeability of Paul’s and James’ writing.  Paul said, “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works” (Ephesians 2:10).  Here, Paul seemingly directly acknowledges the importance of works in Christian life.  James also suggests that salvation is actually obtainable through faith alone in saying, “Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?” (NIV, James 2:5).  These scriptures essentially debunk the argument purporting a disagreement between doctrine of James and Paul.  Also, in Acts 15 at the Jerusalem counsel, James did not object when Paul eluded toward salvation by grace through faith.  Gundry states on this issue, “The mistaken impression (voiced by Martin Luther among others) that the doctrine of works in James contradicts Paul’s doctrine of faith did not seriously disturb the early church so far as we can tell” (p. 476).  Upon further analysis, it appears that Paul and James were in agreement on issues of faith.

            Because of the different audience types intended for the writings of Paul and James, I tend to identify to each on a circumstantial basis.  When ministering to an unbeliever or someone new in faith and seeking guidance, I would probably lead more toward Paul’s teaching.  The Romans road to salvation is a powerful method that I learned early in my walk with Christ and have used in ministering with believers and unbelievers alike; I have also found these to be very good verses to memorize.  James, in contrast, tackles some tough issues more pertinent to saved individuals head on, such as profane language, and leadership expectations.

In my personal life, I would tend to prefer the writing style of James because of its clear and readily applicable nature.  I also lean toward more concise and analytical argumentation and reasoning.  Sometimes Paul’s writing can feel like rambling to me (even though it all has purpose), whereas James is more directed.  Additionally, I have noticed that Paul mostly uses deductive reasoning when proving a point as it serves its purpose very well, especially in apologetics and persuasive argument.  On the other hand, James does not use this type of reasoning as the premise is the same for him and his audience. 

            Applications of this knowledge are numerous.  The congruity of doctrine of scriptures, both New and Old Testaments, speak for the authenticity of the documents and build confidence in the truth and wisdom the scriptures contain.  The agreeable nature of the New Testament scriptures especially speaks toward the validity of Jesus and his ministry.  To unbelievers who might cast doubt because of apparent discrepancies in the Bible, we now have an answer and further explanation to refute that argument.

            In studying the bible, I have come to realize the importance of not taking scripture out of context.  There is almost always essential reasoning and background knowledge prior to and succeeding verses that helps provide explanation.  The false discrepancy between Paul and James writing is no different.  Also, analyzing the intended audience of biblical writing can shed light on additional meaning within a verse, as in the case with Paul’s writing to unbelievers and discussing a different type of work than James.

            In Conclusion, audience types play a major role in the differences between the writings of Paul and James. While Paul focuses on developing concepts of faith and other concepts fundamental to Christianity, James chooses to address issues that affect Christians after they have been saved.  Through analysis, we have discovered that the teachings of James and Paul are agreeable and do not pose a conflict of doctrine.  Rather, James merely expands on Paul’s teachings as well as addressing issues pertinent to individuals more mature in their walk with Christ.  Together in the New Testament, the writings of these two authors speak to a broader range of people thirsty for Christ.

References

Holy Bible.  (1984). New international version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Gundry, Robert H. (2003). A survey of the new testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.