How are Gal. 2:16 and Jam. 2:24 interpreted to agree with each other?

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How are these verses interpreted in agreement with each other in their relation to justification?

Gal 2:16 “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

Jam 2:24 “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.”

And WHAT is the actual definition of justification?
 
Christina79 said:
How are these verses interpreted in agreement with each other in their relation to justification?

Gal 2:16 “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

Jam 2:24 “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.”

And WHAT is the actual definition of justification?
Click to expand...
Well, first what is the definition of “works” in these two contexts?
 
Christina79 said:
How are these verses interpreted in agreement with each other in their relation to justification?

Gal 2:16 “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

Jam 2:24 “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.”

And WHAT is the actual definition of justification?
Click to expand...
“Works” are of the Mosaic law, physical actions through which one was justified. Paul was speaking of the new covenant versus the old.

James was speaking of the corporal works of mercy, of which love is the motivator.
 
Christina79 said:
How are these verses interpreted in agreement with each other in their relation to justification?

Gal 2:16 “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

Jam 2:24 “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.”

And WHAT is the actual definition of justification?
Click to expand...
The writings are for different purposes. The key difference is the phrase “of the law.”

St. Paul was writing in response to those who wanted to impose the Jewish law (circumcision, etc) on the Gentile converts. Here, he was indicating that external works separate from internal conversion is meaningless.

St. James was writing about a different issue where people would speak as though they believe but their actions betrayed unbelief.
 
Galatians refers to works of the law, that is the religious regulations of the Old Testament. James is referring to the Works of Mercy which are the basis of the Judgement in Matthew 25.
 
There is a nice topical essay on this subject in the Ignatius Bible commentary by Dr. Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch. Fortunately, you can read that essay here -

coptics.info/Bible_Study/TheIgnatiusC-leNewTestament_split_173.html

It explains how the two verses are reconciled. To summarize, Paul is speaking about initial justification, whereas James is speaking about the ongoing justification of the Christian. Since justification is divine sonship, Paul argues that one cannot become a son of God through his own works, but only through faith in God who makes him a son. James then says that now that you have becomes sons of God, you have to do those good works which you were created for (Eph 2:10), because as God’s sons, we are not expected to remain babies forever (1 Cor 3:1), but we are expected to grow and mature (1 Cor 2:6, 1 Cor 3:2).

Even as God’s sons, we can die spiritually (Luke 15:24) (dead sons are sons no more) and fall from our state of “justification”, i.e. lose our status as sons of God.
 
There is a difference between “Works of the Law” and “God willed works”.

Faith initially justifies. “works of the Law” NEVER justify.

But faith can CONTINUE THROUGH “God Willed Works” and Continually justify a person.

Initial justification does not NECESSARILY in all cases continue.

The Protestant mind is too narrow and not intellectually large enough to conceive of CONTINUING action.

God said He was I AM.

If God is CONTINUING why wouldn’t His justification of us be continuing?

It will be if we pose no impediment to it as St. Thoamas Aquinas says.

If we MORTALLY sin we do stop it from continuing.

Protestants believe in justification as branded cattle.

Catholics believe in justification as continuing action.

When it comes to salvation the Catholic mind is capable of calculas and the Protestant mind isn’t!
 
The Dead Sea Scrolls give us a clue to what the “Works of the Law” means. You see, until the discovery of the DSS, the New Testament was the only other documented usage of the phrase, “Works of the Law”. Because Paul never described just exactly what he meant by the term, people were able to use their own interpretation (and we know what that causes!).

In the Dead Sea Scrolls there is a document that has the term “Works of the Law” and then it details exactly what that entails. Just as Catholics have taught for years, the term is basically the ritualistic works that a Jew would have to perform… the purification laws, the dietary laws, the Sabbath laws, etc.

Paul is indicating that none of these compliances will save someone. Instead, one must do the works of “loving one’s neighbor” in order to be justified. Well, to put it better, one must do them in order to remain in a state of justification.
 
Justification is a process, not a one-time event.

One is initially justified through the unmerited Grace of God. Nothing we can do can earn this justification. But one remains justified by cooperating with the Graces God gives us that encourage us to do works of love for our neighbors, as well as loving God with all our heart, mind, and soul.
 
Here is a footnote from the Aquinas Study Bible on Genesis 15:6

Although the apostle Paul preached that we are justified by faith without works (Rom 4; Gal 3:6), those who understand by this that it does not matter whether they live evil lives or do wicked and terrible things, as long as they believe in Christ, because salvation is through faith, have made a great mistake. James (2:23) expounds how Paul’s words ought to be understood. This is why he uses the example of Abraham, whom Paul also used as an example of faith, to show that the patriarch also performed good works in the light of his faith. It is therefore wrong to interpret Paul in such a way as to suggest that it did not matter whether Abraham put his faith into practice or not. What Paul meant was that no one obtains the gift of justification on the basis of merit derived from works performed beforehand, because the gift of justification comes only from faith. (St. Bede Com Jm 2:23) Faith without works is dead, and works without faith are dead also. For if we have sound doctrine but fail in living, the doctrine is of no use to us. Likewise if we take pains with life but are careless about doctrine, that will not be any good to us either. It is therefore necessary to shore up the spiritual edifice in both directions. (St. John Chrysostom Ser Gen)

Here is a quote from the Aquinas Study Bible on Galatians 2:16

may be justified: means being made righteous, that is, being accepted by God’s merciful justice to enter into communion with him and, consequently, to be able to establish a far more genuine relationship with all our brethren: and this takes place on the basis of the complete forgiveness of our sins. (Pope Benedict XVI St. Paul’s new outlook)
 
Christina79 said:
How are these verses interpreted in agreement with each other in their relation to justification?

Gal 2:16 “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

Jam 2:24 “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.”

And WHAT is the actual definition of justification?
Click to expand...
What Paul was speakin of were the six-hundred and some laws that the pharasees imposed. That’s why he said works “of the law”, the “of the law” is central to understanding what he is saying.

He was not speaking of works of love such as Jesus commanded. There is no conflict!
 
I know it has been a LONG time since I started this thread, but I did want to say thank you to all who replied. It was very helpful. Thank you again!
 
Christina79 said:
How are these verses interpreted in agreement with each other in their relation to justification?

Gal 2:16 “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

Jam 2:24 “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.”

And WHAT is the actual definition of justification?
Click to expand...
We are saved via faith, which must lead to a whole lot more than faith alone, notably to hope, and, most importantly, to love. As Trent said ‘faith is the *root and foundation *of our justification’. Without it the work of our salvation doesn’t even get off the ground. The alternative to faith is to attempt to become just by our own efforts, without trusting in God to do it. This is the Old Covenant, this is legalism, that which Paul was battling against. In the New Covenant we learn of our utter dependency on God in order to be ennabled to be the beings He created us to be. “Apart from Me you can do nothing”. That’s why the NC is the covenant of grace, without which we cannot be saved.

The reason faith is so important is because we’re born without it, which is an injustice; this unbelief is common to all. And the reason we’re born without it is because our ancestor Adam gave up faith in God by his disobedience; to disobey God is to no longer recognize His authority, i.e, His godhood; Adam effectively no longer had any God over himself, and the world we live in, with man cast from the garden out of God’s presence, is the result.

To get an idea of where faith must lead and how it reconciles with James, read a little farther in Galatians:
"The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself in love". Gal 5:6

And consider what mans true justice consists of:
You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself". The Greatest Commandments

"Love fulfills the Law" Rom 13:10
Love fulfills the law the right way, by the grace of God as He places love on our hearts and writes it in our minds, the Potter molding the clay, our salvation a work of His hands, a work that can only begin to occur as we allow it by becoming reconciled with God due to the Atonement and then begin to place our trust -our faith-in Him again.
 
Christina79 said:
How are these verses interpreted in agreement with each other in their relation to justification?

Gal 2:16 “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

Jam 2:24 “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.”

And WHAT is the actual definition of justification?
Click to expand...
chnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/salvation.pdf
 
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