Jesus is Greater

1. Faith vs. Works - James vs Paul 2. Lets talk about who, what, when, where 3. Faith alone commonly referred to Sola Fide. a. One of Martin Luther's critisms of the Catholic Church and their practice of indulgences. He said, "Be a sinner and sin strongly, but more strongly have faith and rejoice in Christ." 4. Works - Judiazers (will explain later). 5. James a. Who was he i. JAMES, BROTHER OF JESUS (יַעֲקֹב, ya'aqov; Ἰάκωβος, Iakōbos, Ἰακώβ, Iakōb). The leader of the Jerusalem church in the the middle of the first century ad, a participant in the Jerusalem council, most likely saw the risen Jesus, and was highly esteemed by Jewish Christians of the second century ad and beyond. In early church writings, at times he is referred to as James "the Just" because of his piety and reverence for the law1. ii. Ac 15:12-13 1. 12 The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. 13 When they finished, James spoke up. "Brothers," he said, "listen to me.2. iii. Ac 21:17-18 1. 17 When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters received us warmly. 18 The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. b. When was it written i. The date of the epistle is related to its authorship. Some deny that James wrote this letter because of its excellent Greek. They place the writing between A.D. 80 and 150. This is hardly justified. James was obviously a gifted Galilean, fluent in both Aramaic and Greek. ii. Flavius Josephus, first-century historian, records that James was martyred in A.D. 62, so the epistle must have been written prior to that date. Since no mention is made of the Jerusalem Council (A.D. 49) in which James took so active a role (Acts 21:17-26), it is likely that the letter was written between A.D. 45 and 48. iii. James is probably the earliest of the writings of the New Testament and therefore can hardly be seen as a polemic against Paul's letter to the Romans, which was written later. Romans, however, is not a refutation of James. It is apparent from Paul's relationship with James (Acts 15:13; 21:18) and his recognition of James (Gal. 2:9) that Paul held James in high respect. Together Paul and James give the full dimension of faith. Paul wrote about inner saving faith from God's perspective. James wrote about outward serving faith from man's perspective. The true seed of saving faith is verified by the tangible fruit of serving faith. James' point is that biblical faith works.3 iv. c. Who was he writing to i. James was writing to people that were taking Justification by Faith alone too far. d. What was he trying to do? i. Show that you have to place enough significance on Faith that it moves you to change. Even demons believe in God. But they do not place any significance on their faith. 1. James 2:19 2. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that-and shudder. 4 6. Paul a. Who was he i. PAUL THE APOSTLE (Παῦλος, Paulos). The "apostle to the Gentiles" who spread the message about Jesus Christ throughout the ancient world through his missionary efforts. Several of his letters are included in the New Testament canon. ii. Introduction 1. Paul was probably born in the same decade as Jesus, and most likely died between AD 62-64. His ministry and teachings were highly influential in western history-especially his interpretation of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection. Paul is one of the first Christian missionaries to argue for the inclusion of Gentiles into the covenants of Israel through Christ. iii. Biographical Data 1. Paul's biographical data includes: 2. • Born as Saul in Tarsus (on the southern coast of modern-day Turkey). The exact date of his birth is unknown. 3. • Schooled as a Pharisee under the Jerusalem religious leader Gamaliel. 4. • Became a traveling missionary and preacher for the early church; renamed Paul. 5. • Worked as an artisan who made tents. 6. • Was imprisoned multiple times by the Roman authorities for his religious agitation. 7. • Wrote several theological letters (some of which are included in the New Testament). 8. • Died sometime between AD 62-64; Paul may have been martyred in Rome.5 iv. Many state that Paul wrote the majority of the New Testament. Although more books in the New Testament are from Paul, actually Luke wrote more of the New Testament than any other. From a word count at least (Mark, Luke, Acts) b. Who was he writing to i. The Judaizers - 3 different types - Jews that imposed the Jewish way of life on Gentiles Christians. But Paul took issue to more than just that, but more so the belief that salvation was attained by the living out Jewish traditions and laws. 1. Custom-observing - Judaizers maintained distinct Jewish customs within Graeco-Roman society but placed no salvific or membership significance on observance of the Mosaic law6 2. Social - placed social or membership significance on observance of the law and insisted on social separation from Gentile Christians.7 3. Elitist - placed salvific and membership significance on observance of the law and insisted on circumcision, Sabbath-keeping, dietary restrictions in order to belong to God's people and be saved8 c. What was he trying to do? i. Addressing that you had to add something to what Jesus did on the cross. Works of the law apart from grace. 1. You have to worship on the Sabbath 2. You have to be circumcised 3. Obey the Jewish law and traditions d. Paul was NOT saying that we shouldn't observe traditions. He observed them himself. But, we can not have as a prerequisite for Salvation - these traditions and laws. i. Growing up I was taught to do the sign of the Cross when you pray. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. ii. I've seen others insist that we have to cross arms while we pray. iii. And I very distinctly remember when I was probably 9 or 10, I was at a relatives house. This relative was of the elderly type. And I was, I thought being a good Christian and really concentrating at Grace before dinner. But, she pointed out that I can't pray with my hands intertwined. I had to pray with my hands together, fingers pointing up. With intertwined my fingers were pointing down to Hell. 7. There are 4 passages that we will dive into. James 2:14-17, obviously for James, For Paul: Galations 2:15-16, Romans 3:20, Eph 2:8-9 a. James 2:14-17 i. Faith and Deeds ii. 14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 9 iii. IN this illustration we see a person coming to a supposed believer. It is obvious to everyone that this person is in need of clothes and food. If you only have faith and say a few pious words, does that help the person at all? No. They are still without clothes are is still hungry. But, if you put a work behind your words, cloth the person, feed them. Then some good is done in the world. The same with faith, if there is no work, no good is going to be done. Meaning no salvation for the one claiming to have faith. iv. James chose to use feeding and clothing as an example, because it's the basic need of everyone. If you know Maslow's hiearchy of needs, physical needs is the first need. The bottom of the pyramid. If you don't have these, then everything else doesn't really mean much. v. We also see in Gal 6:10: Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.10 We should be doing good to all people. Not just saying blessings, but doing - meaning working for the betterment of all. vi. Finally in Matthew 25:34-40, We see God saying those that fed, gave water, gave clothes, looked after the sick. Those that worked to help others, were blessed by the Father. The apostles asked when they did that, and The King replied, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.' 11 vii. So we are called to do good. To help those in need. And from James we can see that if we only have faith (i.e. say a few good words), we will not accomplish good. b. Galatians 2:16 i. Galatians 2:15-16 (NIV) ii. 16 know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. iii. In this verse, one of the most important in the epistle, the word justified occurs for the first time. And probably, the first time Paul uses it in any of his epistles. It is commonly believed that Galatians was his first letter that he wrote. iv. Justified by faith is not something that Paul came up with. We can look back at two OT verses. Job 9:2 - But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God?12 Which is answered in Hab 2:4 - but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness13 v. So if the law can't justify you, what good is it? c. Romans 3:19-20 i. Romans 3:19-20 (NIV) ii. Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. 14 iii. Paul concluded his discussion with a final statement to the Jews concerning the purpose and ministry of the Law. He included himself with his Jewish readers when he said, Now we know. The principle is obvious: the Law's pronouncements are to those who are under the Law. The Law was not a special talisman that the Jews could obey or ignore as they wished; they were "under" it and accountable to God (cf. Jews and Gentiles being "under sin," v. 9). The Law's ministry was so that every mouth may be silenced (lit., "stopped"), and the whole world held accountable (lit., "become answerable") to God. No one can argue in his own defense that he is not under sin. The Law points up God's standards and illustrates people's inability to live up to them. iv. Finally, the Law is not a way for a person to be declared righteous (justified) in His sight (cf. 3:28). That was not its purpose (Acts 13:39; Gal. 2:16; 3:11). Instead, the Law was given so that through it we become conscious (lit., "through the Law is full knowledge") of sin (cf. Rom. 5:20; 7:7-13). The Mosaic Law is an instrument not of justification but of condemnation.15 v. So how are we saved again? d. Ephesians 2:8-10 i. Ephesians 2:8 (NIV) ii. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- iii. Through faith we are saved. iv. 8. How do we resolve this seeming contradiction? 9. Taking a look at the extremes of the two ideas gives us the answers to the Who Were James and Paul writing too. On the faith side of things - people that believe you only have to have faith. On the Works side - all you have to do is follow 613 commandments (or mitzvot) in the Torah. 10. James was writing to the faith extreme and Paul to the works extreme. But this doesn't mean that they opposed what the other were saying. In fact they were saying the same thing. 11. 12. These writings become contradictory when we narrow our focus onto just these verses. Meaning we don't take them in their greater context (i.e. who they were addressing). Sometimes we tend to take a single verse in the Bible and hang on to it to justify what ever we are saying. That is a good thing, when we take a verse in context and apply it to what it was intended for. ****Need examples****. 13. But, we need to look at these verses in a bigger context. And if we do we get this: 14. 15. You can't have one with out the other. We can get into trouble because we focus on 1 verse and not the Bible as a whole. Meaning we place significance one 1 and not the other. 16. Works is often thought of the 613 laws. But, that's not everything Works can entail. I was in 2nd grade when my parents separated. And in 3rd grade we had moved to a large city in Wisconsin. I'm sure you've all heard of Waupaca. Right? I remember going to church, at least once by myself. I was determined that if I prayed enough God would bring my parents back together. Also, in CCD classes, I was the teachers pet. I had all the answers. I thought if I did all of the homework and readings, God would bring my parents back together. I placed my hopes in my works, not in my faith. 17. Hermeneutical principle of significance (A Basic Guide to Interpreting the Bible by Robert H. Stein, pg 38) a. Significance refers to how a reader responds to the meaning of a text b. Involves a person's attitude toward the meaning of a text and its implications c. Significance Example: The Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 i. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." 16 ii. For one person - becoming a pastor, a missionary or simply sharing the gospel with neighbors iii. Another - may ignore it completely d. Significance refers to the response of the reader and involves their will. It does not refer to their mental perception or understanding i. James is writing to the people that read Ephesians 2:8 (NIV) ii. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- iii. They read "THROUGH FAITH" and put so much significance on those 2 words, they feel comfortable in ignoring the rest of scripture. iv. Paul is writing to the people that Read James 2:17 - faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. They place so much significance on those 9 words "IF IT IS NOT ACCOMPANIES BY ACTION, IS DEAD" that they ignore the rest of scripture - well ignore the scripture other than the 613 laws. 18. Video Snipets: 19. 5:55-6:47 - James esteemed among the early apostles at the Jerusalem Council 20. 7:50-8:36 - When was Book of James written 21. 9:49-10:09 - Paul held James in high esteem 22. 11:24-11:57 - Significance and need to put enough into faith that you need to change 23. 12:35-12:48 - Gamaliel 24. 13:28-14:13 - Who wrote more in the New Testament 25. 14:50-16:34 - Judaizers 26. 20:34-21:07 - James 2:14-17 27. 22:08-22:47 - Maslow's law 28. 22:56-23:17 - called to do good 29. 23:33-24:44 - Matthew 25 30. 27:39-28 - Gal 2:16 31. 29:18-30:20 - Romans 3:19-20 32. 32:33-33:04-saved by faith through Grace 33. 33:13-34:00 - works vs faith 34. 35:19-35:58 - significance 35. 36:08 - 37:42 36. 37:52-38:36 37. 1 The Lexham Bible Dictionary 2 The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Ac 15:12-13. 3 J. Ronald Blue, "James," in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 816. 4 The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Jas 2:19. 5 Anthony Le Donne, "Paul the Apostle," in The Lexham Bible Dictionary, ed. John D. Barry et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016). 6 S. Michael Kraeger, "Judaizers," in The Lexham Bible Dictionary, ed. John D. Barry et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016). 7 S. Michael Kraeger, "Judaizers," in The Lexham Bible Dictionary, ed. John D. Barry et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016). 8 S. Michael Kraeger, "Judaizers," in The Lexham Bible Dictionary, ed. John D. Barry et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016). 9 The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Jas 2:14-17. 10 The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Ga 6:10. 11 The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Mt 25:40. 12 The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Job 9:2. 13 The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Hab 2:4. 14 The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Ro 3:19-20. 15 John A. Witmer, "Romans," in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 450. 16 The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Mt 28:19-20. --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------