For centuries, readers of the New Testament have noticed an apparent tension between the apostles Paul and James. Paul boldly proclaims a person is “justified by faith apart from works of the law” (Romans 3:28), while James seems to contradict this directly: “a person is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24).

The apparent contradiction has troubled many Christians and has even led some to question whether the two books belong in the same Bible. But do the two apostles truly contradict each other? Or might they be addressing different aspects of the same salvation reality? Let’s examine their writings more closely.

 

UNDERSTANDING THE CONTEXT

To understand the apparent tension, we must first recognise Paul and James were addressing very different audiences and problems.

• Paul wrote primarily to combat legalism. Many of his readers were tempted to believe they could earn salvation through obedience to the law. This works-righteousness approach undermined the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice and the free nature of God’s grace. Paul emphasised faith precisely because his audience overemphasised works.
• James, on the other hand, confronted a different error: antinomianism. Some in his audience claimed to have faith but showed no evidence of transformation in their lives. They had reduced “faith” to mere intellectual assent without any corresponding change in behaviour. James emphasised works precisely because his audience was neglecting them while claiming to have faith.

 

FAITH ALONE JUSTIFIES: PAUL’S PERSPECTIVE

Paul’s teaching on salvation is clear: we are justified—declared righteous before God—through faith alone. This justification is a free gift of God’s grace, not something we earn (Ephesians 2:8-9 and Romans 3:28)

Paul understood no amount of human effort could ever bridge the gap between our sinfulness and God’s perfect holiness. Only by receiving Christ’s perfect righteousness through faith can we stand justified before God. He uses Abraham as his prime example (Romans 4:1-3).

 

WHAT KIND OF FAITH JUSTIFIES: JAMES’ PERSPECTIVE

James addresses another aspect of salvation here. While Paul focuses primarily on justification (how we’re declared righteous before God), James focuses on sanctification (the outworking of salvation in the believer’s life) and the nature of genuine saving faith.

James confronts a dangerous misunderstanding in his community: people were claiming to be justified by faith while showing no evidence of transformation. He challenges the very definition of “faith” these people are using (James 2:14 and James 2:17)

James isn’t suggesting works contribute to our justification. Rather, he’s arguing true justifying faith inevitably produces the fruit of sanctification. He’s addressing people who claim to be justified but show no signs of being sanctified—revealing their “faith” is merely intellectual assent rather than true saving faith.

This is why James also uses Abraham as an example, but focuses on a different moment in his life (James 2:21-22). James isn’t contradicting Genesis 15 (where Abraham was initially justified by faith alone) but pointing to Genesis 22 as evidence that Abraham’s faith was genuine. His willingness to sacrifice Isaac demonstrated his earlier faith wasn’t empty words but transformative trust in God.

For James, works aren’t the means of justification but the necessary evidence of it. True saving faith—the kind that justifies—always results in a changed life. If no change is evident, the “faith” in question isn’t the saving kind that Paul describes.

 

THE HARMONY OF THEIR TEACHING

The apparent contradiction dissolves when we realise Paul and James use the same words to address different questions:

• Paul addresses: “How’s a person initially justified before God?” Answer: By faith alone.
• James addresses: “What kind of faith justifies?” Answer: Only a faith that works.

Both apostles would agree:

• Initial justification comes through faith alone
• Genuine faith never remains alone but produces good works
• Works are the fruit, not the root, of salvation

Even their use of Abraham shows this harmony. Paul focuses on Genesis 15, where Abraham is first declared righteous through believing God’s promise. James focuses on Genesis 22, where Abraham’s faith is proven genuine through his willingness to sacrifice Isaac. These aren’t contradictory but complementary perspectives on Abraham’s faith journey.

 

 PRACTICAL APPLICATION

This unified understanding of faith and works transforms how we live as Christians:

• We rest in Christ’s finished work for our acceptance with God, not our own efforts
• We examine our faith by its fruit—genuine faith produces genuine change
• We avoid both legalism (trying to earn God’s favour) and license (presuming on God’s grace while living unchanged lives)
• We pursue good works not to gain salvation but because we are saved

As John Calvin wisely noted, “Faith alone justifies, but the faith that justifies is never alone.” We’re saved by faith alone, but saving faith is never unaccompanied by works.

 

CONCLUSION: SO ARE PAUL AND JAMES AT WAR?

Paul and James do not contradict but complement each other. They stand together as guardians of the full Bible teaching on salvation—that we’re justified by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, and that this justification inevitably produces the fruit of good works.

The harmony of their teaching prevents us from falling into either the trap of works-righteousness or the deception of empty faith. Together, they call us to rest fully in Christ’s work for us while allowing that same Christ to work through us.

So are Paul and James at war? Not at all. They’re allies defending different fronts in the same battle for Bible truth—a truth that embraces both the freeness of God’s grace and the transforming power of genuine faith.

 

ARE PAUL AND JAMES AT WAR? RELATED FAQs

 How do the different writing styles of Paul and James contribute to the apparent contradiction? Paul writes with systematic theological precision, building careful arguments about justification, while James employs a more direct, proverbial style focused on practical Christianity. Their different rhetorical approaches—Paul’s detailed theological exposition versus James’s pointed wisdom literature—can make their teachings seem more at odds than they actually are. This stylistic difference reflects their unique personalities and pastoral concerns rather than theological disagreement.

• How have modern Reformed scholars sought to harmonise Paul and James? Modern Reformed scholars distinguish between the grounds of justification (faith alone) and the evidence of justification (works). RC Sproul, for instance, emphasised James uses “justified” to mean “vindicated” or “proven right,” while Paul uses it to mean “declared righteous before God.” John Piper popularised the phrase “faith alone justifies, but the faith that justifies is never alone,” highlighting that works necessarily flow from genuine faith as its fruit, not its root.
• What role does the concept of “union with Christ” play in harmonising Paul and James? Union with Christ provides the theological framework that connects justification (Paul’s emphasis) with sanctification (James’ concern). When believers are united with Christ through faith, they receive both his righteousness for justification and his transforming power for sanctification as inseparable gifts. This union explains why authentic faith necessarily produces works—not because works contribute to justification but because the same Christ who justifies also sanctifies.

How does the Reformed concept of the “ordo salutis” (order of salvation) help resolve the tension? The Reformed “ordo salutis” places justification (legal declaration of righteousness) logically prior to sanctification (progressive growth in holiness), though both begin simultaneously at conversion. This ordering helps explain why Paul emphasises works cannot precede or cause justification, while James insists works must follow justification as evidence. The logical sequence preserves both Paul’s insistence on faith alone for justification and James’s demand for works as proof of genuine faith. CHECK OUT OUR POST: The Ordo Salutis: What are the Seven Steps in Our Salvation?

• Why do some traditions emphasise James more than Paul, or vice versa? Traditions that perceive moral laxity as the primary threat tend to emphasise James’ teaching on the necessity of works. Traditions concerned with legalism or works-righteousness typically emphasise Paul’s teaching on justification by faith alone. Each emphasis represents a contextual response to different spiritual dangers, but the healthiest approach maintains the tension and balance between both apostolic emphases.
• How should we understand James’ statement “faith without works is dead”? James isn’t saying works bring dead faith to life, but rather that the absence of works reveals the faith in question was never truly alive to begin with. True saving faith is inherently active and transformative—it changes how we live because it changes who we are. James’ metaphor of “dead faith” indicates not faith that needs works added to it, but a counterfeit faith that lacks the living power of genuine trust in Christ.

Does the Protestant doctrine of “sola fide” (faith alone) contradict James 2:24? The Protestant doctrine of “sola fide” refers specifically to justification—how sinners are declared righteous before God—which happens through faith alone without works. James 2:24 (“a person is justified by works and not by faith alone”) uses “justified” to mean “shown to be right” or “vindicated,” addressing how genuine faith demonstrates its reality before others. The Reformers maintained that while justification is by faith alone, saving faith is never alone but always accompanied by works.

 

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