Quote: (06-30-2018 02:52 AM)Vasily Zaytsev Wrote:
There are several things I respect about Protestantism, but one of the things I cannot understand is how so many willingly omit James 2:14 where James says, "What good is it brothers if someone says that he has faith, but does not have works? Can faith save him." Since it was Martin Luther who removed this book, wouldn't this mean that Christianity was in constant heresy for its first 1500 years of existence?
I'm in the LCMS church which is one of the non pozzed Lutheran denominations. We use the ESV which has James in it. You've conveniently left out the rest of the verse. I'd warn you not do that because each chapters context is very important to the larger narrative.
I dont believe Marty removed this book from his original German translation. He also included Enoch and other texts as well but I digress.
The rest of James reads as follows:
Quote:Quote:
Faith Without Works Is Dead
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good[a] is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
So here's how it is taught in Lutheran Sunday school: why are you doing your good works? Are you doing your works to cover your own ass or are you doing them because of your love of Jesus' sacrifice and ministry?
The whole verse encapsulates this. If your intentions are to curry favor with God you're not going to get anywhere. If you're doing your good works because you love Jesus and his message. Then your faith will come alive and your good works will have meaning.
This is also why sin is far more nefarious than we realize and why we need faith in Jesus. The devil knows we cannot reason away deep seated intentions like saving our own asses after death and is why we are prone to the slavery of flesh and death.
