Paul on Justification, Faith & Law

1. Paul on Justification, Faith & Law There are conflicting and confusing statements in the English Bible on the following topics: • Justification – how one’s sins are forgiven • Law – its value and usefulness These statements all originate in the writings of Paul.

2. Paul’s Writings Hard to Understand Even in his own time, Paul’s writings were notorious for their difficulty, and a certain category of people are characterised as being susceptible to ‘twisting’ Paul’s writings “to their own destruction”. II Peter 3:15-17 • “…Our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction… 17 You therefore, beloved, since you are forewarned, beware that you are not carried away with the error of the lawless and lose your own stability.” 

3. Law Scriptures & their Conflicting Counterparts Galatians 5:4-6 • “You who want to be justified by the law have cut yourselves off from Christ; you have fallen away from grace” Galatians 2:21 • “I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.” Romans 2:13 • “…The doers of the law will be justified” (NKJV) • “…It is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous” (NIV) Although no one can qualify for Justification via the law, works of the law play an essential role in Justification. In other words, even though Justification comes initially by faith, works of obedience are the required follow-up to grace. As James powerfully argues… James 2:20-24 • “Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith apart from works is barren? Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was brought to completion by the works. Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness," and he was called the friend of God.You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.”

4. What Counts? Everything Galatians 5:5-6 • “…The only thing that counts is faith working through love” Note: Although Paul states that the only thing that counts is faith (Gal.5:5-6), he elsewhere states just as emphatically that obedience is everything: I Corinthians 7:19 “Obeying the commandments of God is everything” (NRSV)

5. Christians Not ‘Under the Law’ Galatians 5:18 • “…But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law” Paul uniquely uses this troublesome idiom – “subject to the law”, or “under the law”. • The solution is to understand the idiom “under the law” – first, by excluding what it cannot mean, and then by exploring possibilities of meaning. Does it mean that Christians are no longer required to observe any form of law? If we permit Paul to speak for himself, we already have some counterpoint responses to this question. Romans 3:31 • “Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.” (NRSV)

6. One Neat & Tidy Scripture I Corinthians 9:20-21 • “To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law.” (NRSV) We observe that Paul is “not free from God’s law” even while he is “not under the law”. How does he manage this apparent duplicity? • We observe that Christians are not free from God’s law in spite of their being “not under the law”. Provocative! • Even while justified by faith and therefore no longer “under the law”, Paul does not estimate himself to be free from God’s law! This is quite instructive! • In a single scripture, Paul unequivocally confirms – in his inimitable style – that being no longer “under the law” doesn’t mean freedom from God’s law.

7. Discharged from the Law – but in What Context? Romans 7:6 • “But now we are discharged from the law, dead to that which held us captive, so that we are slaves not under the old written code but in the new life of the Spirit.” Context: We are now discharged (free) from “the Law of Sin & Death” - Romans 8:2 • “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death” – not the Law of God itself. Here is how Paul proceeds to describe the value of the law. Spiritual Value of the Law Romans 7:12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good. Romans 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual. Romans 7:22 For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self. Romans 7:25 So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin

8. Prima Facie Opinion When read in isolation, Paul’s negative statements concerning the law definitely influence a prima facie reading that the law is: • Passé, done away with, a thing of the past • Something that would actually result in a forfeiting of Christ’s grace. • Paul’s pro-Law statements, on the other hand, require that we compare and contrast his writings to secure the actual meaning he intended.

9. Paul: Anti-Law or Pro-Law? So, which Paul do we now believe – the pro-law Paul or the anti-law Paul? We do not ignore one group of statements in order to establish the other. No! We reconcile - because it is now duteous, and we do not wish to be hostile towards any of God’s opinions. Romans 8:7 “For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law – indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

10. Paul & JamesDisparate Approaches to Justification • Paul’s working-definition of justification is limited to the process of forgiveness. • James’ working-definition of justification is limited to works of obedience.

11. Paul & James Different Yet Unifying Approaches‏

12. Crisis of Misunderstanding • Initially, Faith is the single requirement for Forgiveness. • After conversion, both faith and works of obedience are required for Justification. Foundation Scripture Romans 2:13 - “The doers of the law will be justified.” • Peter cautions against the misuse of Paul’s writings, and suggests that those prone to error seek to abandon the law. Are we in this category of people? II Pet.3:16 • “You therefore, beloved, since you are forewarned, beware that you are not carried away with the error of the lawless and lose your own stability.” Christians today are living the crisis of internal misunderstanding experienced by the 1st Century Church, credited to Paul’s on-record literary style. A proper juxtaposition of his pro-law and anti-law statements, within context, helps us to correctly position the relevance of the Law to Christians living under the new covenant.

13. Summary - Other difficult Pauline Passages • Ephesians 2:15 “He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace…” • Galatians 3:10 “For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the things written in the book of the law." For a comprehensive study & discussion you may purchase the eBook. Beyond the Impasse – Finding Harmony in Faith & Law www.BeyondTheImpasse.com eBook