Tag Archives: Law

Romans Chapter Four Versus James Chapter Two-Can They Be Reconciled?

            There probably aren’t two more diametrically opposed points of view in all the Scriptures about how salvation is obtained than Romans four and James two.  Over the years many theologians have attempted to reconcile these two seemingly opposite methods of salvation.  Martin Luther struggled with this so much that he at one point was ready to throw the book of James right out of the Bible because it did not match up well with Paul’s doctrine of being saved by grace through faith.  Paul writes in Romans four that a man is saved by faith apart from works and he uses Abraham as his example.  James, on the other hand, writes in James chapter two that one is not saved by faith alone.  Works are required to validate faith and James also uses Abraham as his example.  Well, who is right and who is wrong?

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