TPW 75 Eastern Orthodoxy James 2 Justification Response to Critic on Baptism and Works

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Welcome to the Protestant Witness, this is Pastor Patrick Hines, here in Kingsport, Tennessee at Birtle Heights Presbyterian Church, and yes indeed, if you remember that song from way back, it's

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Radio Free Constantinople again, I got a pretty pesky email, kind of a nasty email, from an

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Eastern Orthodox person, it's been a little while since I've addressed this. Excuse me, one of the reasons I actually quit doing that stuff is

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I don't have time to respond to all of the stuff that people started sending me, man

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I was getting a lot of stuff, when I did the stuff on Hank Hanegraaff and just addressed some of the things about his story that were not consistent, for example his saying that he hadn't changed any of his views, that his views were codified in 20 books, and then contrasting what he had written in the

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Bible Answer book on James Chapter 2, and then the way he was using James 2 on the

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Bible Answer Man in recent days, and how completely contradictory they were, and it wasn't just a minor theological difference,

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Hank Hanegraaff does not believe the same gospel that he once did, and he didn't recommend Faith Alone by R .C.

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Sproul to that caller, but in his book, one of the books that codifies his views, he does reference

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Sproul's book, which is outstanding. So, that got me in touch with a lot of people from this religion, and this guy left a comment on a video

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I did, and it's on our sermon audio page, called Eastern Orthodoxy, James 2 and Justification, and James Chapter 2 is a bit of a problem for synergists, and for people that don't believe the gospel, and it has been for a long, long time, and before I dig into this list of passages that he gave me here, basically it looks to me like he just looked up the word baptism in a concordance, and cut and pasted the references here, because in their context, these passages have nothing to do with the means by which we are justified before God, although you'll see that here in just a moment, but before I walk through these passages,

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I sent him a couple links to some sermons, because it always is heartbreaking to me to see people who are really, at the end of the day, at the end of the day they really don't see any need for Jesus Christ, at all, none, except, you know, he makes grace available to them, that they can then work, and use to do good works, which will then be the basis of their salvation, or something like that.

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But they don't see the need that they have of Christ's personal righteousness to justify them before God, and it's because they don't see the death of their own sin, but there's a real problem with exegesis for people that deny

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Sola Scriptura, and I really have become convinced of this over the past 20 years, interacting with Roman Catholics, with Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, with Eastern Orthodox people, and people from a number of other groups, the

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Hebrew Roots Movement, and others. Once Sola Scriptura is denied, and is vociferously denied, as I'm sure this man would, being

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Eastern Orthodox, exegesis is not possible. Exegesis is not possible for people that deny

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Sola Scriptura. And context, the context of Bible passages means absolutely nothing to this argument that you're going to see here.

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So here he says, you tried to separate baptism from belief.

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But it may not be in Paul's argumentation in Romans 4, but it is clearly linked in Scripture elsewhere. Well, Romans 4 is addressing the very heart of the means by which sinners are justified before God.

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And these other passages that you've cited here aren't addressing that topic. The Bible does not teach anywhere that a person is justified by baptism.

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It doesn't teach that anywhere. And none of these passages, I mean, how many times have I dealt with every one of these over the past 20 years?

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I mean, I used to know a lot of people in the Church of Christ, and of course they've got issues with thinking that baptism is, you know, is the means by which a person is made right with God, making the classic error, confusing the sign with what it signifies because of the

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Bible's use of sacramental language. What do I mean by sacramental language? Sometimes the signs that God gives are called by what they signify.

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Sometimes they're actually called what they signify, but they're signs of those things. In a sacrament, there is a sign and there is the thing signified.

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And this is just a classic example of an individual who has absolutely no submission in their heart, mind, body, soul, or spirit to the

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Word of God, but has instead checked their brain into an external authority outside of Scripture, namely this particular religion, that tells them, here's what you must find in Scripture.

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So lo and behold, every reference to the word baptism in Scripture must have something to do with how we are made right with God, because that's what the external authority tells us to believe.

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He says, it may not be in Paul's argumentation in Romans 4, but it's clearly linked in Scripture elsewhere.

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Romans 4 is dealing with the specific issue. How is a sinner, how is a sinner, an ungodly person, declared righteous on the side of God?

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What is the basis upon which they are declared righteous on the side of God? We'll look at that here in a moment, because in his argumentation here, he provides no response to that.

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None. None. Whatsoever. So let's look at these passages. First, Mark 16, 15 and 16, and he said to them,

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Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned.

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I'm wondering if my interlocutor here knows that that's a textual variant, and is not part of Mark's gospel originally.

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Baptism is not the means by which a person is saved. And even if you grant that this passage is original to Mark's gospel, it still isn't saying that.

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It's simply saying that a person who believes and is baptized will be saved. There's no such thing as a person who has been justified by faith apart from works, apart from sacraments, apart from anything, because that's what the passages that deal with the topic tell us.

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There's no such thing as a person who has been saved who's not also been baptized. Every Christian has been baptized.

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So you could say that. He who believes and is baptized will be saved. That's right. It doesn't mean that you're saved by baptism, or by the waters of baptism.

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And plus, look at the second part of verse 16. But he who does not believe will be condemned. Why doesn't it say he who does not believe and is not baptized will be condemned?

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So the first thing there, I wonder, did this guy even know that's a textual variant? It's actually part of the largest textual variant in the whole

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New Testament, Mark 16, 9 -20. There's a lot of questions about that. There's some TR -only people that'd probably get upset with me for saying that, but it's a disputed passage because of the textual critical data.

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But even granting that it's original, it does not teach what this individual says it is teaching, because to say that it is is to set it on its head against entire chapters of divine revelation in scripture, where justification before God is discussed in great detail and baptism is not part of the discussion.

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Paul doesn't bring it up. The New Testament writers don't bring up baptism when they're addressing the specific instrumental cause of our union with Christ and our justification before God, which is faith apart from works.

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And no one's saying baptism is a work of this being excluded there, but it's simply left out of the discussion. Sacraments are signs that signify something else.

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They do not actually confer or communicate what they signify. And that's one of the major errors here, because if you look at scripture, look at the passages that actually address the topic, which this person has no sensitivity to context whatsoever.

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Why not? Because he doesn't believe in Sola Scriptura. If a person doesn't believe in Sola Scriptura, they can't do exegesis. It's as simple as that.

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Okay, here's the old bugaboo with Acts 2 -38. How many times have I heard this quoted from Church of Christ people?

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Thousands, maybe? Then Peter said, Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.

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That's right. Unto remission of sins. As a sign of remission of sins. And you shall receive the gift of the

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Holy Spirit. Everyone who repents and believes, well, did you notice here,

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Peter, that this passage doesn't say anything about faith. Pistis, pistuo, those terms aren't used here.

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Okay, well I guess if we repent and are baptized, we can be saved, but we don't have to believe. It's your position that can't take into account all of Scripture.

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Okay, baptism is a sign of remission of sins. It is a sign of that. It is unto that.

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Not in order to obtain it, but as a sign of that. Okay, so Acts 2 -38, there's no such thing as a

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Christian that hasn't been baptized. And it's okay to speak this way, as long as it's clear, as long as you understand, you're speaking sacramentally.

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You can speak sacramentally of the signs as if they are what they signify. But they're still signs. They're still signs of those other realities.

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But there is in each sacrament a union between the sign and the thing signified, such that the names and properties of one are ascribed to the other.

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Let me give you an Old Testament example of that. In Genesis chapter 17, circumcision is said,

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God says to Abram, and this shall be the sign of the covenant between me and you.

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And then he calls circumcision, my covenant. And this is my covenant. Well, wait a minute,

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I thought it was a sign of the covenant. Well, it is. But you can call the sign by what it signifies, too.

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You can say these things about baptism, but it's a sign of those things. Circumcision is not a covenant.

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It's not a covenant. It's a sign of a covenant. But God calls it my covenant because of the union between the sign and the thing signified.

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That doesn't make it what it signifies. That doesn't mean it confers what it signifies. And of course, who made that very error?

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The Jewish people did. And that's why Paul makes the point in Romans chapter 4 that Abraham was justified before he was circumcised.

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To rule out any idea that justification is by circumcision.

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The same thing could be applied to baptism. Justification is by faith. It is by faith. It's not by anything in addition to or alongside of faith.

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But you have here, again, someone who doesn't believe in sola scriptura, they don't care what the Bible says. Exegesis is irrelevant to someone who believes in whatever their external authority tells them they must find in scripture.

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Lo and behold, there it is. Every reference to baptism means what? We're saved by it. We're justified by it. Even if the passages don't say that, that's what they mean.

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Because those that deny sola scriptura can't do exegesis. Acts 9 .18. Immediately, there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received sight at once, and he arose and was baptized.

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Okay, now, Peter, you said, you tried to separate baptism from belief. But it's clearly, belief is linked to baptism elsewhere in scripture.

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Acts 9 .18. Immediately, there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received sight at once, and he arose and was baptized.

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Where's belief in that passage? Where's belief in that passage? It's not there. You're saying that these passages show that belief is connected to baptism.

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It's not there. There's nothing about pistus, pistuo, the terms for faith or belief. They're not there. What are these anyway?

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These are historical narratives. Notice that my opponent, he can't go to the didactic portions of the

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Bible that address the topic, because those passages that are actually addressing how we're made right with God, they don't support what he believes.

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But then again, he doesn't care. Because what the Bible says is not relevant to this man. Because he doesn't believe in sola scriptura.

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If you don't believe in sola scriptura, you can't do exegesis. Period. Here's another one. Taken from a didactic portion of scripture?

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From a passage that's addressing the means by which sinners are made right with God? No. Another historical narrative.

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Acts 10, 43. Here's the thing with Cornelius. To him, all the prophets witnessed that through his name, whoever believes in him will receive remission of sins.

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Where's baptism there? Whoever believes in him will receive remission of sins? You don't primarily construct your doctrine.

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You don't construct your theology on the basis of passing statements and historical narratives. It's not that those passages aren't inspired.

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But they're not dealing in detail with the means by which sinners are made right with God. And for that, you go for solace to the key passages of the

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New Testament that are dealing with the topic. Let me give you an illustration that I've used before that I think is really helpful.

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That I got from someone else. One of the things in my car.

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I have a huge car because I have a huge family. It actually was an airport shuttle that I got off of eBay.

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It's a Dodge Sprinter. I'm telling you, trying to set the clock in that thing takes like a

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PhD in something. There is a chapter on the clock. You have to go through that in great detail to understand how to use it.

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Every time I want to set the clock forward or backward for daylight savings or whatever, it takes forever to figure out how to do it.

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I have to look at that chapter in great detail. There's a whole chapter on how to deal with the clock in that car.

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There's also sections of that huge manual on things like the carburetor and other things on the dashboard.

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In those other sections on other issues, other things in the car, there are passing statements made about the clock.

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I have a question. To learn how to understand the clock, where would you go? Would you go to the passing statements that are referenced about the clock in other chapters that are dealing with other issues?

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Or would you go to the chapter on the clock? Everyone knows the answer to that question. You would go to the chapter on the clock and then you would understand the passing statements in other parts of the manual in light of the clear instructions on how to operate the clock.

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Right? But you see, these individuals, when it comes to the Bible, they can't do that. They can't do that.

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They can't go to the key passages that are addressing how sinners are justified before God and made right with God because they don't believe in the final authority of the book.

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So what the book says is irrelevant. They have an authority outside of the book that tells them, justification is by baptism.

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You're saved by water hitting your body, done by a priest, in our church, in our organization.

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That's how it's done. Lo and behold, every reference to the word baptism in scripture somehow proves their point.

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But even here, this fellow is saying that the Bible links faith and baptism, and yet faith isn't even used in this passage.

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In Acts 9 .18. Nothing about faith there. So let's continue on here in Acts 10 .44.

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While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, and as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the

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Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered,

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Can anyone forbid water? What's clear in this historical narrative? They're already saved. You can't be indwelt by the

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Holy Spirit and speak in tongues unless you're already justified. You're already accepted by God. So why did he baptize them then?

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Because it was clear that they already were saved. You don't get baptized in order to become saved. You get baptized because you already are saved.

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Now obviously in our Presbyterian polity and looking at scripture, we believe that households come into the faith together.

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They come into the church together. So our infants are included in that. That's why households are baptized here. Listen. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify

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God. Then Peter answered, Can anyone forbid water? That these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit, just as we have.

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And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days. What does this have to do with the way my opponent here is using the passage?

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Nothing. There's nothing here about justification by baptism or salvation by baptism or faith being linked with baptism.

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I don't even understand like what his point is, what he's trying to say here. Okay. Acts 18 .8.

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Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household and many of the Corinthians hearing, believed and were baptized.

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That's right. When people believe they're supposed to be baptized, what's, what's your point? What's your point?

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I don't. What's the point of pointing this out? We, we believe that people that believe ought to be baptized.

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In fact, it's a sin for them not to be baptized. It doesn't mean they're saved by being baptized. It doesn't mean they're justified by being baptized.

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You're baptized as a sign that you're saved, not to become saved. And then the household is brought in.

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The household is brought in. The children are brought in. The, the whole household comes in with the believing adults, if they have children.

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Okay. Romans 6, 3 and 4 is another favorite one. Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

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That's right. Baptized into his death. Meaning what? We died with Christ.

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What's Romans 6 about? I bet you this guy doesn't even know what Romans 6 is about. After Paul spells out justification in Romans 3, 4 and 5, the chapters right before Romans 6, which have no references to baptism in them anywhere, were justified by faith apart from works.

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David speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works. Romans 4, 6.

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I wonder if this guy believes that passage. That's right. He can't believe it because his external authority won't allow him to. Won't allow him to believe that we're justified on the basis, on the legal grounds of someone else's righteousness, namely

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Jesus Christ. Even though it's right there in the passage. He's not allowed to believe it. Okay. Okay. So the

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Christmas many of the Corinthians hearing believed were baptized. Correct. People that believe are baptized.

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Okay. Acts 22, 16. And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the

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Lord. That's right. Baptism is a sign of washing away your sins. Sometimes the sign is spoken of as doing what it signifies.

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And that's perfectly fine. God is allowed to do that. Jesus did it with the Lord's Supper. This is my body. This is my blood.

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And yet what are the bread and wine? They're signs of those spiritual realities, but there is a mysterious sacramental union between the sign and the thing signified such that the names and properties of one are sometimes ascribed to the other.

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This is my body. This is my blood. There is a participation in the body and blood of Christ. Circumcision is called my covenant.

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God calls it what it signifies. He says this shall be a sign of the covenant. This is my covenant.

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What is it? Is it your covenant or is it a sign? No, he's just talking sacramentally. He's speaking of the sign as if it is what it signifies.

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Here you have Ananias talking to Paul while he was blind. He went and baptized him.

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Be baptized and wash away your sins. That's right. That's what baptism is a sign of. It doesn't mean we're justified by it. It doesn't mean that baptism actually washes our sins away.

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That's what it's a sign of. So it's appropriate to speak of the sign as if it is what it signifies. Well, how do you know that?

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How do you know that's not actually saying that the water of baptism doesn't actually do this? Sounds like you're not even believing the passage.

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Because the texts of scripture that are multiple chapters long, just like the illustration with the car manual, you go to the section on the clock and understand that first.

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And then you understand the passing statements about the clock in light of the clear revelation about the clock. So you don't make these kinds of silly errors.

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But this guy doesn't believe in Sola Scriptura, so this will have no effect on him at all. And notice he doesn't go to any of the key passages that are actually addressing the topic.

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Why wouldn't he do that? Why would he go to all the passing statements about the clock instead of going to the whole chapter on the clock?

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Because he doesn't believe in Sola Scriptura. He doesn't believe in the authority of scripture. He would say he does because his ultimate authority, which is

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Eastern Orthodoxy, tells him that he's required to say he believes in the ultimate authority of scripture, but he can't actually practice it.

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Because once you've denied Sola Scriptura, you can't do exegesis. Your external authority tells you what to believe, that's what you will find in scripture.

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Whether the passages and their context have anything to do with it at all or not, that is what they will find in scripture. Therefore, we were buried with him through baptism, this is

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Romans 6 -4, into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

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What's this talking about? Paul has just spelled out what my opponent does not believe, that we are saved by the grace of God alone, that we are justified by faith alone, apart from works.

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What has been the response that Paul heard to that? You're saying that we can just sin all we want so that grace can abound.

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If our works don't play any role at all in getting into heaven and getting justified before God, you're just saying we can live like dogs and still go to heaven.

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What's Paul's answer to that? The doctrine of regeneration. Romans 6 -1, what shall we say then? Shall we sin that grace may increase?

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Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? May genoita, may it never be. How shall we who died to sin live in it any longer?

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And then here's the passage quoted out of context by my opponent. Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

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Therefore, we were buried with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

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It's impossible for a true Christian to continue in sin that grace may abound. Why? Because the power of sin has been dethroned in their life.

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Those that have been baptized into Christ, truly baptized into Christ, they have what that sign is a sign of, what it signifies.

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Newness of life, cleansing from sin, the dethroning of the power of sin. That's what Romans 6 goes on to talk about.

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Romans 6 -14, for sin shall not have dominion over you. And Romans 6 -18, glorious passage, having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

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That's what Romans 6 is about. It's not talking about justification by baptism or anything like that.

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It's talking about the reality that sin's tyrannical stranglehold on sinners has been broken by the power of Almighty God.

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It's not saying you're made right with God by being baptized. It's saying that baptism is a sign of that.

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Baptism is something that shows that. It doesn't confer it. How do

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I know that? Because the passages that deal with how we're saved, how we're justified, they don't bring up baptism.

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It's by faith. Faith is the sole instrument. I mean, Romans 4, 4 and 5, to the one who works, to the one who's working, his wages are not counted as grace, but as what is owed, what is due.

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But to the one, it's a present participle, to the one not working, but believing, his faith is logitimai, chashav, imputed as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the man to whom

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God imputes righteousness apart from works. I wonder,

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Peter, do you believe that? To the one who does not work, the one not working, but believing, his faith is accounted as righteousness, just as David speaks of the blessing, do you believe this,

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Peter? Just as David speaks of the blessing of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works.

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You see, the only obedience that has ever been rendered by a human being, the

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God -man, Jesus Christ, born under the law to redeem those under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

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Because the only righteousness that has the necessary holiness and merit to meet the requirements of God is that righteousness that was achieved by Jesus Christ.

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And that is why Christians refer to him as their Savior. How is

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Jesus Savior? Because his righteousness is mine. Are you the blessed man of Romans 4, 6?

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Just as David speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works.

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Are you that blessed man? Your ultimate authority doesn't allow you to be. That's why

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I would encourage you to repent. Read Romans 3, 4, and 5. Read the three whole chapters with detailed descriptions of how sinners are made right with God.

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Notice, baptism's not part of that discussion. Baptism's not part of that discussion. Another one,

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Galatians 3, 27, for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. That is a true statement. I don't see anything there about you're justified by baptism, that you're saved on the grounds of being baptized or anything like that.

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That's right, those who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. What are you saying that means?

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I don't even understand why the passage is being cited. And then one more, another favorite one.

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There is also an antitype which now saves us. Baptism not the removal of filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God.

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It explains it to you right there. Not the removal of filth from the flesh, not the washing of your arms and head and body with water, but the answer of a good conscience toward God.

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That's what baptism's a sign of. Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, etc., etc. So baptism is a sign of those things.

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It's a sign of that. And sometimes it's spoken of as if it is what it signifies. Why does the

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Bible do that? Apparently God likes to do that. He's done it for a very long time. In fact, in 1

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Corinthians 5, 7, Jesus Christ is spoken of as the Passover. Christ, our

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Passover, was sacrificed for us. Okay, I guess we still celebrate Passover and we're supposed to... Jesus is actually our

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Passover lamb. I'm not sure exactly how we would do that. Well, no, it's speaking metaphorically. It's speaking of the sign as if it is what it signifies.

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It's making a direct connection and speaking of the one as if it is the other. How do I know to make these proper distinctions?

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Because I've read the section of the car manual on the clock. I've read the section of the Bible on the issue of justification.

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How sinners are made right with God. We're not made right with God by baptism. We're not justified by baptism.

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And so that's the key point here. Now, he says here, these are just a few that connect faith with baptism.

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For one who prides himself in using scripture, you sloppily dealt with this one and scripture agrees with the priest.

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I'm not sure I'm following what that sentence means. How is baptism a work? Well, to the one not working but believing, baptism doesn't come into the discussion in the key passages that address the topic of justification before God.

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It's just not part of it. I'm not saying that it's a work in the sense of what Paul is excluding there, but it doesn't form any part of the discussion.

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To the one not working but believing. Not to the one not working but believing and by being baptized.

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It's just not part of the discussion. Where in the Jewish law does it command us to be baptized?

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It doesn't because baptism was instituted at the Great Commission by our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 28, 18 -20.

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So why are you even asking me that? I don't even understand why you're asking me that. By the way, you did some nifty dancing with James too.

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Bad exegesis again. Peter, you're not in a position to tell anyone that they are doing bad exegesis because number one, you've exegeted nothing and the passages that you've cited here are from, for the most part, historical narratives that have nothing to do with the topic or they're in application sections of the epistles that have nothing to do with the topic.

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So don't tell me about bad exegesis. You're not capable of doing exegesis because you don't believe in Sola Scriptura.

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People who don't believe in Sola Scriptura can't do exegesis. If what you are saying is true, then James only applies to people who claim to have faith, which begs the question, because wouldn't that be every

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Christian? I am not following you. Paul talks about faith apart from works of the law.

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He is referencing the heresy of the Judaizers who claimed you had to be under the law and observe it in some external way to be saved.

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Nope, that's not what the Judaizers were saying. In fact, the issue is dealt with in Acts chapter 15.

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So let's look at that real quick here, Acts 15, verse 1. But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brethren, unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.

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So they were saying that justification was by circumcision. And they were also saying you had to obey the laws of God from the

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Ten Commandments in order to be saved. So what are you saying here? He is referencing the heresy of the Judaizers who claimed you had to be under the law and observe it in some external way.

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No, not in some external way. But you had to keep all of it. You had to obey the Decalogue, the laws of God, the laws that are referenced in Romans 2.

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You even cited Romans 2 here. You who preach against stealing. Do you steal? So they were saying you have to obey all that to be right with God.

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James distinguishes, this is my opponent here, James distinguishes a different kind of works.

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In fact, he is talking about faith and works apart from works of the law. Because the law hadn't been given yet.

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See the difference? What? The law hadn't been given yet. What are you talking about?

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Are you talking about in the passage there? Abraham knew what the law was. I mean, God even references that before Exodus, before the giving of the

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Decalogue, that Abram kept my laws and ordinances and my righteous statutes.

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So you're saying that, you're saying Abraham didn't know what the law of God was?

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Really? Genesis 18 verse 19, listen to what scripture says here. The law hadn't even been given yet.

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For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, and to do righteousness and justice.

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Apparently Abraham knew something. The law of God was written on his heart, okay, before it was inscribed in the

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Ten Commandments. I mean, that's a very strange argument that you're making there. See the difference?

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James 22, 22 is a key verse. His faith and works were sunerge - oh, dang, there's that pesky

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EO synergism. Yeah, these guys really do think, if they find the word sunerge, if they find that in scripture, see, there's synergism.

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Even if the passage has nothing to do with how we're using it, we will use it.

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We'll use that, and just say, see, this fits the way that we're using the passage.

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Sunerge. Bleppes hati hapistus sunerge. There it is. Synergism.

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Tois ergois altou kai ectone ergone hapistus etaleothe. You see that faith was acting along with his works, and faith was completed by works.

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Wow, that must mean that justification before God. Justification before God is on the basis of our works.

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Not at all. Now, listen to the really helpful analysis of this passage from James White in his book

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The God Who Justifies. He has a 24 -page exegesis of James chapter 2, because this is a passage that's been misused for centuries, to try to prop up salvation by works.

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Listen to White's analysis here. I think this is really, really, really helpful. White says, ironically,

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James says, you see that, showing the demonstrative element he is pushing into the forefront.

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He's talking about what people see. You see what? What is

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James chapter 2 addressing? James 2 .14 tells you what the whole paragraph, James 2 .14 -26, is about.

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And I sent this guy the sermon that I walked verse by verse, phrase by phrase, through this whole chapter. I don't know that he would even want to try to listen to that or respond to it.

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But like I said, once you've denied Sola Scriptura, it really doesn't matter. I mean, I could show him what the passage says, it's not going to affect him.

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Until God convicts him that this really is his word. Because those who deny Sola Scriptura really can't do exegesis.

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But James 2 .14 tells us exactly what this whole paragraph is about. What good is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?

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Can that faith save him? Can that sort of faith, a said faith only, that is not also accompanied by everything that Romans 6 tells us about.

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By the dethroning of sin and by a hunger and thirst for righteousness and godliness and everything else.

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See, Abram, Abram demonstrated the reality of his profession of faith by the offering of Isaac.

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And so his faith was shown to be true by the fact that he had a changed life. That does not mean that he was saved or justified by offering

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Isaac. Okay, listen to what White goes on to say here. The verb is singular, addressed to the interlocutor of the preceding verse.

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James wishes his hearers to see something from the example of Abraham's obedience to God and the offering of Isaac.

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We are to see. You see what the passage is saying, James 2 .22? You see. Humans, see.

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Men, see. His faith and his actions were working together. Okay, listen to what

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White says. We are to see Abraham's deeds working together with, alongside a faith.

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Dead faith, we have been told, is arge, without work. But living faith, by nature, works together with deeds.

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There's no such thing as a true faith that is an alone faith. But faith isn't works. Faith isn't works.

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Listen to what White says. Here, the abnormality seen in previous verses is not present.

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The harmony of living faith and faithful deeds is summed up in the verb synerge, working together.

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Great verb. That doesn't mean synergism. It doesn't mean we're saved by faith plus works, which is how my opponent is trying to use it here.

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Listen to what White says. This is something James desires his readers to see. The necessary, definitional synergism that exists between living faith and the deeds that flow therefrom.

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You see, the works that flow from a true faith aren't faith in and of themselves. There's a distinction between the two things.

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Listen to what White says. By these kinds of deeds, not faithless deeds, but deeds that accompany living faith,

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James says faith is perfected or brought to completion. The subject of both clauses of James 2 .22

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is faith. Faith works together with deeds. Faith is completed by deeds. In no situation are deeds seen as salvific in and of themselves.

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And in both clauses, it would be absurd to think of Abraham's faith as being the same kind of empty, actionless faith

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James has been decrying." End quote. Isn't that so obvious?

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Look at the passage in its own context. White says, "...because this is so, we must be careful not to think that James is saying that it is the addition of works to faith that is in view in the second clause.

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The idea that saving faith can exist without deeds is the very thing James is decrying.

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The perfection of faith by the deeds is not to be seen as the raising of one incomplete thing to completion by the addition of something foreign to faith."

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So your position, Peter, makes it as if you could have faith without deeds. Like true faith. True faith could exist all by itself with no deeds.

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And you'd better do those deeds so that you can get into heaven. And James' whole point is that true faith is always accompanied by deeds.

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Because true faith is granted by God in addition to all those other graces that God gives.

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God has never justified someone that he does not also make alive in Christ and sanctify. And so, yes, of course, faith is always working.

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Justification and being saved by a faith that works is not the same thing as justification by faith and works.

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And that's what you're missing. But again, that's what the passage is clearly saying, but you're not allowed to see it. You're not allowed to see that.

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Because your ultimate authority won't let you. It is not James' assertion that works are in addition to faith.

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It would be absurd to think that James believed Abraham had a deedless faith from Genesis 15 to Genesis 22.

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Remember, Genesis 15 -6, Abraham believed in Yahweh and it was accounted to him for righteousness. That was years before the offering of Isaac.

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Abraham's already saved, Peter. He was saved years before he offered Isaac on the altar in Genesis 22.

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And that's the whole point of Romans 4. Paul even asked the question in Romans 4 .10. If your interpretation of James 2 is correct,

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Peter, explain Romans 4 .10 to me. Explain Romans 4 .10 and how Romans 4 .10 fits your understanding.

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Listen to Romans 4 .10. How then was it accounted? Was it before or after he had been circumcised?

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When was Abraham saved? When was he justified before God, Peter? Was it before or after he was circumcised?

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According to your exegesis, so -called, of James 2, it was after his circumcision.

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You realize that the episode there, the offering of Isaac, was after Abraham was circumcised. Paul says it was not after, but before.

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But you're saying, no, it was both. He was justified a whole bunch of different times. Don't you see you just handed the victory to Paul's enemies in Romans 4?

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It was not after. It was not while being circumcised that he was justified.

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He was justified before his circumcision. The offering of Isaac was years after his circumcision.

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Years later. So here you have an individual who is arguing with the apostles.

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Arguing with the apostles because his ultimate authority is not the apostles. It's whatever this external authority that he happened to give his heart and soul to, namely

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Eastern Orthodoxy. There's a bunch of them that don't allow for a gracious, an entirely gracious salvation.

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There are lots of them. So no, it's not that pesky EO synergism. It's that pesky

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EO eisegesis. Interpreting James 2 in a way that sets it flatly at odds with Paul's argument.

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It was not after his circumcision that he was justified, but the offering of Isaac was after his circumcision.

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Peter, explain that to me. Reconcile that for me. You're arguing with the apostles. Your argument is not with me.

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It's with the apostle Paul and with James. James is not teaching what you say here. He's not saying that works are some addition to faith that make us right with God.

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There's no such thing as a true faith that's not always accompanied by works. That's the whole point of the paragraph. Was not

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Rahab justified? Just justified in what way? In saying she had faith? By her hiding of the spies?

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It wasn't that shown? Wasn't her faith shown to be real? You see, I can't see someone else's psychic act of faith.

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I can't see their mind and heart believing in Christ, but I can see the results of it. I can't see where the wind blows, but I can see the results of it.

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I can see the trees that sway in the breeze. I can see the effects of God's work in someone's life. That doesn't mean that we're saved by those effects.

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Because a person who is right with God will be radically transformed. That doesn't mean we're saved by being transformed.

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Don't you see that? How clear that is? How you're misusing all these verses that you quoted here about baptism from historical narratives and from application sections of epistles instead of going to the key texts of scripture that address the topic?

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Why aren't you going to the key passages that address the topic? Because your ultimate authority will not allow you to do so.

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That's what's so sad here to me, is here you have a fella who he doesn't see. He does not see why he needs

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Jesus Christ. And I have to wonder, do you think you need Jesus? And if so, what for?

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What for? I can tell you why I think I need him. God has shown me the depth of my own sin. I've seen it.

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I can see as clearly as the noonday brightness of the sun that there is nothing I can do.

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There is nothing I can do even as a baptized Christian to make myself right with God or to increase my justification or anything like that.

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Justification is a legal forensic transaction. It is a legal act. Jesus Christ becomes the curse -bearing substitute at the cross.

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That's what Galatians 3 .13 is talking about. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse huperhemon in behalf of us.

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It is Christ's righteousness by which we are declared righteous. Well, if it's someone else's righteousness that gets us into heaven, can we just continue sinning then?

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If my works don't figure into the equation at all, can I just do whatever I want and still end up in heaven?

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May it never be. There's no such thing as a Christian that is not actively engaged in the sanctification process, who's not rolling up their sleeves and is at war with sin.

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Fighting against it. Using everything in their power to cut off and pluck out and to stand their ground against sin and to pursue holiness.

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What a tragedy. These individuals actually think they're going to be right with God on the Day of Judgment by their works that they did with the help of sacraments, the help of grace, by, in this case, looking at icons and looking at pictures and things like that.

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It's tragic. It's really sad because they've been deceived. They don't see the need.

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They don't see the need that they have for Jesus Christ's personal righteousness.

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For his righteousness to be theirs. Christ obedience. His obedience, not ours, is what makes us right with God.

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So I hope that's been helpful. I'm glad to bring back Radio Free Constantinople.

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It's been a while. Like I said, the reason that I got rid of all that other stuff from a long ago, and I may reupload it, but a lot of people contacted me and I felt bad because I couldn't respond to all of them and it made me feel guilty that I couldn't address every email and every nasty gram that people sent me.

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But I'll try to do that some, but I'm not making any promises. But I hope that this has been helpful and I hope that this fella that sent me a couple of nasty emails, very unfriendly, very nasty person, will think seriously about what

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I've said here. We'll open up his Bible and look at the passages. We'll listen to the sermons that I've sent him because my sincerest desire is not to defeat him in an exchange like this.

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It's for him to go to heaven. It's for him to see his sin and to abandon this authority structure that he's embraced.

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And to go to the word of God and to look at the passages that actually address the topic and to see how clear they are, how simple they are, how straightforward they are.

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And my sincerest prayer is that the Holy Spirit of God will convict people of sin and show them their need for the personal righteousness of someone else and that God will show them that because of his great holiness, no other righteousness upon our account will do on the day of judgment.

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And so, this has been the Protestant Witness. Thanks for listening. This is

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Pastor Patrick Hines of Bridwell Heights Presbyterian Church located at 108 Bridwell Heights Road in Kingsport, Tennessee.

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And you've been listening to the Protestant Witness podcast. Please feel free to join us for worship any Sunday morning at 11 a .m.

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sharp where we open the word of God together, sing his praises and rejoice in the gospel of our risen Lord. You can find us on the web at www .bridwellheightspca

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.org. May the Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you.