Paul and James: Did They Contradict Each Other?

“Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:17)

This is one of the more well known verses in James. James is telling his congregation that faith is good, but faith is dead if you don't show your faith through good works. In verse 21 James says, “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?” You can see here James gives an example, from the bible, of a man showing his faith through his works.

But in Romans Paul seems to completely contradict James by saying in chapter 3 verse 28, “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” Then Paul continues saying in 4:2-3 , “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” These two verses seem to completely contradict James by saying that Abraham was justified by faith and not works. And if that doesn't seem to contradict James enough, Paul wrote to the Galatians saying, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.” (Galatians 5:6) Okay so now it looks like they contradict each other again. But it's not added works like circumcision that earns God's favor. What will earn it then? “Faith” But what kind of faith? “Faith working through love.” Okay so now we can see that they don't contradict each other. At least as much as we thought.

But how can scripture seemingly contradict each other? It can't. In 2 Timothy it says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” (2T 3:16) This says that all scripture comes from God. So how could God's own words contradict each other. It also says in John, “and Scripture cannot be broken.” (John 10:35b) So this verse pretty much seals the fact that God's word can not be contradictory. Paul even said, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.” (Galatians 5:6)

Reading these two views on faith and works, tells us that they are both equally important. You can't have works without faith and you can't have faith without works. 

The California Gold Rush

In 1848 James W. Marshall found gold next to the newly built Sutter's Mill. This is what started the largest gold rush in American history.

John Sutter decided he wanted to build a mill in Coloma, California. This decision changed the nation. Both economically and where people lived. When news spread about the gold that was found near John Sutter's mill, people around the nation rushed to “strike it rich!”

There were three different ways to get to California from the East at that time. One route was the Oregon Trail to the California Trail. This took around 4-6 months just to get from the East coast to the West coast.

Oregon Trail and California Trail.

The second way was sailing in a boat all the way around South America and back up to the West coast. This took around 6-8 months.

Sailing route around Cape Horn

The third way was the shortest. You sailed on a ship to the Panama Isthmus, then you walked across the Isthmus, then you sailed the rest of the way. This took around 1 month. But unfortunately this route wasn't created until later into the gold rush.

The Isthmus route.

But what happened when you arrived in California? Well sadly most of the people didn't find huge amounts of gold. But some of them got lucky and “struck it rich.”

In 1849 President James K. Polk gave a speech telling the people that the gold rush was real. So it took a whole year for news of gold to reach the President! Talk about slow moving news. But when everyone knew, it was madness. People flocked to California by the thousands. In 1848 there were only around 800 people living there. In 1860 there were over 380,000 people living there. That is a 47,400% increase! In twelve years!

What about the money? How much money was made during the gold rush? Well for the first few years after 1849 the amount of money a year increased until it peaked in 1852 at about $81 million dollars! And that is without the change for inflation! But in years following the amount decreased and in 1857 it was only $45 million and shrinking. But that is still a lot of money. That's over $1.2 billion in today's money! The total amount of gold found during the rush was more than 750,000 pounds of gold! That is around $2 billion! That is just under $55 billion in today's money. 

Sir Sleepolot

Twas early morning,

When the gallant and clumsy,

Sir Sleepolot was awoken,

He was awoken by a strange,

No less, peculiar noise.

But alas!

He did not knoweth of where this strange,

No less, peculiar noise,

Had cometh from,

'Where has this strange noise come from?'

Sir Sleepolot asketh himself

'And what great beast,

Does make this strange noise?'

So it was,

That the gallant and clumsy,

Sir Sleepolot,

Goeth out of his great castle,

To search for this great beastly noise,

His great sword Exdrowsybur by his side.

Sir Sleepolot takes his first step slowly,

No less sluggish,

Second, third, reluctant,

But alas his fourth is mistaken,

Sir Sleepolot falleth to the dirt,

What doth he do now?

Alas!

A noise!

A beastly noise!

Vehement no less,

Has Sleepolot woken the slumbering giant?

No, this thunderous noise,

Is Sir Sleepolot himself,

The gallant and clumsy knight,

Hath fallen asleep!

But alas!

What is this noise?

Tis not Sir Sleepolot,

Could it be the beast,

The gallant and sleeping knight,

Hath been looking for in this short time?

Tis true,

The giant beast that he hath been searching for,

But alas,

Tis not a beast 'tall,

This beast,

Tis a squirrel!

How?

How could this be?

The peculiar noise,

Does cometh from,

the mouth of a squirrel!,

Impossible, no less,

But tis true,

The noise,

Peculiar no less,

Doth cometh from the mouth,

Of a tiny little rodent.

Sir Sleepolot has awoken,

From his nap,

He hears a noise,

Peculiar no less,

'Where doth it come from?'

Asks the gallant knight,

'Who goeth there?'

He asks,

And out cometh the squirrel,

He roars his thunderous roar,

Peculiar no less,

'How could this be?'

Asks the now puzzled knight,

But tis true,

The noise he was so fearful of,

Cometh from the mouth of a rodent.

Treasures up in Heaven

He grew with a yearning inside of his soul,

A millionaire at age 40,

This, was his goal.

But alas!

His goal was not reached,

His dreams not accomplished ,

He surely was not happy,

With his desires not being achieved.

But as time wore on,

He realized,

Money was not all that mattered,

For treasures up in Heaven,

Is what truly is of value.

He took this to heart,

He lived the life of a man,

Who stores treasures,

With the great I Am.

Let us take heed of his decision,

And live a life,

That stores treasures up in Heaven.