Category: bible

A New Perspective on… James?

Forgive me, but I couldn’t help myself on the title. But don’t leave yet! So much debate has gone on through the centuries over the issue of the Christian’s relationship to the law, and the nature of salvation in relation to works and faith. Anyone who has done even a small amount of New Testament study has come across Paul’s wonderful affirmations of the just living by faith, and justification by grace, through faith, not of works, etc. Even easier to find still is the book of James’ affirmation that faith without works is dead, and that justification is by works too and not faith alone. So is this contradictory? Why two seemingly opposite answers to the same question? Now, news flash.. I will not be ending the debate today. But I do wonder if we have our template wrong for understanding this really tough question.

For me, the problem starts with the fact that both authors are appealing to the same Old Testament quotation in their respective treatments; Genesis 15:6, which states, “And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” This verse refers to Abraham’s trust in God who told him that he would have a son, a true biological one. This quotation in Genesis comes within a broader conversation between God and Abraham about this very promise because, as of yet, God had given Abraham no seed. Abraham questions God, because at that time, Eliezer of Damascus, his servant, was set to be the heir to his estate and this was not a good thing. This of course, precedes the famous smoking oven passage where God ratifies his covenant with Abraham, then specifically mentions the land of promise after telling Abraham what would happen to his progeny. So this I think will do to at least set some context for thinking about the quotations.

I find it so interesting that Paul spends much time in Romans, before he quotes this passage dealing with the righteousness of God. at least 5 times he mentions it. God’s righteousness is “revealed in the gospel” (1:17), it may be shown when men are unrighteous(3:5); it is “now manifested apart from the law”(3:21), given through faith in Jesus(3:22), and it is shown in God’s giving of Jesus to be the propitiation(3:25-26). So God’s righteousness is important in the course of the book so far, and it is in Paul’s interest to defend it and express it. But he also says that the Law and the Prophets attest to this (3:21), and that this faith in what is portraying God’s righteousness in this powerful way, does not overthrow the law, but in fact upholds it! (3:31). So now following Paul’s line of reasoning, it seems fair to say that Abraham gained nothing according to the flesh (4:1) as neither did the Jews to whom Paul was referring to in the previous chapters (3:9-19, 2:12-13, 2:28-29). Paul then relates that Abraham believed in what God told him, and it was counted to him as righteousness. He then will go on to expound how this is applicable now to Gentiles, but this is simple enough.

As for James, this is where it gets tricky because Paul seems to take this passage at face value. Yet, when James quotes this verse, he refers to it as being fulfilled at the time when Abraham offered up Isaac on Mount Moriah which is 7 chapters later in the book. It does seem strange. And this is where I propose we understand James a little differently. If we remember in the beginning of the letter/epistle, James begins it with, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (Jam 1:2-4) I wonder if we should understand James’ quotation and his understanding of the Abrahamic story against the backdrop of these verses. That Abraham is seen as the “faithful sufferer” or the “enduring trial-bearer” who, through the binding of Isaac, the test of offering his “beloved son” (Gen 22:2), had his faith made “perfect” or complete(Jam 2:22b). The only correspondent missing is the joyfulness at the trial, but I should think that therein lies the exhortation because of the precedent set before it. And this would fulfill the Scripture in a different way. In the very next chapter, after God’s Angel intervenes and blesses Abraham, reaffirming the covenant made to him, Abraham is able to obtain the very first piece of the land that God had promised to give him in his purchase of the cave of Machpelah which would become the family burial site. And this ties in both of the promises from the original context in a really neat way.

So like I said before, I don’t plan on solving the debate, and I don’t necessarily expect many to agree with me, but it does seem a coherent and different way to harmonize the two apostles. This is especially true given that after Paul’s discourse on Abraham, he slides into some surprisingly similar statements. After he has concluded that we have been justified by faith in Jesus Christ, in verse 3 he says, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Rom 5:3-5) Given the joy, suffering, endurance, and shamelessness, I’d say these two are a little more harmonious than they are given credit for.

Spirit and Power: A Comparison of John and Elijah

You may or may not be like me, but I was raised in church, and my parents were at church a lot. Naturally, I learned much about bible characters that may or may not be too helpful for Christian growth, but still the stories do tend to stick. And I was always stuck on the figure of John the Baptist. I was told he was like Elijah the great prophet during the kingdoms of Israel and Judah who had done miraculous things like raising the dead, and making oil and flour last a REALLY long time. Yet, the only correlation I could ever see was the fact that they both wore a leather belt and Elijah was hairy. John apparently wasn’t, so he wore a camel’s hair garment to make himself fit the bill. That should be it right?
After years of distancing myself from things of the Christian faith, God called me to Himself, but that haze returned for this odd man even after deciding to follow Jesus. Now, I will not claim to say that the haze has entirely cleared, but the connections are quite fascinating.
Now John, in similar manner to many great men in the Old Testament, was born to childless parents who received news from God, that they would conceive. He was of the priestly caste, yet God would be calling him to a little bit different path, although his family was definitely devout. The message given to his father by the altar of incense was this, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard,and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son.. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord… and he will go forth in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” (LUK 1:13-17- parts) So that’s it. Now what does this spirit and power of Elijah thing actually mean?
Now I’m not sure how fruitful it would be to quibble and try to dissect whether the spirit and power is meant to be viewed as one thing(hendiadys) or not. And although I am tempted to try to assign one to each, I will refrain. But it seems to me that as John the Baptist steps on the scene, his message very strongly resonates with Elijah’s in 1 KIN 18:21, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions?” His call is clear. Get right, because God is coming! The analogy detours some, however, because John is not here having a contest like on Mt. Carmel against prophets of Baal, but against Israelites who would mostly claim to worship Yahweh alone. Especially when you consider his call in Matthew’s account to Pharisees and Sadducees specifically, he is standing up against those who hold the cards for their contemporary worship. So, now, just as in Carmel, the prophet is in the view of all the people against the leadership of Israel, demanding they repent and calling them out on wickedness.
In sequence, it is telling that after the failure of Baal’s prophets, in an all day event to get Baal the Storm god to answer by fire, Elijah seems almost tenderly, to call the people around himself(1 KIN 18:30a). He then proceeds to repair the altar of the LORD that had been thrown down; he takes 12 stones according to the number of Israel’s tribes, and in the way of the patriarchs, builds an altar in the name of the LORD(1 KIN 18:30-32, GEN 12:7, 13:18). In the same way that Elijah takes their thoughts theatrically back to the faith of their ancestors, John too, brings Israel back to a place of reset. This is the Jordan River, the very place where Israel first stepped foot into the much-anticipated promised land. So both men are calling Israel back to pure faith in these deeds. Although there is much that needs to be said of the hearts of fathers and children and reconciliation that will be found through John’s and later Jesus’ ministries; I think it’s necessary first to see this as calling Israel back to its original roots of faith, and being true offspring of Abraham since that is the ultimate goal.
Now after superfluously drenching the sacrifice that he had set up that day, Elijah prays his prayer. There was no cutting himself, wailing, or any jeering from the opponents. Just the words of a man who had set his heart to the God of Israel. “Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” The fire consumes everything, the people confess that Yahweh is God, and they slay all the prophets of Baal. Now, I purposefully left out part of the quote from earlier in Gabriel’s description of John in Luke’s gospel. Let’s go back. “..And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.” (LUK 1:15-16) It is no wonder that Jesus would tell people that if they were able to receive it, that John was Elijah who was to come. The altar was prepared, the showdown between God and Beelzebub had been set, now the offering had to be soaked so even the trench would fill, before the fire from the LORD would fall. Is it coincidence that John said himself, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.”?(LUK 3:16)