Genesis Vol 3.pdf - College Press

’ GENESIS ;
of Rahab as an example of faith (Neb,,., 11 : 3 1 ) , but James
cites hey as an example of justificatiqq works (v. 2,~).
Gibsqn (PC, James, in loco) : “The,%opposition, however,
is only apparent: for (1) The two ppostles use the wprd
erga in different senses. In St. Pau1,jt always has a deprecatory
sense, unless qualified by h e -,adjectiye I hala ~ or
agatha. The works which he denies p have ,any share in
justification are ‘legal works,’ not those.
denominates the ‘fruit of the Spirit’. (
are the works of which St. James.qpea
pistis is also used in different senses.,. .In
di’ agapes energozmeize (Gal. 5 : 6) [Le., faith working
through reverential love] ; in St. James sit is simply an
orthodox creed, ‘even the devils pistei,~wsi’ (v. 19) ; it may,
therefore, be barren of works of charity. (3) The Apostles
are writing against different errors and tendencies: St.
Paul against those who would impose the Jewish law and
the rite of circumcision upon Gentile believers; St. James
against ‘the self -complacent orthodoxy of the Pharisaic
Christian, who, satisfied with the possession of a pure
monotheism and vaunting his descent from Abraham,
needed to be reminded not to neglect the still weightier
matters of self-denying love.’ . . . (4) The Apostles regarded
the new dispensation from different standpoints.
With St. Paul it is the negation of the law: ‘Ye are not
under Law, but under grace’ (Rom. 6:14). With St.
James it is the perfection of Law.” The term “works” has
come to indicate different categories of human acts. (1)
By works of the Law the Apostle Paul surely has reference
to human acts included in the keeping of the Mosaic Law,
both the Decalogue and the ritualistic aspect of it. Obviously,
no human being does or even can keep the Ten
Commandments perfectly: the sad fact is that all “have
sinned, and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3 :23).
Ong..must obey the requirments of the Decalogue to be
cop’sidexed a “moral” man: unfortunately in the view of
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