Justified by faith, then by works (James 2:14-26) – Part 7

POST OVERVIEW. The seventh and final post in a series of articles on James 2:14-26. The purpose of these articles is to give the believer a correct understanding of this passage by providing a number of different approaches to this text. The goal is that, through these studies, the believer will see that James’ teaching here does not conflict with the New Testament’s doctrine of justification by faith. (See also Post #652, 5/24,2023; Post #653, 5/25/2023; Post #654, 5/30/2023; Post #655, 6/5/2023; Post #658, 6/9/2023, Post #659 6/13/2023.)

We are in the midst of a deep dive into James 2:14-26. The reason we are going into considerable detail in studying this passage is that James 2 contains teaching about being “justified by works” that false teachers have used to claim that the Bible is unclear on justification. Because of this claim, the previous posts have taken a defensive position with regard to the passage, demonstrating from different vantage points that there is no contradiction between James’ teaching that the genuine believer is “justified” by his works and Paul’s teaching that the sinner is “justified” by placing his faith in Jesus Christ.

To make this point clear, we have presented five studies of James 2:14-26, each of which supported the premise that James and Paul are not at odds. Below is a summary of those studies.

  • In #653, we studied the key word “justify” and discovered that Paul uses the word in the sense of “declare righteous” and James uses the word in the sense of “prove a claim” or “validate a claim.” No conflict.
  • In #654, we examined the New Testament’s teaching on “works” and discovered that human “works” offered by the unsaved sinner to merit or earn salvation are an abomination to God, since they attempt to substitute sin-stained human “works” for the atoning death of Christ. But after salvation, the believer is expected to bear the fruit of good “works” (John 15:8; Eph. 2:10) as the result of their salvation. No conflict.
  • In #655, we reviewed the personal relationship that existed between Paul and James and saw that, in public doctrinal discussion (Acts 15 and Galatians 2), these two men were in complete agreement about the gospel. Thus it is inconceivable that James would write an epistle contradicting Paul’s primary doctrinal position about “justification by faith alone.” No conflict.
  • In #658, we presented the New Testament evidence supporting: 1) no one is justified (declared righteous) by his works; 2) genuine faith will produce good works; and 3) justification is by faith alone. The evidence overwhelmingly supports “No conflict.”
  • In #659, we compared the teaching in Hebrews 11 where “By faith” Abraham offered up Isaac and “By faith” Rahab protected the spies, with the teaching in James 2:21-25 about the identical events and discovered that these were believers giving evidence of their faith by “works” of obedience. No conflict.

Having successfully concluded our defense, we will now simply exegete these verses to give the plain meaning of the text. We will see that James’ entire argument requires that the person under consideration already professes faith in Jesus. James is writing to professing believers and he is asking the question, “Is the faith that you claim to possess a true saving faith?” Or, in other words, “How do you ‘justify’ your claim of saving faith?” The main point James is bringing home is that saving faith is “justified” by a life marked by good “works.”

AN EXEGESIS OF THE PASSAGE

  • 2:14-17 – James gives an example of faith without works. “What use is that (2:16)?” The expected answer is, “It’s not worth anything!” “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead.” A works-less faith is dead, so without works of faith, your claim is not justified.
  • 2:18 – The problem of a mere claim of faith is that anyone can make such a claim. It may be real or it may be empty, but there is no way to tell based on the person’s claim alone. Ah, but show me your godly works, and show me your obedience, and show me your fruit in keeping with repentance, and I will believe you possess the faith you claim.
  • 2:19 – Being completely orthodox in your theology does not mean you are saved. James presents the example of the demons, who are perfectly orthodox in their theological beliefs. The demons know God is one, they know that Jesus is God in human flesh, and they know that He is going to judge them at the end of the age. But the demons have no “works” and so cannot “justify” a claim of faith. In the same way, if you have impeccable theology but no “works,” you also cannot “justify” a claim of faith.
  • 2:20 – For the third time (2:14, 17), James makes the point that a “works-less” faith is a useless faith. Only a fool would believe otherwise, because “faith without works is useless.”
  • 2:21-23 – Abraham proved the immensity of his faith by his “works,” by obediently offering up his beloved son Isaac as a sacrifice. The faith in God that had justified Abraham when his faith “was reckoned to him as righteousness” many years before (Genesis 15:6; James 2:23), was justified (proven, validated) and perfected when Abraham offered up Isaac on Moriah.
  • You see that Abraham was justified by faith (James 2:23), and then Abraham’s faith was justified by his works (2:21).
  • 2:24 – “You see that a man is justified (exonerated) by (the visible evidence of) “works” and not by (a claim of) faith alone.”
  • 2:25 – Even Rahab the harlot proved that she had saving faith by the “works” she did. She risked her life by sending the spies out by another way. Thus, her invisible saving faith was made visible. So, her claim of faith was justified by her works.
  • 2:26 – James concludes his argument, having proven that “Faith without works is dead.”

CONCLUSION. This important section in James gives a warning to those who make a claim of faith but whose life gives little or no evidence of the fruit of good works. Those who have been justified (declared righteous) by faith will be justified (confirmed, validated, exonerated) by good works.

It is faith alone that saves, but the faith that saves is not alone.

Soli Deo gloria            rmb                 6/16/2023                   #660

Justified by faith or by works? (James 2:14-26) – Part 6

POST OVERVIEW. The sixth in a series of articles on James 2:14-26. The purpose of these articles is to give the believer a correct understanding of this passage by providing a number of different approaches to this text. The goal is that, through these studies, the believer will see that James’ teaching here does not conflict with the New Testament’s doctrine of justification by faith. (See also Post #652, 5/24,2023; Post #653, 5/25/2023; Post #654, 5/30/2023; Post #655, 6/5/2023; Post #658, 6/9/2023.) This article will compare the teaching about Abraham and Rahab in Hebrews 11 with parallel teaching in James 2:21-25.

We are in the midst of a deep dive into James 2:14-26. The reason we are going into considerable detail in studying this passage is that James 2 contains teaching about being “justified by works” that appears to be in direct conflict with the teaching of Paul on justification by faith alone. False teachers and the Catholic church have capitalized on this apparent conflict and have insisted that our human “works” merit for us our salvation. Our goal in this series is to demonstrate from a variety of different angles that there is nothing in this passage in James 2 to suggest that our “works” contribute anything to our salvation. In other words, James is in complete agreement with the rest of the New Testament in declaring that justification (being declared righteous) is by faith alone, apart from works (of the Law).

REFERRING TO THE HALL OF FAME OF FAITH IN HEBREWS 11

This next study will refer to Hebrews 11, the “hall of fame of faith,” and compare what is said there about Abraham and Rahab with what James also says about Abraham and Rahab in James 2:21-25. From this investigation, we will discover, once again, that James is not teaching a new doctrine of salvation by works that conflicts with Paul’s gospel. But before we begin our investigation of these texts, we need to make some comments about Hebrews 11.

COMMENTS ON HEBREWS 11. Hebrews 11 is a chapter devoted to the “works” that selected Old Testament believers did which manifested their genuine faith. “By faith” is the English phrase that is repeated eighteen (18) times in the chapter. This phrase indicates that these Old Testament characters already possessed saving faith, because you cannot act “by faith” if you do not already possess faith. This means that all the characters in this chapter had already been “justified” (i.e., declared righteous) by faith before they performed their works of faith. Then, already possessing saving faith, these men and women took dramatic action (“works”) that both required saving faith and manifested saving faith. Thus we see that each one of the characters in Hebrews 11 was “justified by works” in the same sense that Abraham and Rahab were “justified by works” in James 2. Their radical obedience to the Lord provided visible evidence that they were already believers.

ABRAHAM. Now we will look specifically at Hebrews 11:17 about Abraham.

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son. – Hebrews 11:17

First, it is apparent that this verse is about Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac on Mount Moriah from Genesis 22. Next, we observe that Abraham acted “by faith,” indicating that his sacrifice of Isaac was not done to merit his own salvation or to obtain righteousness from God, because he already possessed saving faith. Third, the Scripture says that Abraham was “tested.” God tested Abraham’s faith to determine its genuineness and its strength. And, because Abraham already had faith, he responded to the test with extreme obedience.

Having examined Hebrews 11:17 about Abraham, we now turn to the identical event described in James 2:21.

Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? – James 2:21

First, this is obviously about Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac from Genesis 22. Second, we read that Abraham was “justified by works.” From our study of Hebrews 11:17, we know that, at the time of this sacrifice of Isaac, Abraham already possessed saving faith and had already been declared righteous by faith (confirm James 2:23 quoting Genesis 15:6). The obedient offering of Isaac (a “work”) “justified” Abraham in that it gave an astonishing display of the strong faith he possessed. So, in the case of Abraham, we see once again that “justified by works” has nothing to do with meriting salvation by human effort.

RAHAB. Our procedure for studying Rahab the harlot will be the same as for Abraham.

By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace. – Hebrews 11:31

First, Rahab obviously acted “by faith,” indicating that she already possessed saving faith before the spies arrived. When we investigate the background of this verse from the book of Joshua, we see that, by the time “she had welcomed the spies in peace,” Rahab had already declared her allegiance to the LORD (Joshua 2:9-11) and she had identified with the people of God (Joshua 2:21). Clearly, she was a woman of faith before the spies arrived in Jericho. Finally, we note that Rahab “did not perish with those who were disobedient.” Significant here is that she was obedient and she lived.

Now we turn to James 2:25 and his verse about Rahab.

In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? – James 2:25

“Rahab the harlot was also justified by works.” James is saying that, just as Abraham was justified by works, so also Rahab was justified by works. And how was Abraham justified by his “works?” His radical obedience (offering Isaac at the LORD’s command) “gave an astonishing display of his strong faith.” In the same way, Rahab’s courageous obedience in the face of dangerous consequences “gave an astonishing display of the strong faith that she possessed.” So, in this way, Rahab was “justified by works.”

CONCLUSION. A comparison of James 2:21 and 2:25 with parallel verses in Hebrews 11 has revealed, once again, that James is not teaching an errant doctrine of imputed righteousness by human works but is stating the biblical truth that genuine faith is “justified” by actions which display that faith.

Soli Deo gloria            rmb                 6/13/2023                   #659

Justified by faith or by works? (James 2:14-26) – Part 5

POST OVERVIEW. The fifth in a series of articles on James 2:14-26. The purpose of these articles is to give the believer a correct understanding of this passage by providing a number of different approaches to this text. The goal is that, through these studies, the believer will see that James’ teaching here does not conflict with the New Testament’s doctrine of justification by faith. (See also Post #652, 5/24,2023; Post #653, 5/25/2023; Post #654, 5/30/2023; Post #655, 6/5/2023.) This article will focus on the abundant New Testament teaching declaring that justification (“being declared righteous”) is by faith completely apart from “works.”

We are in the midst of a series of studies of James 2:14-26. These studies are going into considerable detail because this Scripture has unsettled many genuine believers (including the noble Martin Luther) and has been misused by false teachers and by the Catholic church to insist that our human “works” merit for us our salvation. Our goal in this series is to demonstrate from a variety of different angles that there is nothing in this passage to suggest that our “works” contribute anything to our salvation. In other words, James is in complete agreement with the rest of the New Testament in declaring that justification (being declared righteous) is by faith alone, apart from works (of the Law).

So far, our case has included a careful study of the word “justify” determining how James uses that word. We have also studied the concept of “works,” especially regarding the timing of “works” relative to a person’s conversion. Our most recent post looked at the personal relationship that James had with Paul. This post will examine the weight of biblical evidence.

A MISTAKEN IMPRESSION ABOUT EVIDENCE

One of the reasons this passage disturbs genuine believers has to do with a mistaken impression about the biblical evidence for the doctrine of justification by faith. This “mistaken impression” goes something like this. Perhaps in a Bible study or perhaps in a discussion about religious beliefs or doctrines, someone may comment about the teaching in James 2:21-25, in which James explicitly says that Abraham was justified by works (2:21). You open your Bible and read James 2:21 and, by golly, that is what it says. Then the person will point out that 2:22 says that faith and works go together to perfect faith and 2:24 explicitly says, “a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.” Finally, 2:25 says, “Rahab the harlot was justified by works.” Not only has James said “justified by works” multiple times, but that seems to be his whole point. By this teaching procedure, you have gotten the “mistaken impression” that there is a contradiction in the Bible because there seems to be a good amount of evidence for justification by works. What do we do now?

MIGHTY IN THE SCRIPTURES

For now we are setting aside the other studies we have done and are just wrestling with the evidence question. Does the Bible contradict itself? Is there clear and equal evidence for a man being justified by faith and for a man being justified by works? The surest way to address these types of challenges and to answer questions about what the Scripture does and does not say is to be familiar with the Bible. There is simply no substitute for knowing the content and the meaning of the Scriptures in vivid detail. What does the Bible say about “that?” Can you give me chapter and verse or can you at least find it quickly? If not, why should I believe what you say? It was said of Apollos that “he was an eloquent man, mighty in the Scriptures” (Acts 18:24). God will use a person who is mighty in the Scriptures, and He used Apollos in Achaia, where “he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ” (18:28). We would do well to follow Apollos’ example.

So we need to know our Bibles well so that we are not easily unsettled or knocked off our doctrinal foundation. Paul exhorted Titus to find Cretan elders, men who “will be able to exhort in sound doctrine and refute those who contradict” (Titus 1:9). In other words, find men who know their Bibles well. Paul instructed Timothy to be “a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). A person who can accurately handle their Bible is one who will not be ashamed when the false teachers speak up.

PRESENTING THE EVIDENCE

In light of this principle of knowing our Bibles well, we are going to present three classes of evidence to correct our “mistaken impression” above. First, we will present verses which demonstrate that “works” do not justify. Second, we will cite Scriptures which teach that, after conversion (i.e., salvation), “good works” or “good deeds” are mandatory. Third, we will give New Testament evidence that justification is by faith.

WE ARE NOT JUSTIFIED (DECLARED RIGHTEOUS) BY WORKS.

Romans 3:20. “By the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight.”

Romans 3:28. “A man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.”

Romans 4:6. “God credits righteousness apart from works.”

Galatians 2:16. (3X) “knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law, since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.

Galatians 3:10. “For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse.”

Ephesians 2:8-9. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

AFTER CONVERSION, GOOD WORKS ARE EXPECTED. (JAMES’ POSITION)

Matthew 5:16. “Let your light shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Ephesians 2:10. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

1 Timothy 2:10. “women to adorn themselves by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness.”

Titus 2:7. “In all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds.”

Titus 2:14. “(Christ Jesus,) who gave Himself for us to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”

Titus 3:8. “those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds.

Hebrews 10:24. “Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.”

1 Peter 1:7. “so that the proof of your faith, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor (“works”) at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

JUSTIFICATION (IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS) IS THROUGH/BY FAITH

Romans 3:22. “righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.”

Romans 3:28. “A man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.”

Romans 4:3. “Abraham believed God (faith) and it was credited as righteousness.”

Romans 4:5. “To the one who believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.”

Romans 5:1. “Having been justified by faith . . .”

Galatians 2:16. (2X) “knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law, since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.

Galatians 3:8. “God justifies the Gentiles by faith.”

Ephesians 2:8. “For by grace you have been saved (justified) through faith.”

WEIGHING THE EVIDENCE

Remember the reason that we went through this exercise. We are weighing the New Testament evidence supporting, on the one hand, justification (i.e., being declared righteous) by faith alone apart from “works” against the evidence supporting, on the other hand, justification (i.e., being declared righteous) by a person’s “works” plus faith. The results of our investigation overwhelmingly favor the positions that:

  1. We are not justified (i.e., declared righteous) by our “works.”
  2. After conversion, the believer is expected to produce “good works” as evidence of his faith. (This is the main point that James is making in 2:14-26.)
  3. A sinner is justified (i.e., declared righteous) by/through faith in Jesus Christ.

In fact, from our investigation we have discovered that the only place where we can find any possible biblical support for the Catholic doctrine of justification by works is by a misunderstanding of James 2:21-25.

CONCLUSION. An evaluation of what the New Testament teaches regarding justification, faith, and “works” reveals that the sinner is justified by faith alone without “works.”

Soli Deo gloria            rmb                 6/9/2023                     #658

Being a neighbor, according to Jesus – Part 2 (Luke 10:25-37)

POST OVERVIEW. The second article in a short series exploring one of Jesus’ most famous parables, the story of “The Good Samaritan” in Luke 10:25-37. In our first post (#656, 6/5/2023), we considered the lawyer’s question about eternal life. This second article focuses on the parable that Jesus told to answer the lawyer’s second question, “Who is my neighbor?”

In our first post in this two-part series, we had considered the lawyer’s opening question in Luke 10:25, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus had referred the lawyer to the Law for his answer. Then, from the Law, the lawyer had quoted two instructions that seemed to provide a satisfactory answer. Love the LORD your God (Deut. 6:5) and love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18). Jesus affirmed these answers by saying, “Do this and you will live,” meaning that you will inherit eternal life if you fully satisfy the Law’s demands. But something about Jesus’ reply must have created a little doubt in the lawyer’s mind because he asked a follow-up question: “Who is my neighbor?” It is to this question we now turn.

RELATING TO A NEIGHBOR

To answer the lawyer’s second question about his neighbor, Jesus tells the parable of “The Good Samaritan.” “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho” (10:30). It would be helpful to notice some features of the parable.

First, we should notice the characters in the parable. “The man who is going down” is given no real description. We do not know whether he is a Jew or a Gentile or a Samaritan, whether he is old or young, rich or poor, good or evil. What we do know about him is that he is a fellow human being who, through no fault of his own, “fell among robbers, and they stripped him and laid blows upon him, and went away leaving him half-dead” (10:30). Let’s give him the name Neighbor.

Also in this parable are a priest and a Levite. Notice that these two religious men are both “going down on that road.” Although it is not certain, their direction of travel away from Jerusalem could indicate that they were off-duty and were returning to their hometown after completing their service in the temple. If that were the case, then they would not be in any rush but would be free to help the unfortunate Neighbor. But we do know for certain that both these men go to some effort to ignore this man in his desperate condition. “When the priest SAW HIM, he passed by on the other side” (10:31). “When the Levite came to the place and SAW HIM, he passed by on the other side” (10:32). Both men saw their fellow human being, their Neighbor, beaten and stripped and lying and possibly dying by the side of the road, and made a special effort to avoid him and not help him. They intentionally avoided him and consciously showed no compassion to him. Selfish, indifferent, uncaring, these men could not be bothered with the unfortunate traveler.

Finally, we have the Samaritan. From John 4, we know that Jews despise Samaritans and they have no dealings with them. The Jews regarded the Samaritans as an inferior, mongrel  race, as half-breeds who were half Jew and half Assyrian. Thus, it would have shocking to the lawyer to hear that the hero of this story and the one who models for us what it means to love your neighbor as yourself is a Samaritan.

HE FELT COMPASSION

The Samaritan man is also traveling down that same road (10:33), but his response to the wounded man is dramatically different than the Jewish men. “When the Samaritan SAW HIM,” instead of passing by on the other side, “he felt compassion.” Compassion is the first mark of loving your neighbor as yourself. To love your neighbor, you must be ready to show compassion for him. Your neighbor can be any fellow human being that God providentially places in your path (or in the road, as the case may be) and the one who would love his neighbor must be ready to show his neighbor compassion.

But the Samaritan does not have an empty compassion. No “be warmed and filled” from him (James 2:16)! He does not close his heart against the wounded man, but instead loves him in deed and in truth (1 John 3:17-18). The Samaritan’s compassion spurs him to action. Notice the action steps that he took on behalf of this complete stranger.

  • He “came to him” (10:34). If you are going to help someone, you must come to where they are, setting aside any misgivings and fears.
  • He “bandaged up his wounds.” Loving neighbors can get messy.
  • “pouring oil and wine on them.” It can be expensive.
  • “He put him on his own beast.” Loving neighbors can require unusual exertion and be very inconvenient.
  • “He brought him to an inn and took care of him.” This Samaritan is spending and being expended (2 Cor. 12:15) for this stranger. He tends to his wounds throughout the night with no prospect for reward.
  • “On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper,” asking the innkeeper to take care of the man and promising to pay whatever extra costs were incurred when he returned.

Jesus then asks the lawyer the final question, “Which one proved to be a neighbor?” The lawyer answers, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Jesus concludes the conversation with, “Go and do likewise.”

SUMMARY

Let’s summarize what we have learned.

The lawyer was seeking from Jesus eternal life by means of the Law. Responding to Jesus’ prompt, the lawyer correctly stated that IF a person loved the LORD with all heart and soul and loved their neighbor as themselves, they would earn eternal life. Ah, but eternal life through the Law requires perfect obedience, so that’s out of the question.

Jesus then tells the parable in response to the lawyer’s question, “Who is my neighbor?” In the parable, those who have the Law utterly fail to obey the law of the neighbor, while the Samaritan, who does not have the Law, “proves to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands” (Luke 10:36). (See Romans 2:25-26.) The compassion and the love that the Samaritan shows for his Neighbor give evidence that he may have inherited eternal life.

The answer to the lawyer’s first question about inheriting eternal life is actually not in the story. If anyone wants to “inherit eternal life,” he must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who believe in Jesus will be able to love their neighbor as themselves.

Soli Deo gloria            rmb                 6/9/2023                     #657

Being a neighbor, according to Jesus – Part 1 (Luke 10:25-37)

POST OVERVIEW. Taking a break from our study of James 2:14-26, we will be looking at one of the most famous of Jesus’ parables, the story of “The Good Samaritan” in Luke 10:25-37. This first article focuses on the key question the lawyer asks Jesus and how we are to understand Jesus’ answer.

The gospel of Luke is filled with parables spoken by the Lord Jesus Himself to tell us about mysteries of the kingdom of God. One of the most famous of Jesus’ parables is the story of “The Good Samaritan.” A lawyer (an expert in the Mosaic Law) asks Jesus how a person can “inherit eternal life,” and thus ensues a fascinating dialog. This short series will drill deep into the conversation between the lawyer and Jesus and will explore the meaning and the application of the parable about the traveler from Samaria who helps a fellow traveler. My text will be from the NAS translation of the Bible. I will only quote selected portions of the passage but will assume that the reader is following along in their Bible.

Since Luke writes the scenes of his gospel account “in consecutive order” (Luke 1:3), then we can assume that this encounter between Jesus and the lawyer occurs somewhere in the middle of His earthly ministry. As the scene opens, Jesus has been teaching a group that includes this expert in the Mosaic Law. We do not know exactly what prompts his question, but the lawyer stood up and “put Him to the test” with the question, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (The “rich young ruler” of Luke 18:18ff asks the identical question, so it would be an interesting exercise to study these two dialogs together. See Post #612 on 1/18/2023 for an article on the RYR.) In simple terms, the dialog then goes like this:

  • First, the lawyer tests Jesus by asking how a person can “inherit eternal life.”
  • Second, Jesus tests the lawyer by asking him about the Law.  
  • Third, the lawyer answers his own question from what is written in the Law.
  • Fourth, Jesus confirms that the lawyer’s answer is correct.

Let’s pause here for a second. At this point, Jesus has confirmed the answer to the lawyer’s question. “If you do what the Law demands, then you will inherit eternal life.” (NOTE: It is very interesting that Jesus has indirectly affirmed the theoretical possibility for man to inherit eternal life through the Law.) Therefore, the dialog should end here. But obviously the dialog does not end here. Instead, the lawyer asks Jesus another question. Why? What is going on here?

JESUS’ MEANING

When Jesus confirms the lawyer’s answer (10:27) by saying, “Do this and live,” Jesus means, “Perfectly love the Lord you God and perfectly love your neighbor as yourself, at all times and in all circumstances, from birth till death, and you will live.” Jesus speaks about obeying the Law in absolute terms, in terms of absolute performance without grace. Thus, there are two possible performances – perfect obedience or abject failure. If a person would inherit eternal life through the Law, then that person must themselves fulfill all the Law’s demands. This is what God the Son means when He says, “Do this and you will live.”

THE LAWYER’S UNDERSTANDING

The lawyer’s understanding of “love the Lord your God” and “love your neighbor as yourself” is dramatically different than Jesus’. The lawyer sees obeying the demands of the Law through a relative lens. According to him (or the Pharisee or the scribe), “Do this and live,” means “make sure your performance is relatively good and better than most, and you will achieve eternal life.”

We need to spend a moment here to grasp the chasm that exists between these two ways of thinking. Even though the lawyer and Jesus have agreed on the answer to the lawyer’s question, they are oceans apart in their interpretation of what the answer means. The lawyer is probably a little surprised by how easy it is to inherit eternal life and, at the same time, Jesus knows that He is the only one who will ever fulfill the Law’s demands (Matt. 5:17). The lawyer is fully confident that his performance of the Law is good enough, while Jesus is implicitly teaching the lawyer that his performance will never merit eternal life. Ironically, Jesus’ words that should have served as a severe warning to the lawyer have probably increased the lawyer’s confidence in his self-righteousness.

THE LAWYER’S SECOND QUESTION

At this point, then, the lawyer has received from the Teacher his answer to his first question, the question about eternal life. Love God and love your neighbor and you’re good. So now, if the lawyer can just get a little clarification about loving his neighbor, he should be able to move on. It is curious that the lawyer asks, “Who is my neighbor?” and not, “How do I love my neighbor?” The Law demands that you “love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:18), but it gives no guidance on how to do that. It is this question, “According to Jesus, how do I love my neighbor as myself?” that prompts Jesus’ parable, and it is to that parable that we turn in our next article.

Soli Deo gloria            rmb                 6/5/2023                     #656

Justified by faith or by works? (James 2:14-26) – Part 4

POST OVERVIEW. The fourth in a series of articles on James 2:14-26. The purpose of these articles is to give the believer a correct understanding of this passage by providing a number of different approaches to this text. The goal is that, through these studies, the believer will see that James’ teaching here does not conflict with the New Testament’s doctrine of justification by faith. (See also Post #652, 5/24,2023, Post #653, 5/25/2023 and Post #654, 5/30/2023.)

This passage in James 2:14-26, and especially 2:21-25, has caused controversy in the faithful community because it appears that James is, in these verses, directly contradicting the doctrinal teaching of the apostle Paul, that a person is justified by faith alone and not by works. The main point of our study is to demonstrate that James and Paul are in full agreement on the gospel.

In our previous lessons on James 2:14-26, we have seen that, when James teaches that a person is “justified by works,” we need to understand how James uses the word “justify” (δικαιόω in Greek) and what he means by “works.” In Post #653, we showed that James uses “justify” in the sense of “give evidence for a claim” and in Post #654, we discovered that the “works” of James 2:14-26 are not done by unbelievers to merit salvation but are done by believers to make their invisible faith visible through faithful acts. These two lessons alone would be sufficient to defuse the claim of conflict between James and Paul.

But there is yet more evidence in the New Testament that makes a disagreement between James and Paul on such a major point of doctrine impossible. This next point will be about the personal acquaintance that the two men had with one another.

GALATIANS AND THE RIGHT HAND OF FELLOWSHIP

First, we turn to Galatians 2:9. In that verse, James gives to Paul the right hand of fellowship at the “Jerusalem council” because of their agreement on the “truth of the gospel” (2:5). Paul was entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised (2:7) and Peter was entrusted with that same gospel to the circumcised. Note that “those who were reputed to be pillars” gave each other “the right hand of fellowship” because they were in complete agreement on the content of the gospel. After reading passages in Galatians like 1:6-9; 2:14, 16, 21; 3:6-14 and 5:2-6, it is impossible to conceive of Paul giving the right hand of fellowship to James if James was still preaching a gospel of justification by faith plus works. If James was even the least bit fuzzy on justification by faith alone, he would have received from Paul treatment similar to what Peter received in Gal. 2:11-14. As Paul makes abundantly clear in Galatians and in other epistles, justification by faith alone is “a hill to die on.” After conferring together and comparing the gospels they preached (Gal. 2:1-10), there is no possibility that James and Paul did not agree completely on this aspect of the gospel.

OUR BELOVED PAUL AT THE JERUSALEM COUNCIL

Luke gives a more detailed account of this same “Jerusalem council” in Acts 15 and we would do well to review this event to corroborate our findings from Galatians. James and Paul both take major roles at this meeting. At that time, James was the leader of the Jerusalem church and Paul was emerging as the apostle to the Gentiles. Peter is also there, still as an apostle but by this time his leadership of the gospel movement has passed to James.

In the proceedings of the council, the apostle Peter declares that “God made no distinction between us and them (the Gentiles), cleansing their hearts by faith” (15:9). Thus Peter asserts justification by faith alone, saying that the Gentiles do not need to obey every jot and tittle of the Law of Moses to be saved (15:10). Then, in a statement that removes all doubt, Peter says, “But we believe that we (the Jews) are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way that they (the Gentiles) also are” (15:12). In this way, Peter has spoken for the circumcised and has made clear that Jews and Gentiles are saved in the same way. There is no need to add the Law to their faith. And if the Law does not need to be added to our faith, then it follows that neither do our “works.”

After Peter, as an apostle and a Jew, has declared that Jew and Gentile are saved by faith through grace, “Barnabas and Paul related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles” (15:12). It is certain that, as these two were describing their experiences among the Gentiles during their first missionary journey, they were also telling of how the Gentiles had been saved by the power of the gospel (Romans 1:16; 1 Cor. 1:18-24) and not by works.

After hearing Peter, the apostle to the circumcised, give his testimony of salvation by faith for both Jew and Gentile, and then hearing Paul, the apostle to the uncircumcised, give the same testimony, James leads “the apostles and the brethren who are elders” (15:23) to send men to Antioch “with our beloved (Barnabas and) Paul” telling the Gentile believers at Antioch that they do not need to adhere to the Mosaic Law in order to be saved.

SUMMARY. Having looked carefully at Acts 15, we see again that James and Paul were not at odds on the doctrine of justification by faith. Even at this early stage of the church, as the gospel was expanding into the territory of the Gentiles, it has already become firmly established among the apostles and church leaders that salvation is by faith apart from works of the Law. James believed this just as much as Paul did. Both men respected each other and were in firm agreement on the contents of the gospel. James could not write to the church at Antioch of our beloved Paul is he secretly rejected Paul’s most essential gospel doctrine.

We must conclude, therefore, that James is not teaching a doctrine of justification by works that is in contradiction to Paul’s teaching.

Soli Deo gloria            rmb                 6/2/2023                     #655

Justified by faith or by works? (James 2:14-26) – Part 3

POST OVERVIEW. The third in a series of articles on James 2:14-26. The purpose of these articles is to give the believer a correct understanding of this passage by providing a number of different approaches to this text. The goal is that, through these studies, the believer will see that James’ teaching here does not conflict with the New Testament’s doctrine of justification by faith. (See also Post #652, 5/24,2023 and Post #653, 5/25/2023.) This fairly long article focuses on the concept of “works.”

This is the third article in a series of studies of James 2:14-26. Let’s take a moment to review where we have been so far, where we are going in this article, and where we hope to go with the rest of the series.

BRIEF REVIEW

In my first post (#652), I had explained the main interpretive difficulty in the passage; namely, that it can seem that, in James 2:14-26, and particularly in 2:21-15, James is contradicting the core teaching of the New Testament about justification by faith. The apostle Paul teaches throughout his epistles that a sinner is “justified” (meaning “declared righteous”) solely on the basis of faith in Jesus Christ. In fact, in Galatians, Paul states that a variation in the gospel on this point is anathema (Gal. 1:8, 9) and that those who preach this “other” gospel are cursed. Because of the New Testament’s teaching on “justified” and on “justification,” “justification by faith alone” became one of the five “Solas” of the Reformation. So, this is not a minor point. In my first post, I had proposed a plan of study that would allow us to examine James 2:14-26 using several different approaches to demonstrate that James is not contradicting any of the Bible’s teaching on what it means to be “justified.”

The second post of the series (#653) had begun to work through the points of the plan of study. Our first piece of information was that the verb “justify” has at least two meanings. Understanding how James uses this verb (and its related terms) in James 2:21-25 helps immensely in defusing the difficulties of the passage.

In this third article, we will focus most of our efforts on understanding the word and the concept of “works.”

THE CONCEPT OF “WORKS”

Broadly speaking, the concept of “works” relates to human effort or accomplishment. “Works” are things which the human does that affect the human’s relationship with the living God, either positively or negatively. The primary factor that determines whether “works” are pleasing to God or are perceived as “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6) is whether or not the one doing the “works” has believed in God and has been reconciled with God. In our day, the question would be, “Are you a follower of the Lord Jesus?” If the answer is yes, then your works are generally pleasing to God and, if not, then your works are an offense to Him and a stench in His nostrils.

Let me explain this a bit further and then clarify “works” by giving some examples. I said that the primary factor for evaluating “works” is whether or not the person working is a follower of Jesus. Why is that? It is because, when a person comes to faith in Jesus, their motivation for the “works” dramatically changes.

“WORKS” OF THE UNBELIEVER

When a person is not a believer in Jesus, he may still desire to benefit from religious activity or religious works. (In fact, a good working definition of a religion is a system of man-made human efforts intended to achieve some spiritual benefit.) Thus the unbeliever will do things prescribed by their particular religion to try to relieve themselves of guilt or to impress others or to make themselves good enough to be acceptable to their god(s) or to God. The point is that the one who “works” in this way is using their human effort to earn favor with the gods or with God.

The problem with these “works” is that they are as offensive to the living God as perhaps anything can be. These “works” offer man’s sinful efforts and his religious rituals as the means of making him acceptable to God, when God has sent His only Son Jesus into the world to be crucified on Calvary’s cross as the only acceptable sacrifice for sin and as the only means of reconciling God and man. In Acts 4:12, Peter declares,

“And there is salvation in no one else. For there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

The only way to be justified before our holy God is to bow the knee to Jesus and confess Him as Lord and Savior. But, instead of repenting of sin and submitting to Jesus, man wants to continue in his wicked ways and to continue in his sin, so he offers to God a token performance of “works.” Jesus has willingly come from heaven to earth to die on the cross as the only means of rescue from the wrath of God, but by means of his “works,” man rejects the Son of God and offers instead his sin-stained man-made efforts. This is why Paul and the other New Testament writers and solid Christian churches today vigorously oppose any teaching that claims that we can be declared righteous by our “works.” Justification is by faith alone in Christ alone.

Consider these biblical examples. Cain offered to God his “works” of the fruit of the ground (Genesis 4) and he was rejected by God and perished. It was his religious “works” that Saul of Tarsus offered to God (Phil. 3:5-6), but for the apostle Paul those works were all “rubbish” (3:8). Nadab and Abihu offered religious “works” of strange fire before the LORD and were consumed in the flame (Leviticus 10). In the gospels, the Pharisees had all their religious rules, but Jesus repeatedly called them hypocrites. “Works” can never bring an unbeliever closer to God or forgive the unbeliever of one single sin. Any “work” that is using human effort or human performance to achieve favor with God is cursed.

“WORKS” OF THE BELIEVER

We have just described the “works” of the unbeliever and have seen that they are offensive to God, since they offer human effort as a replacement for the death of Christ. So, if this is the only kind of “works” known in the New Testament and if James is suggesting that the unbeliever is justified (“declared righteous”) by his own “works,” we have a major contradiction and a major problem.

But what we find as we examine Scripture is, first, that there are “works” which are entirely appropriate to the believer and which are, indeed, expected for every believer, and second, that James is certainly not suggesting that an unbeliever is justified (“declared righteous”) by his own “works.” Let’s take these two points one at a time.

In our previous post (#653), we have already demonstrated that, in James 2:21-25, “justified” is used in the sense of the believer giving outward, visible evidence of their inward, invisible faith. Their claim of faith is “justified” when they give sufficient evidence of their faith. But not only does James use “justified” in a non-salvific way in our study passage, but we also see that his examples, Abraham and Rahab, are people who are already believers and who already possess saving faith. (We will address this further when we look at Hebrews 11 in parallel with this passage in James in a later post.) Abraham and Rahab are presented not as examples of those who earned saving faith by their works, but rather as examples of those who demonstrated their saving faith by radical acts of faithfulness.

Finally, then, this passage cannot be about how the unbeliever achieves his own salvation by his “works,” because there is not even an unbeliever anywhere in the passage.

What we see instead is that it is incumbent upon the genuine believer to live a life marked by “good works” which give evidence to his claim of salvation. Calls for “good works” or “good deeds” which attest to an already-possessed salvation are common in the New Testament, and this is certainly the type of “works” that James has in mind here.

The following are places where this type of “works” appears in the New Testament:

Matthew 5:16 “Let men see your good works.”

Ephesians 2:10. It is instructive to read Ephesians 2:9 and 2:10 together. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, not as a result of works. For we are created in Christ Jesus for good works.” “Works” do not save, but “good works” should follow salvation.

Philippians 2:12. “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.”

Colossians 1:10. Paul prays they would “bear fruit in every good work.”

2 Thessalonians 2:17. “Strengthen your hearts in every good work.”

1 Timothy 2:10; 5:10; 6:18. Good works are a mark of a faithful believer.

2 Timothy 2:21; 3:17. “prepared/equipped for every good work.”

Titus 2:7, 14; 3:8, 14. Believers are to be “zealous for good deeds.”

Hebrews 10:24. “Stimulate one another to love and good deeds.”

1 Peter 2:12. The Gentiles glorify God because of your good deeds.

SUMMARY

We have seen that “works,” which are presented by the unbeliever as an attempt to merit or earn from God a declaration of righteousness (to be “justified”), are offensive to God and are condemned because these “works” are offered instead of faith in the crucified Christ.

We have also seen that “good works,” which are produced in and by the believer as a visible manifestation (a “justification”) of their invisible faith in Jesus, are expected and are approved by God because these “good works” are wrought through the power of the Holy Spirit.

It is this latter category of “works” that James has in view in James 2:14-26.

Soli Deo gloria            rmb                 5/30/2023                   #654

Justified by faith or by works? (James 2:14-26) – Part 2

POST OVERVIEW. The second in a series of articles on James 2:14-26. The purpose of these articles is to give the believer a correct understanding of this passage by providing a number of different approaches to this text. The goal is that, through these studies, the believer will see that James’ teaching here does not conflict with the New Testament’s doctrine of justification by faith. (See also Post #652, 5/24,2023.)

A STUDY OF THE WORD “JUSTIFY”

Having given an introduction to this series of studies (See Post #652, 5/24/2023), we will begin with an examination of “justify.” This portion of our study will be a little technical, but it is necessary for us to look at definitions and to understand how this word and its related terms are used in the New Testament.

THE FIRST USE OF “JUSTIFY.” As we mentioned above, in the New Testament, the English word “justify” is a translation of the Greek word “δικαιόω.” This word is of profound significance in the gospel of salvation, because its most common usage has the meaning of “declare righteous.” The main message of the gospel is that any sinner who believes (“places their faith”) in the Lord Jesus Christ is immediately declared righteous, forgiven of all their sins, saved from the wrath of God, and has eternal life. In short, by faith he “has been justified.” (This is the passive use of the word “justify.”) This entire set of effects of faith in Jesus has been abbreviated as “justification by faith.” The consistent and abundant teaching of the New Testament is that we are “justified” (declared righteous, etc.) by faith and by faith alone in Christ alone and not on the basis of works. (See later in this series for a deeper understanding of “works” and also for how many times the Bible insists that being justified/justification is not by works.) This use of “justify” (declare righteous) is what the apostle Paul uses almost exclusively in his doctrinal teaching about the gospel of the Lord Jesus and his letters of Romans and Galatians are particularly filled with this doctrine. For this reason, most believers automatically think of “justify” and “to be justified” in terms of “not by works” and “justification by faith alone,” and become concerned and vocal when someone suggests that a sinner can earn salvation (be justified) based on his works. It thus becomes obvious why James 2:21-25 has created some confusion and controversy among believers because James blatantly affirms that Abraham and Rahab were justified by their works. What do we do with that?

A SECOND USE OF “JUSTIFY.” And here it is necessary for us to realize that, while the overwhelming majority of uses of “justify” or “be justified” relates to declaring someone righteous based on their professed faith in the Lord Jesus, there is also a minority use of the word, and it is this minority use of “justify” that James uses in our study passage. James uses “justify” in the sense of “giving outward evidence of an inward reality” or of “supporting a claim to possess an invisible quality.” Other synonyms could be “exhibited,” “demonstrated,” “proved,” or “gave evidence for.”

AN ILLUSTRATION OF “JUSTIFY”

When I was a purchasing manager several years ago, I had a supplier whose name was Jim Cooper. Jim was a big man. He was probably 6’ 5” and was broad and “thick.” When I shook his hand, my hand almost disappeared into his. He was big. One day we were talking and he mentioned that he was having some pain in his knees. “Yeah, it was probably from too many years playing football.” I paused for a second, then asked, “When did you play football? Were you ever a professional football player?” He said, “I played for the Dallas Cowboys in the late 70’s and 80’s.” I remembered the Cowboys of that era and that they were powerful teams, so I asked, “Do you have a Super Bowl ring?” “Yes, as a matter of fact I do. Super Bowl XII for the 1977 season.” “Would you mind bringing that ring in so I could see it? I have never seen a Super Bowl ring.” “Sure thing. Next time I come over I will bring it.”

Now, I did not doubt for a second that Jim could produce that ring. First, he was an honest man, so he was not lying to me, but second, he was a big man, and the possibility that he had played for the world champion Dallas Cowboys was not a stretch, at all. But at that point in time, Jim’s claim of having a Super Bowl ring was not justified. Jim would not “be justified” until his invisible claim of being on the 1977 Dallas Cowboys was validated (“justified”) by the visible evidence of a Super Bowl ring from Super Bowl XII.

And, true to his word, the next time Jim and I got together, he put his Super Bowl XII ring on the conference table so I could take pictures of it with my phone. Because he had produced tangible visible evidence of his unseeable claim, he was fully “justified.” Jim Cooper claimed to be a member of the World Champion Dallas Cowboys and then produced the ring that proved his claim. In this way, he was “justified.”

If, on the other hand, Jim had claimed to be on the Dallas Cowboys in 1977 but had no Super Bowl ring, there would have been a lot of doubt about his claim. Without tangible, visible evidence to validate his claim, his football career would remain a mere claim, a mere maybe.

This is the way that James uses the word “justify” in 2:21, 24, and 25. If a man claims to have saving faith, then he needs to “justify” (prove, validate) that claim by giving tangible supporting evidence. And the tangible evidence that James is seeking is the evidence of “works.”

SUMMARY OF “JUSTIFY”

After carefully examining the word “justify” and seeing that James uses the word in a very different sense than Paul and the other New Testament writers, we can conclude that there is no conflict or contradiction in James 2:14-26 when compared to other New Testament doctrinal teaching.

NEXT ARTICLE. In this article we have carefully looked at the word “justify.” In the next article, we will examine “works” by first defining what the biblical writers mean by “works” and second, by considering what the role of works is both before and after salvation (Point #2 in our list in Post #652, 5/24/2023). We will conclude the next article by documenting the verses in the New Testament which explicitly teach that “being justified” (“declared righteous”) and justification are always “by faith” and are never “by works.”

Soli Deo gloria            rmb                 5/25/2023                   #653

Justified by faith or by works? (James 2:14-26) – Part 1

POST OVERVIEW. The first in a series of articles on James 2:14-26. The purpose of these articles is to give the believer a correct understanding of this passage by providing a number of different approaches to this text. Through these studies, the believer will see that James’ teaching here does not conflict with the New Testament’s doctrine of justification by faith. (Also see previous Post #393, 4/26/2021, on this same passage.)

“But how can a man be in the right before God?” – Job 9:2

THE CRUCIAL QUESTION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

From the time of the fall of man in Genesis 3 until the apostolic preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ, Job’s crucial question went unanswered. But after Pentecost, first the apostles and then the faithful church began to proclaim the good news that, now that Jesus has atoned for sins on the cross, all who repent and believe in Him can be declared righteous and can receive eternal life. That is the gospel we proclaim and by which we are saved. We are justified by faith alone in Christ alone.

HOW ARE WE JUSTIFIED?

But with this as a background, how do we understand James when he declares in his epistle, “Was not Abraham our father justified by works?” (James 2:21)? Perhaps even more unsettling is what we read a few verses later in James 2:24: “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.” Then finally James writes, “Was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works?” (2:25). Is James teaching another gospel in which the sinner is justified by faith plus his own works? Has James abandoned “justification by faith alone,” the central doctrine of the Reformation? Does the Holy Spirit-inspired Bible teach that there are actually two ways to be saved, one by faith in Jesus and another by faith plus works?

These are important questions that I want to address in a series of articles which consider James 2:14-26 and discern what James is teaching in this section of his epistle. As we go through these teaching articles, there are several key points that we will consider.

  1. The word that is translated “justify” (δικαιόω in Greek) or, in the passive, “to be justified,” has two different meanings depending upon the author’s intent. Therefore, we need to understand more about this word “justify.”
  2. An understanding of “works” in the New Testament. What do we mean by “works?” The difference between the role of works before salvation and the role of works after salvation must be considered.
  3. The personal relationship between Paul and James and their complete agreement on the content of the gospel.
  4. The New Testament’s abundant, explicit teaching that justification (God’s declaration of righteousness) is never by works.
  5. A comparison of Hebrews 11 with James 2 allows us to conclusively determine that James is using “justify” in a non-salvific sense.
  6. Finally, a careful, unbiased reading of James 2:14-26 makes the author’s purpose and meaning unambiguously clear.

This, then, will serve as an introduction to this mini-series on James 2:14-26. My plan is to work through each of these points in the list above (not necessarily in order) so that we remove any confusion about justification that might be created by this passage and we also pay attention to the warning that James is communicating here.

My next post will be about the meanings of “justify.” (Point #1 from the list above.)

Soli Deo gloria            rmb                 5/24/2023                   #652

The first resurrection (Revelation 20:4-6)

POST OVERVIEW. An interpretation of the meaning of “the first resurrection” from Revelation 20:4-6 that occurs during the “thousand years.”

4 Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years. – Revelation 20:4-6 (NAS)

The passage before us presents several interpretive difficulties, but we are going to focus our investigation on the meaning of “the first resurrection” as it appears here. What is the Scripture teaching us here about the resurrection?

INITIAL COMMENTS

As we begin our investigation, the first thing to observe is where this scene takes place. This scene is in heaven. In the book of Revelation, thrones (20:4) are always in heaven, so we know that this takes place in heaven. We also know when this takes place, since it is explicitly stated that this takes place during the “thousand years.”

It is important to observe who this vision sees. John saw “souls.” John did not see glorified saints, but he saw “souls.” This is very similar to the scene described in Revelation 6:9 when John also sees the “souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God.” These “souls” are believers who have physically died but who have not yet been glorified in the Resurrection. And this is exactly what we would expect to find during the “thousand years.” We would expect to find those who had died as faithful witnesses of Jesus and who now await the Resurrection on the Last Day.

EXEGESIS OF REVELATION 20:4-6 ON THE FIRST RESURRECTION

Now we will consider the part of the passage that talks about “the first resurrection.”

“And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” – Rev. 20:4

Who are these who came to life and reigned? There are two groups of believers included here, and one group is a subset of the other group. The first group, the subset, is “those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus.” These are the martyrs, the ones who had been faithful even unto violent death, “who have been slain because of the word of God” (Revelation 6:9). The martyrs are a subset of all faithful believers, “those who had not worshiped the beast or his image (Revelation 13) and had not received the mark” (20:4).

Therefore, those who came to life and reigned with Christ for the “thousand years” are all faithful believers who physically died during the “thousand years.”

The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. – Revelation 20:5a

This first sentence in Revelation 20:5 should be seen as parenthetical. “The rest of the dead” is referring to all unbelievers who physically died during the “thousand years.” This parenthetical comment about unbelievers makes abundantly clear that not everyone is included in those who came to life. This simple sentence declares that only those who die in Jesus are going to be reigning with Christ during the “thousand years.” Only faithful believers will “come to life.” Only faithful believers are in heaven with Christ awaiting the glorious Resurrection. “The rest of the dead” are elsewhere awaiting the terrifying great white throne judgment that comes later (Revelation 20:11-15).

This is the first resurrection. – Revelation 20:5b

THE FIRST RESURRECTION

Here John mentions “the first resurrection.” Some have been unnecessarily confused and distressed by this expression. John is certainly not here introducing the idea of some sort of two-stage resurrection. There is no biblical support anywhere in the Scripture to suggest that there are two literal Resurrections for the saints. This term “the first resurrection” is meant to be understood figuratively to describe the transition that occurs when any believer physically dies and then “rises” to spend the remainder of the age in the spirit in heaven with Christ awaiting the final, real Resurrection.

What do we know about everyone “who has a part in the first resurrection?” We know that the one who has a part in the first resurrection is “blessed and holy.” We know that “over these the second death has no power,” so we know that they will never be threatened with the lake of fire. We know that all these “will be priests of God and of Christ” (confirm in 1 Peter 2:9). Finally, we know that they will reign with Christ for the “thousand years.”

But not all believers will experience this first resurrection. Some believers will not reign with Christ for the “thousand years.” Why? Because the first resurrection is only for those believers who physically die before the coming of Christ, and not all believers will physically die. We know that “we will not all sleep” (1 Corinthians 15:51). We know that there will be some believers “who are alive and remain” (1 Thessalonians 4:17) when the Resurrection occurs. We know that the Resurrection is for those who have fallen asleep, and it is for those who are still living. These still-living believers will not experience the first resurrection because they will be glorified in the Resurrection without going through physical death.

So, not all believers will experience “the first resurrection,” but all believers will certainly experience the Resurrection on the Last Day.

WHAT ABOUT THE UNRIGHTEOUS?

In commenting about the unrighteous from this passage, the ones referred to as “the rest of the dead” in 20:5a, it should be understood that none of the unrighteous has a part in “the first resurrection.” For this reason, none of the unrighteous “came to life and reigned with Christ for the thousand years.” None of the unrighteous is “blessed and holy.” Over the unrighteous “the second death” has all power, because all the unrighteous will experience both physical death and “the second death.” (For a fuller understanding of “the second death,” see “The great white throne judgment” in Rev. 20:11-15.)

Perhaps these statements will help make things clearer:

  • If anyone experiences the first resurrection, then he will not experience the second death.
  • If you are a believer, then you are guaranteed the Resurrection on the Last Day.
  • If you are a believer, then physical death (the first death) is optional.
  • If you are an unbeliever, then you are guaranteed both physical death (the first death) and the lake of fire, which is the second death (Revelation 20:14-15).

CONCLUSION

In summary, then, “the first resurrection” of Revelation 20:4-6 is a figurative term for the transition that takes place when any believer physically dies and their soul goes to heaven to await their glorification in the Resurrection on the Last Day.

Soli Deo gloria            rmb                 5/16/2023                   #651