TEACHING NOTES Introduction As said at the beginning of each part of this series, tonight’s topic cannot be covered fully in one hour. The history of how Christians have understood faith and works is a huge topic that is the subject of many large books. The goal of this session is to introduce the problem, trace the history, and discover how the earliest Christians defined faith and works. ‌ Resources for Further Study: ‌ “Salvation by Allegiance Alone: Rethinking Faith, Works, and the Gospel of Jesus the King” by Matthew W. Bates ‌ “Paul’s Works of the Law in the Perspective of Second-Century Reception” by Matthew J. Thomas ‌ “A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs” by David W. Bercot, Editor ‌ “The Religion of the Apostles: Orthodox Christianity in the First Century” by Stephen De Young ‌ The Problem: In Western Christianity, faith and works are often separated. Salvation is based on belief alone (faith alone) and good works are expected but not required. ‌ The Result: The majority of modern Christians say they believe in Jesus, but live as if obedience is not required. ‌ Ephesians 2:8–9 (literal translation) “8 For by grace ya’ll are being saved through faithfulness. And this is not from ya’ll; it is the gift of God, 9 not from works, so that no one may boast.” ‌ Common Interpretation: For by grace you have been saved through belief. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, and has nothing to do with good works, so that no one may boast. ‌ Romans 3:28 “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” ‌ Common Interpretation: “For we hold that one is justified by belief apart from/without good works.” ‌ What if Paul means… “For we hold that one is justified by faithfulness [to the Law of Christ] apart from the Law of Moses.” ‌ The Root of the Problem: We have bad definitions of faith, works, and works of the law. ‌ What is Faith? The most common definition of “faith” is belief. ‌ OT Hebrew: emet = faithfulness, reliability, trustworthiness, constancy NT Greek: pistis = faithfulness, allegiance, loyalty ‌ In both Hebrew and Greek, the word for “belief” and “faithfulness” are the same word. Similarly, the Hebrew word for “listen” and “obey” are the same word shema. Therefore, believing without obedience is considered “unbelief” in the Bible. ‌ Faith/Faithfulness is a relational term. ‌ Marriage: Being faithful to your spouse does not mean that you believe they exist. It means that you are loyal to them alone and show it by action. ‌ In the biblical world, there were many gods one could worship. God calls His people to be faithful or loyal to Him alone and show it by action. ‌ *Both the OT & NT refers to God’s people His Bride (Isa. 54:5; Jer. 3:20; 31:31-32; Rev. 19:6-9; 21:9). ‌ What are Works? ‌ Popular View: “Works” and “works of the law” both refer to “good works/good fruit/obedience.” ‌ OT Hebrew: melakah = handiwork, workmanship (Gen. 2:2-3) abad = serve, accomplish, work (Gen. 2:15) ‌ NT Greek: ergon = deed, action, work ergon nomos = works of the law (Torah) kalos/agathos erga = good works, moral action (Matt. 5:16) ‌ Jesus on Faith & Works ‌ John 6:27–29 “27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works [erga] of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work [ergon] of God, that you are faithful [pisteuete] to him whom he has sent.”” ‌ Jesus uses pisteuete, which is in present tense and active voice. This means that Jesus is teaching ongoing faithfulness, not mere belief in the past. Jesus is the Bread of Life (John 6:35) and calls to work for Him faithfully. ‌ Matthew 7:21–23 “21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” ‌ History: ‌ The Apostles (AD 30-100) During the time of the apostles, when the NT was being written, the church was mostly Jewish with a growing number of Gentile converts. This diversity led to debates about whether Gentiles should be required to follow the ceremonial “works” of the Torah like circumcision, purification rituals, celebrating the Jewish feasts/festivals, and the dietary laws. This conflict is most clearly seen in Acts 15, Romans, and Galatians. The fact that some Jewish Christians wanted to force Torah practices on Gentile Christians is a recurring conflict in the NT. ‌ Ante-Nicene Fathers-Greek Fathers (AD 100-400) Early Christian writings help us to see how the writings of the apostles were interpreted and practiced. In the first 300 years of the Church, the “works of the law” were understood as the ceremonial laws of the Torah: circumcision, purification rituals, celebrating the festivals, and dietary laws. The early Christians did not understand Paul to be teaching that “good works” or “moral actions” have nothing to do with a person’s salvation. The early Christians taught that a person must remain faithful and repentant to be saved. ‌ The Middle Ages In the Middle Ages the discussion about faith and works included the concept of “merit” in the Western Church. “Merit” was about things we can do to earn God’s favor. Western theologians loved to discuss how the merits of Christ are applied to believers. This led to the idea of “The Treasury of Merit” where there is an ample supply of Christ’s merit and the Pope can decide who receives some of this merit. The Eastern Church rejected these ideas, because “merit” isn’t even in the Bible. ‌ Martin Luther (1483-1546) Luther taught that when Paul speaks of “works of the law” that he was referring to any good works, whether from the Torah or good works taught by Jesus. Luther wrote, “these words, ‘works of the law’ are to be taken in the broadest possible sense, whether the Civil Law, the Ceremonial Law, or the Decalogue.” Luther even stated that early church fathers, as Origen and Jerome, misled the church into thinking that Paul was speaking of only the ceremonies of the Jewish law. In other words, Luther acknowledged that his view was new and those before him were wrong. ‌ Luther also added words to the Bible in his German translation. Luther translated the NT into German in 1522 and the OT was finished in 1534. There were already a few German Bibles in existence, but those translations did not support Luther’s doctrines. For example, the entire idea of salvation by “faith alone” comes from Luther’s translation of Romans 3:28 where he added the word “alone” to the text. ‌ From the Greek: Romans 3:28 “For we hold that one is justified by faithfulness apart from works of the law.” ‌ Luther’s Translation: Romans 3:28 “For we hold that one is justified by faith [alone] apart from works of the law.” ‌ Problem: The only place in the Greek NT where the words “faith” and “alone” appear together is in James 2:24 “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” How did Luther answer this problem? He argued that the book of James be removed from the NT and called it “an epistle of straw.” ‌ Western vs. Eastern The Western Church is Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. The Eastern Church is often referred to as Eastern Orthodoxy. ‌ Western View: “Faith” is only about belief. “Good works” and “works of the Law” are the same. ‌ Eastern View: “Faith” is about faithfulness. “Good works” is obedience to Christ’s teaching. “Works of the Law” is obedience to the Torah. *Law of Moses vs. Law of Christ ‌ Ephesians 2:8-9 (literal translation) 8 For by grace ya’ll are being saved through faithfulness. And this is not from ya’ll; it is the gift of God, 9 not from works, so that no one may boast. ‌ Grace and salvation did not come from us and did not happen because we earned it. Grace and salvation is the gracious gift of God and is received through faithfulness to Christ. ‌ Ephesians 2:8-9 (literal translation) 8 For by grace ya’ll are being saved through faithfulness. And this is not from ya’ll; it is the gift of God, 9 not from works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. ‌ James 2:14–26 “14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.” ‌ Misreading Paul: Part of our problem in modern Christianity is how we read Paul’s letters to the Romans and Galatians. Many do not realize the context and situation into which Paul is writing. The problem that Paul is trying to solve is a division in the Roman church between Jewish and Gentile Christians. The Jewish Christians were “boasting” in their Jewish heritage and traditions. The Gentile Christians were “boasting” in their freedom from practicing Jewish traditions. This created a divide in the body of Christ. This was not a new problem, but actually began in Acts 15. ‌ In Acts 15:1 we read “But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’” Some Jewish Christians believed that the Gentiles had do practice the customs/works of the Torah to be saved. The apostles held a council to debate this issue and declare the solution. We read their declaration in Acts 15:28–29 “28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: 29 that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.” ‌ This is the same issue we find both in Romans and Galatians. When Paul speaks of “works of the Law” he is referring to certain ceremonial practices of the Torah: circumcision, purification rituals, celebrating the Jewish festivals, and dietary laws. When Paul says that we are not justified by works of the law, he is talking about those Jewish rituals. The “works of the Law” and “good works” are NOT the same. ‌ Romans 2:6–11 “6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in good works seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 For God shows no partiality. ‌ Paul’s “Works of the Law”: ‌ Romans 3:20 “For by works of the law [of Moses] no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” ‌ Romans 3:27–31 “27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.” ‌ Galatians 2:16 “yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law [of Moses] but through faithfulness in Jesus Christ, so we also have faithfulness in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faithfulness in Christ and not by works of the law [of Moses], because by works of the law [of Moses] no one will be justified.” ‌ Galatians 3:10 “For all who rely on works of the law [of Moses] are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.’” ‌ 1 Corinthians 9:21 “To those outside the law [of Moses] I became as one outside the law [of Moses] (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law [of Moses].” ‌ Conclusion Salvation is by grace through faithfulness. Faithfulness is not perfection, but a life of obedient repentance. ‌ “And without faithfulness it is impossible to please God, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” – Heb. 11:6