Letter To Galatians

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St. Paul and St. James do not contradict, but complement each other considering that, they both analyze the Old Testament Laws and the role it played within the Christian community. Faith and Works are the common theme in the works of St. Paul and St. James. Paul asserts that we need faith before works. Paul quotes Genesis 15:6 in his letter to the Galatians, “just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness?” (Galatians 3:6, ESV) He uses this to show that Abraham had a strong faith in God when he promised to make him the father of all nations even though he had no child. God declared him righteous due to his belief and as believers in Christ; we automatically

Paul makes it clear in his letters that we may have been under the law, but Jesus came for our salvation and believing in him by faith gives us eternal salvation. Paul believed that the Law of Moses had no place in the life of a Christian especially when issues arose in respect to Circumcision as was the case among recent believers in Jesus who were still trying to develop a relationship with God. According to his letter to the Galatians 3: 24-25 he writes, “So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.”(Holy Bible, ESV) We could either be under the law or under faith not both. James, however in his letter says, “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works is dead…You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone…For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.” (James 2:17, 24 & 26) James was speaking to the people who had been Christians for a while but had become lazy in expressing their faith through works. He explained that they are compelled to follow the law of The Ten Commandments to justify themselves worthy in the eyes of God. He believed that faith accompanied by works was a manifestation of genuine conversion and salvation in