Friday, February 5, 2016

Getting rid of contradictions

Titus 3:5+7 "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us...That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

Romans 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

James 2:22+24 "Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?...Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only."

Rightly dividing the word of truth is the only way to reconcile the three passages above. Baptist try to make James match Paul, and the Church of Christ Campbellites try to make Paul match James. The Baptist interpretation leaves the words of James 2 not meaning what they say and the Campbellite interpretation leaves the words of Paul not meaning what they say.

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

When two verses contradict, they cannot be talking about the same people about the same thing...

Paul is writing to Gentiles that have been made members of the Church the Body of Christ: For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: (Rom. 11:13, Eph. 3:1-9)

James is writing prophetically to the twelve tribes of Israel in the Last Days: James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. (James 1:1, 5:3)

The Lord revealed the Dispensation of Grace and the Gospel of Grace to the apostle Paul (Acts 20:24, Gal. 1:11-12, 2:1-9, Rom. 2:16, 11:13, 11:25, 16:25, 1 Cor. 2:7-8, 4:15-16, 9:17, 11:1-2, 15:1-4, Eph. 1:9, 3:1-9, 5:32, 6:19, 1 Tim. 2:7, 3:9, 2 Tim. 2:7, 4:17, 2 Thes. 3:7, Col. 1:25-28, 4:3, Phil. 3:17).
The Lord revealed the rapture of the Body of Christ to Paul as well: 1 Thes. 4:15, 1 Cor. 15:58.

Hebrews through Revelation are written to believing Israel with the Gospel of the Kingdom, prophetically to the Last Days (Heb. 1:2, 4:1-2, 4:9-11, 8:8-13, 9:28, 10:16, 12:22-23, Jam. 1:1, 5:3, 1 Pet. 1:1, 1:5-13, 1:20, 2:5, 2:9-10, 2:12, 2:25, 4:7, 2 Pet. 3:3, 1 Jn. 2:13-14, 2:18, Jude 18, 21, Rev. 1:10).

The theme of Hebrews through Revelation is the believing Jews remaining faithful and laboring to enter into the Kingdom at the Second Coming. 

Hebrews 4:
[9] There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
[10] For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
[11] Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief
.

Paul and James contradict because they are not talking to the same people about the same thing with the same hope. 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Your questions or comments welcome.