It would seem that St. Paul and St. James contradict each other. How is it that we are to
understand these statements?
St. Paul in his letter to the Romans in chapter 3 verse 28 states:
28 For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.
St. James says
24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. In verse 26, he says,
26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.
The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition. (1993). Washington, DC: National Council of Churches of Christ.
In the video Dr Sri uses Exodus and explains the concept of Justification beautifully. Please watch the video several times and mediate on it. Our Protestant brothers and sisters are hung-up on this seemingly contradictory statements from St. Paul and St. James. They hang onto St. Paul's and ignore St. James. In Exodus we see that with faith the Israelites left Egypt. They all didn't reach the "promised land". They had to put their faith into action in every step of their way for 40 years.
