Why do people think you are trying to discredit the Bible when you give them biblical truth? When you tell people that Paul and James have two different gospels. Paul says, faith without works and James says, faith without works is dead. We will get back to that later. Trying to say Paul and James have the same message is like trying to say, the tree of life and the tree of good and evil carries the same message. It’s like saying, Abel and Cain had the same message, likewise, Isaac and Ishmael having the same message, Jacob and Esau, the Pharisees and Jesus etc… People are so caught up in trying to make the Bible the word of God, when the TRUTH IS; JESUS IS THE WORD OF GOD. PERIOD!!!! Jesus says this in John chapter 5
Verse 39 - 40; Ye search the scriptures, because ye think that in them ye have eternal life; and these are they which bear witness of me; and ye will not come to me, that ye may have life.
Also in Verse 45 - 46 Jesus said; Think not that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, on whom ye have set your hope. For if ye believed Moses, ye would believe me; for he wrote of me.
These set of scriptures below also shows you the Bible is not the word of God but Jesus is the WORD OF GOD! Let’s show further proof. Hebrews chapter 10 verse 5 - 7; Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, But a body didst thou prepare for me; In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hadst no pleasure: Then said I, Lo, I am come (In the roll of the book it is written of me) To do thy will, O God.
Jesus says the book is written about Him, He didn’t say the book was Him. Jesus Himself says; the scriptures testify of Him, Moses wrote of Him and the book is written about Him. Now let see what the book of Revelation says,
Revelation 19 verses 11 - 13; And I saw the heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon called Faithful and True; and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. And his eyes are a flame of fire, and upon his head are many diadems; and he hath a name written which no one knoweth but he himself. And he is arrayed in a garment sprinkled with blood: and his NAME is called THE WORD OF GOD.
At this point the Bible did not come riding on a White horse, but Jesus did. Now to get to my point, Acts chapter 9 verses 9 - 16 Paul gets a call and message from God for his mission. Acts chapter 10 verses 9 - 16 Peter gets a vision and message from God. Can someone please show me anywhere that James received a message from God. Then in Acts chapter 15, Peter gives the message to the people that God gave him to give and when he finish talking,James stands up and says, listen to him. Now someone answer this for me. What is it called if God gives or speaks a word, then someone else gives another word that God did not say or speak?
Paul then in Galatians chapter 2 verse 9; and when they perceived the grace that was given unto me, James and Peter and John, they who were seemed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship, that we should go unto the Gentiles, and they unto the circumcision;
Paul did not say James was a pillar, he said they seemed to be pillars and they added nothing to him. Then in Galatians 2 verse 11 - 19; But when PETER came to Antioch, I resisted him to the face, because he stood CONDEMNED. For before that certain came from JAMES, he ate with the Gentiles; but when they came, he drew back and separated himself, fearing them that were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that even Barnabas was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that THEY WALKED NOT UPRIGHTLY ACCORDING TO THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL, I said unto PETER before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest as do the Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, how compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? We being Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed on Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law: because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. But if, while we sought to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also were found sinners, is Christ a minister of sin? God forbid. For if I build up again those things which I destroyed, I prove myself a transgressor. For I through the law died unto the law, that I might live unto God.
Right there in scripture Paul tells you the He and James/Peter have two different messages. Paul says; they walk not according to the truth of the gospel. Let's see what James said verse what Paul says.
James 1 vs 13; Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no man: but each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.
Genesis 22 vs 1 - 2; And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham; and he said, Here am I. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
Exodus 32 vs 12 - 14; Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, saying, For evil did he bring them forth, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. And God repented of the evil which he said he would do unto his people.
James 2 vs 20 - 24; But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son upon the altar? Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect; and the scripture was fulfilled which saith, And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness; and he was called the friend of God. Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith.
Genesis 15 vs 4 - 6; And, behold, the word of God came unto him, saying, This man shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and number the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in God; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness.
Abraham believed what God said and it was accounted to him as righteousness. It wasn't until Genesis 22 vs 9 - 12; is when Abraham offered Isaac, that's seven chapters later!
James 2 vs 14; What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but have not works? can that faith save him?
Luke 23 vs 39 - 43; And one of the malefactors that were hanged railed on him, saying, Art not thou the Christ? save thyself and us. But the other answered, and rebuking him said, Dost thou not even fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said, Jesus, remember me when thou comest in thy kingdom. And he said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise. (this guy did no works but his faith saved him)
Luke 18 vs 9 - 14; And he spake also this parable unto certain who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and set all others at nought: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I get. But the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote his breast, saying, God, be thou merciful to me a sinner. I say unto you, This man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled; but he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. (the publican did no works but he was justified by his faith)
This man on the cross received salvation without doing any good works, so faith without works did save him. There are many more things to be shown but this should be enough to prove the point. Also in John 7 vs 2 - 5; Now the feast of the Jews, the feast of tabernacles, was at hand. His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judæa, that thy disciples also may behold thy works which thou doest. For no man doeth anything in secret, and himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou doest these things, manifest thyself to the world. For even his brethren did not believe on him. (James also one of Jesus brothers did not believe on Jesus)
Lastly in 2 Peter chapter 3 verses 14 - 17, Peter tells us to listen at Paul or you will wrestle with scriptures to your own destruction. Verses 14 - 17; Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for these things, give diligence that ye may be found in peace, without spot and blameless in his sight. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote unto you; as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; wherein are some things hard to be understood, which the ignorant and unstedfast wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware lest, being carried away with the error of the wicked, ye fall from your own stedfastness.
One final question, in the book of Revelation chapter 21 verse 14; And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. Who do you think is the twelfth apostle, because Judas was disqualified. Is it Matthias, James or Paul?
1 Corinthians 15 verse 7 - 10; after that, he was seen of James; then to all the apostles; and last of all he appeared to me, as a child untimely born. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not found vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Galatians 1 vs 1; Paul, an apostle (not from men, neither through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead)