The Example of Abraham
Both Paul and James turned to the life of Abraham to illustrate justification. Paul writes, “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness” (Rom 4:2-3). James seems to contradict Paul when he writes, “Was not our father Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?” (James 2:21) A careful analysis will help shed light on this apparent disagreement.