There are two ideas that seem to exist not in the 2000’s. Faith plus works and faith alone.

Faith alone means something along the lines of no actions are needed to be

Bible quotes #

¹⁷ So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

James 2:17 (NRSV)

Faith by itself gets you nothing.

²⁴ You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

James 2:24 (NRSV)

Faith by itself gets you nothing.

Shining as Lights in the World

¹² Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;

Philippians 2:12 (NRSV)

Do as the father wants and be a beacon of light in the dark world.

⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God — ⁹ not the result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

Ephesians 2:8-10 (NRSV)

The context behind this that “faith alone” is ignoring is that by “works” Paul usually means “works of law” which is fallowing the law. This was written to a Jewish and Gentile mix of people. Some like the Jews were beliving that it was there obediance to the law that got them into heaven. The issue was that the Jews were likely boasting about how well they fallow the law.

⁶ For he will repay according to each one’s deeds: ⁷ to those who by patiently doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;

Romans 2:6-7 (NRSV)

This suggests that whoever seeks the kingdom of God gets the reward of eternal life. This also states that people will get rewarded based upon their work.

³ For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.”

Romans 4:3 (NRSV)

Abramhams faith produced works, so it is also in part his works that saved him.

⁶ Those who are taught the word must share in all good things with their teacher.
⁷ Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. ⁸ If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. ⁹ So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. ¹⁰ So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.

Galatians 6:6-10 (NRSV)

If you do lust full things you get the reward of the flesh, but if you do the will of the father, you get his gifts.

Trial and Temptation

¹² Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

James 1:12 (NRSV)

This also suggests fallowing the will of the father

⁵ and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

Romans 5:5 (NRSV)

Yes salvation is given as a gift freely available. It does not need you to do good works to be saved in and of itself. Jesus wants you to do good works in effort to be more like him.

¹³ for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Philippians 2:13 (NRSV)

This further proves the point that Jesus wants good works because he changed you.

The Judgment of the Nations

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, ³³ and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. ³⁴ Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; ³⁵ for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶ I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ ³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? ³⁸ And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? ³⁹ And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ ⁴⁰ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ ⁴¹ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; ⁴² for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ ⁴⁴ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ ⁴⁵ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ ⁴⁶ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Matthew 25:31-46 (NRSV)

In this parable there are two groups of people. They are separated based upon whether or not they did the will of the father. To the group that did the will of the father he gave them eternal life. To those who did not do the will of the father they did not inherit heaven, but hell with the devil and his angles.

The Laborers in the Vineyard

¹ “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. ² After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. ³ When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; ⁴ and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. ⁵ When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. ⁶ And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ ⁷ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ ⁸ When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’ ⁹ When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. ¹⁰ Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. ¹¹ And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, ¹² saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ ¹³ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? ¹⁴ Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. ¹⁵ Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ ¹⁶ So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Matthew 20:1-16 (NRSV)

Early church #

Justin Martyr (c. 100-165 AD): First Apology, CH16 Hortatory Address to the Greeks, CH35

Clement of Rome (d. c. 99AD) 1 EPISTLE TO THE cORINTHEANS

John Chrysostom (c. 349-407) Homilies on the Epistle of Paul to the Romans, Homoly 8

Bede the Venerable (c. 673-735 AD) Commentary on James