Bible Groups - Digests of Bible Commentaries

The Acts of the Apostles - Chapter 13 - Justification

- Additional Notes on Justification

But see also Background pages on Galations, especially on Justification
Based on a paper by Prof. Felix Just, S.J. - Loyola Marymount University
Paul and James appear contradictory in common but incorrect statements of their positions:-
Paul: justification by our faith in Jesus alone, not by good works (Gal 2:15-3:14, Rom 3:21-4:25).
James: justification by our good works, not by faith alone (James 2:14-26).
But:-
1: Paul is not talking primarily about people's "faith in Jesus"; he means the "faith of Jesus" in God; our faith is a secondary response.
James does mean people's faith, primarily believing in God (2:23) but also believing in Jesus (2:1).
2: Paul is not talking about "good works"; for him "works of the Law" means circumcision, sacrificial rituals, dietary restrictions, etc.
For James, "works" mean acts of charity, ie care for widows, orphans, the poor, love for neighbours, etc (1:17, 2:8, 2:15-16).
3: Paul is not opposed to "good works"; he sees them as a necessary consequence - but not the foundation - of Christian life.
James is not opposed to faith; he presupposes it, but stresses that authentic faith must be put into action, not merely words.
4: Paul did not write the word "alone" in Rom 3:28; Luther added it in his translation.
James does not write "by works alone", but writes "not by faith alone"; he stresses that both have to go together.

B: "Justification by Faith" in Galatians and Romans

Based on a paper by Prof. Felix Just, S.J. - Loyola Marymount University
Definitions:
Most people think of "justification," "salvation," etc., as if they were states of being, referring to what you are (or are not). Similarly, they often talk about "faith" as if it were an object, something that you have or possess (or not). In the New Testament, however, these terms all refer to processes, things that you do, or even more importantly, what God and Jesus have done for you:
Justification: - the process of being "justified" (accepted by other people or by God)
Salvation: - the process of being "saved" (rescued from any type of danger or catastrophe)
Redemption: - the process of being "redeemed" (getting something back by repaying a loan)
Sanctification: - the process of being "sanctified" (set apart, made holy, dedicated to God)
Faith: - the action of "trusting" someone (relying on them or "entrusting" yourself to them)
All of these terms originally come from secular (non-religious) language, although today they are usually used in religious contexts.
Process and Results: Many people think that our salvation depends on our own faith in Jesus, how firmly we believe in him; but what Paul actually says is that salvation is accomplished through the faithfulness of Jesus (as shown in the cross):
1. "our faith in Jesus" - an inaccurate translation of Gal 2:16, 18 and Rom 3:22, 26, all of which say "of" (not "in") in the Greek text.
2. "the faith of Jesus" - the faith Jesus himself had in God, trusting that his death on the cross would be vindicated by the resurrection.
3. our faith in Jesus is supposed to be just like the faith/trust of Jesus in his Father, in the particular circumstances of our own lives.
4. the foundationof our salvation is the faith of Jesus (the cross!); our faith in Jesus is a consequence or response to Jesus' action.

C: Reason for Hostility to Paul in Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:45)

(After John J Kilgallen, of the Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome, Biblica 84 (2003) 1-15)
Paul's first homily in the synagogue was well received - presumably by all those present, ie Jews and "God-fearers" - ie Gentiles who believed in the Jewish moral laws and worshipped with the Jews. (So the Jews of Antioch were not antagonistic towards these Gentile God-fearers.)
But on the following Sabbath we are told that "the whole city" flocked to hear Paul, at which "the Jews" became jealous (or zealous) and spoke against Paul.
This is the first use of "the Jews" in Antioch, and need not imply all the Jews of that city. The clue is their jealousy or zeal (the Greek word can be translated to either). Several times in the OT Jews are praised for their zeal for the Lord and against false idols (Ps 106:30, Sir 45:23, 1 Macc 2:26, 54, 4 Macc 18:12). So it would appear that some of the Jews (and possibly God-fearers) were zealous in their protection of their faith.
So what had upset them? There seems no reason to think that Paul said anything new on this second Sabbath, so what had he said previously that caused concern? The key phrase is v. 39: "Everyone who believes in him is justified". The Gentiles were hearing this with joy - if they believed in Jesus they could be justified and obtain forgiveness. They had no need to obey the Law - ie the rituals and dietary practices of the Jews.
To zealous Jews this was giving away to Gentiles all the "holy things entrusted to David for Israel" (v. 23), without requiring them to obey the Law. (Which is why Paul in his very Jewish homily skipped straight from David to the Baptist). These Jews were not against the Gentiles being reconciled to God. But they found it unacceptable that they could be reconciled by believing in Jesus, and thus receive the blessings promised to Abraham, without following the Law, for which generations of Jews had fought and died for.
The Jews were acting rightly according to their insights and education, and the OT writers would have supported them in their zeal. But Luke knew that this zeal was misplaced.
So the phrase "the Jews" should not be taken as having an ethnic meaning, but a religious one: they were distinguished from other Jews by believing that Paul was wrong to preach salvation by faith to the Gentiles.
[Note: This is a very brief summary of 10 pages, with many Greek words, and 40 notes.]