The Missing Evidence Against 'Faith Alone

1. Video Summary

The video, "The Missing Evidence Against 'Faith Alone'" by Shameless Popery, provides a detailed theological exploration of the doctrine of justification, comparing and contrasting Catholic and Protestant viewpoints. The presenter, Joe Heschmeyer, argues that the historical disagreement is often exacerbated by mutual misunderstandings, differing definitions of key terms (like "justification" and "works"), and a surface-level reading of complex biblical texts. The video's central thesis is that a holistic look at Scripture reveals that saving faith is not merely intellectual assent but an active, living reality that is inherently expressed through love and good works, a concept best summarized by the Pauline phrase "faith working through love."

2. Major Points

The argument of the video is structured around these major points:

Sources of Disagreement: The division between Protestants and Catholics on this issue is attributed to three primary factors:

Caricatures and Misunderstandings: Both sides often misrepresent the other's position.

Differing Definitions: The same theological terms (e.g., justification) carry different meanings for each tradition. For Protestants, it's often a legal declaration; for Catholics, it's a transformative process.

Complex Scriptural Evidence: The Bible contains passages that, if read in isolation, can appear to support contradictory views on faith and works.

Harmonizing Paul and James: A significant portion of the video is dedicated to reconciling the apparent conflict between St. Paul's emphasis on "faith apart from works of the law" and St. James's declaration that "a person is justified by works and not by faith alone." This includes distinguishing between initial justification (Paul's focus) and ongoing justification (James's focus).

The Nature of Biblical Faith and Works: The video distinguishes between "works of the law" (ceremonial Mosaic observances) and "good works" (acts of charity and obedience), arguing Paul rejects the former as a basis for justification, not the latter.

A Framework for Understanding: The presenter proposes four sequential questions to guide viewers to what he presents as the biblical consensus:

Can you go to heaven without loving God and your neighbor?

Can you love God without keeping His commandments?

Can you keep God's commandments without doing good works?

Do good works happen automatically as a result of faith?

3. Scripture Mentioned and Arguments

The video cites numerous scriptures to build its case. Here are the key passages and the arguments they support:

Matthew 18:24-34 (Parable of the Unmerciful Servant): This is used to argue that while initial forgiveness (justification) is an unmerited gift, it comes with the condition that we must then forgive others. Failure to do so can lead to the revocation of that forgiveness, implying our actions are tied to our final salvation.

James 2:24-25 & Hebrews 11:31 (Rahab): These verses are contrasted to show that faith and works are intertwined. Hebrews says Rahab was saved "by faith," while James says she was "justified by works." The argument is that her faith was made visible and effective through her actions.

Romans 4:2-5 & James 2:21-24 (Abraham): This is the primary example of the apparent Paul-James conflict. Paul states Abraham was "justified by faith," while James says he was "justified by works." The video harmonizes this by explaining they refer to different aspects of justification, with James showing how faith is completed or proven by works.

Romans 3:28 ("works of the law"): This is cited to argue that when Paul dismisses "works of the law," he specifically means the ceremonial requirements of the Old Testament (like circumcision), not general good works or acts of charity.

Romans 2:6-7: "God 'will repay each person according to what they have done.' To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life." This is used to show that Paul himself links doing good works to receiving eternal life.

1 John 3:14-15: "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death." This is used to argue that love for others is a non-negotiable condition for salvation.

John 14:15: "If you love me, keep my commands." This verse directly connects the concepts of loving God and obeying Him through our actions.

Ephesians 2:8-10: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith... not by works... For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works." This is presented as a crucial text showing that while we are not saved by our works, we are created for the purpose of doing them.

Galatians 5:6: "...The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." The video presents this as the ultimate biblical summary of the doctrine of salvation.

1 Corinthians 13:2: "If I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing." This is used to argue against the idea that good works are an automatic, lesser byproduct of faith. It shows that faith without love (the source of good works) is worthless.

4. Anticipated Objections and Answers

The speaker anticipates and addresses several common objections:

Objection 1: The Bible is clear and simple on this topic; it teaches "faith alone."

Answer: The speaker argues that the very existence of a 500-year-old debate and the apparent tensions within the New Testament prove the topic is not "super easy." A simplistic "proof-texting" approach can lead to error if the full context of scripture is ignored.

Objection 2: Martin Luther was right to claim that the Book of James contradicts Paul.

Answer: While acknowledging Luther's view, the video points out that the early Christians who compiled the biblical canon placed James and Paul side-by-side, suggesting they saw harmony, not contradiction. The speaker then explains that harmony is found when their terms and contexts are properly understood.

Objection 3: True faith will automatically produce good works, so there is no need to emphasize them.

Answer: The video argues this is a spiritually harmful oversimplification. Citing 1 Corinthians 13, it argues that love is distinct from and greater than faith. An effect (good works) cannot be greater than its cause (faith) if it is merely an automatic byproduct. Good works often require conscious effort and are an area of spiritual growth.

5. Authors, Works, and Summaries

The video references several authors and their works to provide scholarly context:

Author: C.S. Lewis

Work: Mere Christianity

Cited for: His analogy comparing the faith/works debate to asking which blade in a pair of scissors is more necessary. The point is that both are essential and work together.

Author: John Calvin

Work: Antidote to the Council of Trent

Cited for: Explaining the classic Reformed position that "faith alone" justifies, but this faith is never actually alone; it is always accompanied by love and regeneration, just as the sun's light is always accompanied by its heat.

Author: Pope Benedict XVI

Work: A 2008 General Audience

Cited for: A statement that Luther's phrase "faith alone" can be considered true if it is not held in opposition to charity and love, highlighting a point of convergence between modern Catholic and Protestant thought.

Author: Alister McGrath

Work: Iustitia Dei (The History of the Christian Doctrine of Justification)

Cited for: His historical scholarship demonstrating that the Protestant concept of a purely "forensic" (legal) justification was a theological innovation during the Reformation, distinct from the 15 centuries of prior Christian teaching.

Author: Matthew J. Thomas

Work: Paul’s "Works of the Law" in the Perspective of Second-Century Reception

Cited for: His research showing that early Christians understood Paul's phrase "works of the law" to mean Jewish ceremonial laws, not all good deeds, and that they understood justification to be an effective act that truly changes a person.

6. Closing Summary

In its conclusion, the video synthesizes all its points to argue that the historic division over justification is not insurmountable. By moving past caricatures, agreeing on terms, and reading Scripture holistically, a unified view can emerge. The speaker concludes that the Bible does not teach that we are saved by intellectual faith alone, nor that we earn our salvation through works. Instead, it teaches that we are saved by God's grace through a living faith, and the defining characteristic of this true, saving faith is that it is active and alive, expressing itself through acts of love and obedience. The phrase that best captures this unified biblical truth is "faith working through love."