Is The Psychiatrist Right?

The psychiatrist sat in her chair pondering the New Testament she had just finished reading. She simply sat there in utter amazement as it all became crystal clear in her mind, "The writers of the New Testament were doctrinally schizophrenic."

But what amazed her even more than her diagnosis was that she had never previously heard anyone conclude the obvious! Since it was as plain as the nose on her face, how could it be that she was seemingly making this discovery 2000 years after the fact?

From an inside source, I've been told that the doctor has it all wrong. I was hoping that perhaps you, the reader, could assist me in helping the psychiatrist reevaluate her diagnosis of the New Testament authors. You will try? Great! Well then, let me tell you her story from the beginning.

She grew up hearing that in order to be saved one needed to accept Jesus into one's heart as one's Lord and Savior and that this is what it meant for one to be saved by faith. Furthermore, she was also told that "there is nothing you can do to save yourself, because if there was something you could do, then it would be a work and no one is saved by works."

With this popular understanding of salvation she decided to sit down to read her New Testament. From the perspective she had been taught, what she found were two doctrinally separate paths toward salvation. On the one hand she found verses that seemed to support salvation by faith and not by works, but on the other hand she found verses that spoke of salvation being a result of some sort of obedient action, which to her sounded like works. So she first wrote down a several of the verses supporting salvation by faith and then right beside them she listed what appeared to be the same author opposing himself or at least other New Testament authors. Here is part of her list:

Romans 3:22, 25 // 5:1 Romans 6:17-18

Romans 5:1 // 2 Thessalonians 1:8

Romans 10:9-10 // Titus 3:5

Ephesians 2:8-9 // Philippians 2:12

Hebrews 10:39 // Hebrews 5:9

Romans 3:28 // James 2:24

Acts 4:4, 5:14, 9:42 // Acts 2:38, 41; 6:7; 22:16

1 Peter 1:9 // 1 Peter 1:22; 3:21

John 3:16 // John 3:5

"What do you think? Is there any way to resolve this problem she found?"

"Oh, so your analysis suggests that the real problem exists because two different sets of definitions are being used? Good analysis. You think that when the Biblical authors used the terms "faith" and "works," they meant something different than our psychiatrist friend assumed?"

"But how can faith have more than one meaning?"

"So what you are telling me is that whereas she defined faith as 'only sincerely believing,' the Biblical usage of faith demonstrates that it defines faith in God as trusting in God by faithfully responding to His message. E.g. Genesis 15:2-6; 2 Chronicles 20:14-21 And since God has communicated different messages, the specific response of how one is supposed to trust in God will vary depending upon what God has said."

"I think I get it now, to have faith means that one is going to respond to what God has said by trusting. Furthermore, this trust will take different forms depending upon what God has said (just believing God's promise, building an ark, etc). And so faith in Jesus means that one will trust in Jesus for salvation in the way God prescribes! I can also see how that such a faith response could even demand obedience if God has commanded a particular action such as telling Abram to sacrifice his son. Genesis 22:2; Hebrews 11:17-19. Hence, the biblical concept of faith does not exclude obedience!" Hebrews 11:1-39; Acts 6:7; Romans 1:5; 16:26

"But what about works? When we 'do something' aren't we guilty of performing a work? So how can obedience to God not be a work?"

"Oh, so when the New Testament authors speak of works in a negative way they do not merely mean 'doing something' or 'human activity and initiative,' but ratherthe self-reliant effort to demonstrate my own righteousness through fulfilling the works of the Mosaical Law!" Romans 3:27-4:15; 9:30-10:5; Galatians 2:16; 3:2-12; Ephesians 2:9; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5 "Conversely, when the New Testament describes works in a positive manner they are referring to the obedience that results from faith in Christ!" Romans 15:17; Galatians 5:6; Philippians 2:12-13; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 2 Thessalonians 1:11; Hebrews 6:9-12; James 2:14-26 "Such obedience of faith in Jesus is what it means to believe in Jesus." Romans 1:5; Acts 6:7 "Hence, to depend upon Jesus in faith by obeying him is not a work of righteousness." (For more information about "belief in Jesus" demanding an obedient response see various articles on faith)

"Now I can also understand what Paul and James were talking about. James was responding to a false understanding of faith, an understanding of faith defined as 'simply believing.' James 2:14-26 James' point is that such a faith is actually no faith at all! On the other hand, Paul was defending the way of faith in Jesus against the way of works prescribed by the Mosaical Law." Romans 3:28; Galatians 2:16

"Cool. So from a biblical perspective there is no conflict. What the writers of the New Testament were trying to communicate was that Jesus is the way of salvation and we need to believe in him to receive salvation. Furthermore, to believe in Jesus requires that one depends upon Jesus for salvation by submitting to and obeying the Gospel message. In contrast to this stands the way of salvation by works wherein a person depends upon himself for salvation by trying to perfectly fulfill the Law of Moses or do enough good things to show that I am worthy of salvation. Thanks for helping out." Matthew 7: 21; Romans 6:16-17; 15:18; 2 Thessalonians 1:8; Hebrews 5:9

Other related articles which may be of interest:

Obedience and Justification by Faith? Forcing Square Pegs Through a Round Hole?

Understanding Justified by Faith

Biblical Faith

What about the Thief on the Cross?

Barry Newton, Copyright © 1998 - 2000

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