Justification by Faith Essay

Theme in “Defender of the Faith” can be interpreted in many varying ways, some of which are life-long lessons and others to the relation between faith and the individual.

Paul became an advocate for the inclusion of the Gentiles among the ‘true’ followers of Christianity. Until this moment in history, Jewish Christians believed that non-Jews had to convert to Judaism and follow the law like them, which included many dietary restrictions and circumcision. Gentiles who worship in the synagogue but did not convert were only

As a believer in Christ you know that we are born in sin. It is the human soul that is full of “sin, death and damnation” (McGrath 121). It is only when one becomes a true believer that they will be saved from suffering and damnation. How does one become a true believer and save themselves from such a faith, this is the question Martin Luther addresses in his first argument, with much detail. Martin Luther claims that this righteousness, the righteousness of God, can only be received through justification by faith. The central idea of this doctrine is based off of the idea that “the individual sinner is incapable of self-justification … it is God who takes the inactive in justification.” (McGrath 125). “‘Justification by faith’ thus does not mean that the sinner is justified because he or she believes, on account of his

The Jewish Christians thought that because of their covenant relationship with God that they were in a much better position than all others, and did not have to worry about their sins. Because God gave the Jews the Torah through Moses they are under the law, because the Gentiles did not have the Torah they were apart from the law. But either way it did not matter, the results of breaking the law is the same for both the Jew and the Gentile. The law shows what sin is, it does not justify. No one will be justified by the law unless they are perfect in obeying it, which only Jesus was ever able to do. (James 2:10) For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. Paul used a lot of verses from the Old Testament to make his point more powerful. In verses 3:21-32, Paul then teaches them how to become

The Jewish community rejected the lax attitude concerning Mosaic Law. The Galatians, who were brought up in an area of the world dominated by a polytheistic, law-based religion, sought comfort in the more disciplined Jewish approach. “Paul: Appealing or Appalling?” is the surprising title of the first chapter in a book about the differing opinions, written by Christian scholars, Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan. Their account of Paul’s controversial stance on a variety of “major issues” like gender roles and slavery helps to understand the historical significance of Paul’s evangelism. Jews were easier to reach than Gentiles, because of their sacred education, therefore the issue of circumcision was definitely an issue among the first converts to Christianity. The question on everyone’s mind was, “Do you have to be a Jew to be a Christian?” Judeans were taught that salvation would only come to those circumcised according to the custom. Once in Jerusalem, Paul went to the elders to announce God’s grace in the lives of the Gentiles. They rejoiced in his message, but took notice of his advice against Jewish law,

Because Paul knows this information, he can determine whether Christian laws are being followed or misused. Therefore, when Gentiles were misleading the public regarding the validity of the christian, Paul

The word justified (dikaóō), in the Greek transliteration, means “to declare righteous;” “to put someone in proper relationship” (Strong 2005:1603). Taking a look at the word “righteous” (dikaios), there is a noticeable similarity between the two. Righteous can be translated as “what is right;” “agreement with God’s standards,” but also means “in proper relationship” (2005:1603). Notice that through justification God is attempting to restore the relationship with man once again and through justification man is made righteous. Thus, through Jesus, humanity is made right with God and there is no longer a need to focus on “works of the law” to do so. Rather it is up to faith (Gal. 2:16, 21). Pistis is the Greek transliteration of “faith” meaning, “trust;” “with an implication that actions based on that trust may follow” (2005:1636). Timothy George (1994:196) states, “faith is the evidence of saving grace manifested in the renewal of the heart by the Holy Spirit.”

The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan tells the story of Christian, a deeply religious man whose self-imposed pilgrimage takes him through a variety of locations in his quest to reach Celestial City. However, to better understand Bunyan's perspective on Christianity as given in his novel, we must examine the life experiences of the author. Born in 1628, Bunyan lived in a time period that was undoubtedly heavily influenced by the Reformation movement incited by Martin Luther only a century earlier. The lives of Luther and Bunyan parallel in that both disagreed with fundamental doctrines applied by the Church in their lifetime. Additionally, both were labeled as dissenters and subsequently persecuted for adhering to their own principles

who are in this sin. Verse two mentions that they have no sense of conviction, and that they are

The context of this verse puts the foundation of our faith into perspective and it proves that works alone cannot save

Paul is revered as a great Christian thinker, but in his text he never seems to stray to far away from his Jewish decent. He always stressed the common relationship between Judaism and the new religion. He believes Christianity is revealed through Jesus’ ministry, but is defined by the Hebrew bible. He continuously throughout his writings uses scriptures from the Hebrew bible to validate something in his particular Gospel. Before his call from Jesus’ Paul was a member of the Pharisee party, he obeyed the Torah everyway possible. He was so zealous in his obedience and to prove his loyalty to Pharisaic Judaism he even persecuted those who believed that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah.

Paul writes, “Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law so that every mouth may be closed,(34) and all the world may become accountable(35) to God because by the works of the Law(36) no flesh will be justified in His sight;(37) for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin”(38) This verse explains how the whole world is held accountable to God. This implies towards leadership of the Jews in order for them to be an example to the world of how to transfer out their excellence of the Law. During Paul’s day the Jews made the mistake in thinking that they were condemned under the Law, they only knew that they sinned. But they thought they had consular immunity from God’s judgment because they were Jewish. But this is not the case, the verse shows, “whatever the Law says,” relapses back to the main point of Paul's passage he states in his argument. Today we don’t notice nor listen to the previous mistakes that others have made before our time, the Jews, and others around us everyday. If we take the time to gain the right relationship with God we are able to then find the right path for us, where we are then able to help others around us not to make the same mistakes. When we are able to be given the opportunity to speak in his weight of the evidence against him, we should then take the time and speak out for

Pope John Paul II once said, “Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth – in a word, to know himself – so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves.” (Fallible Blogma) Based on this significant and powerful quote, one can infer that faith and reason are directly associated and related. It can also be implied that the combination of faith and reason allows one to seek information and knowledge about truth and God; based on various class discussions and past academic teachings, it is understood that both faith and reason are the instruments that diverse parties

The subject of “Justification by Faith” is an argument, proposed by the Apostle Paul in Romans 1:17 where he starts by introducing God’s revelation to humankind concerning unrighteousness: That this was a God-given revelation in the beginning and throughout man’s history (faith to faith) within the “Gentile’s law of nature and the Jews law of Moses. However, Paul further exclaims, “that neither of them could be justified by their obedience to the respective laws under which they were, but that they both stood in need of the righteousness of God.” [1] As Paul is strictly a preacher of the Gospel of salvation through Christ Jesus, there is no doubt he had to find another style of presenting the

you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who