Are We Saved by 'Works of the Law?' An Explanation of St. Paul's Writings (Father Simon Says)

Fr. Richard Simon gets into the classic debate between faith and works, addressing what St. Paul meant by "works of the law." A lot of people think there's a contradiction between St. Paul and St. James. St. Paul says we’re saved by grace through faith, while St. James insists that faith without works is dead. What gives?

 

Fr. Simon clears it up: When St. Paul talks about "works" not saving us, he’s referring to "works of the law"—those detailed Jewish rituals like kosher rules (think: not eating certain foods or breaking a clay pot if it’s ritually impure because a dead rodent fell in... yeah, it gets pretty specific!). Paul was basically saying: following these old Jewish laws won’t save you. Kosher food? Not gonna get you to heaven!

 

But that doesn't mean works in general are useless. St. Paul even says we’ll be judged by our works (or deeds—same word in Greek, by the way). And James doubles down, saying faith alone isn't enough. Faith and trust are tied to action. Trust isn't just saying you believe; Father says it's like giving someone 50 bucks when you say you trust them to pay you back! If you don’t act on that trust, do you really trust them?

 

Fr. Simon also highlights that the famous "faith alone" phrase only appears in St. James’ letter, and it's saying we are NOT justified by faith alone. It’s important to understand faith as trust, which requires action. You can’t just sit back and say you believe without putting in any effort—your actions have to line up with what you claim to believe.

 

So, the point? Faith and works go hand in hand. Trusting God means living like you actually do. While we hope the “faith alone” folks are right (hey, wouldn’t it be nice if just believing were enough?), we’re called to put our money where our mouth is and live our faith through our actions.

 

Remember—faith requires action. ✝️🚶‍♂️