The Danger of 'Another Justification': Why James and Paul Do Not Teach Two Gospels
Orientation
The attempt to introduce a second, works-based justification alongside Paul's doctrine threatens the very heart of the gospel.
- Treating James' letter as a doctrinal equal to Paul's revelation creates confusion.
- This error manifests in various forms, from outright denial to redefining faith to include works.
- Splitting justification into 'forensic' and 'practical' categories is a fatal compromise.
I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. (Galatians 1:6-7)
— Galatians 1:6-7
Clarification
Abraham's obedience in offering Isaac was not earning the promise but acting out prophecy, grounded in his faith in God's power.
- Genesis 22 does not depict a works-based justification for Abraham.
- Hebrews 11 reveals Abraham's faith was in God's power to raise Isaac from the dead.
- Isaac was a typological foreshadowing of Christ's sacrificial offering.
By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure. (Hebrews 11:17-19)
— Hebrews 11:17-19
Structure
Justification and inheritance are secured by God's irrevocable covenant with the Son, not by human works.
- In Genesis 15, God cut covenant with the Son while Abraham slept.
- The promise is to Christ as the singular seed and heir.
- Believers, baptized into Christ, are joint heirs of this unconditional inheritance by faith alone.
Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. (Galatians 3:16)
— Galatians 3:16
Weight-Bearing Prose
Positing ‘another justification’ alongside Paul’s doctrine introduces works-righteousness into salvation’s foundation. This is not a minor issue but a primary, salvific concern that threatens the gospel’s core truth. Various approaches—denying Paul’s authority, segregating a ‘Jewish’ gospel, or redefining faith to incorporate works—all arrive at the same flawed conclusion: that salvation and blessing depend, in some measure, on human performance. This bifurcation collapses the biblical logic of inheritance, turning the gift into a wage. Paul’s revelation is clear: justification is God’s forensic declaration of righteousness based solely on faith in Christ’s finished work. This justification is inseparable from the full inheritance—the ‘allotted portion of the saints in light’—which is Christ Himself. The covenant that secures this was established by God with the Son in Genesis 15. It is unconditional and irrevocable. The law, coming later, cannot annul it. Abraham’s faith, and his obedient act with Isaac, served as typological revelation pointing to Christ’s sacrifice, not as a work that secured the promise. To split justification is to nullify the promise and disqualify the heirs, making God’s faithfulness contingent on human obedience.
Integration
Your standing before God is secure. It rests entirely on the covenant God cut with His Son, a covenant fulfilled by Christ’s blood and received by you through faith alone. There is no second justification to achieve, no practical blessing to earn. Christ is your righteousness, your sanctification, your redemption, and your reward. You are baptized into Christ, clothed with Him, and seated with Him in the heavenlies as a joint heir. The inheritance is yours—not as a wage for work, but as a gift secured by Another. Let this truth anchor you. There is no pressure to perform, no hierarchy of maturity to climb. The work is finished, the promise is sure, and you are in Christ.