I am saying that Christians who perform actions that are meritorious (feeding the hungry, comforting the afflicted, etc.) are doing something entirely different than Jews following the Law given at Sinai.
When Christians discuss faith v works, it is not about following the Law at all.
We all agree that the Law did not provide righteousness. That is what Paul is saying in the passage you misunderstand. It has nothing to do with the need for Christians to do good things in order to make their faith real and not merely an empty confession.
SD
"When Christians discuss faith v works, it is not about following the Law at all." etc.
Really? So -- are you saying that when a Christian acts in accordance with the Law of God, that is not a Good Work? Or, are you saying that when a believing Old Testament Jew acted in accordance with the Law of God, that was not a Good Work?
Let's use some specific Laws for example, from the 613 laws of the Old Testament:
Which of the above Actions would NOT be a Good Work, for a Christian? Or...
Which of the above Actions would NOT be a good work for a believing Old Testament Jew?
You say "When Christians discuss faith v works, it is not about following the Law at all" in order to escape the trap into which the Council of Trent has snared you, as regards Galatians 2:16. But I don't think you can sustain your argument -- I don't think it holds water.
Nonetheless, I'm giving you a chance to maintain your argument that "When Christians discuss faith v works, it is not about following the Law at all": I've listed 5 Laws of God above, from the Old Testament, as Test Case examples. You tell Me which of these Laws, it is not a Good Work for a Christian to practice.
Hmmm?