The key word in verse 7 is seek.
If one seeks eternal life and follows what God says, the Gospel will be revealed to him as in the case of Cornilus (Acts 10)
James is speaking of what is seen, he is not speaking of being justified in the theological sense
This is your opinion, in which I am not interested. James uses both "saved" (James 2:14) and "justified" (James 2:24) in the same passage.
No, what I gave was the correct interpretation of the verse.
shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
As for being 'saved', James is discussing being saved from physical death, (sin unto death 1Jn.5:16), not eternal damnation.
See Jn.16:2 and 2Tim.2:16.
In Romans 4, v.5 speaks of works for reward and out of obligation, and in v.9 of works od ceremonial law. Indeed, neither is salvific.
No, Romans makes it clear it is discussing eternal salvation and the works it is discussing are all works.
Just as Eph. 2:9 states, not by works lest anyone should boast'
[Luke 17:5-10] has nothing to do with salvation, it has to do with rewards Luke 17:5-10] explains how faith is increased, through works. And faith, we all agree, is salvific.
No one disagrees that faith can be increased by works, proving the faith.
Yet that faith has nothing to do with salvation, since salvation faith is a seed that is an eternal seed that is implanted and cannot die (1Pe.1:23)
The faith that grows has to do with Christian maturity and growth, as was the case of Abraham who was saved in Gen.15, but not called a friend of God until Gen.22.
1Cor.3 is not proof text for the non-Biblical purgetory
The spelling is "Purgatory". Yes, it is such prooftext. We've been there a year ago.
Thank you for the spelling correction, but the man in 1Cor. 3 is not being burned, his works are.
offering a sin offering means that she was a sinner
What was her sin then? The offering in question is done after a woman gives birth. We don't consider giving birth sin. Do you?
The sin offering was for all women who gave birth because they had sin in their bodies, not for any particular sin-just as Mary had a body of sin (Ps.51:5) like every human being born of a human father.
Romans 2:6-10.
This is largely your interpretation. The passage says that those who do good works get eternal life and the rest "wrath and indignation". If you want to wiggle out of it with some casuistry, do it on your own.
James 2
Verse 18, when it speaks of works as a demonstration of faith is put there rhetorically:
18 But some man will say: Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without works; and I will shew thee, by works, my faith.
St. James does not say it, his rhetorical opponent does. James concludes that "faith without works is dead" and he hcalls the rhetorical opponent, you, "vain man".
James is discussing being saved from physical death
This is your fantasy. St. James speaks of salvation in v. 14, justification throughout the passage. Of physical death he speaks once, comparing it to the death of faith, v. 26.
Romans [ch.4] makes it clear it is discussing eternal salvation and the works it is discussing are all works
The context says otherwise, and nowhere does it say "all works". The context mentions debt, that is obligation to work, and circumcision, that is ceremonial works of Jewish law. Eph. 2:9 adds works of social reward, "boast", to that list of non-salvific works.
No one disagrees that faith can be increased by works
So what are you arguing then? This is the Catholic teaching: works increase faith and hence are necessary for salvation.
but the man in 1Cor. 3 is not being burned, his works are.
Good enough, the purgation therein described is Purgatory nonetheless.
The sin offering was for all women who gave birth because they had sin in their bodies, not for any particular sin
Ah. So, Mary had no particular sin. She simply fulfilled a ceremonial obligaiton.
The only thing counted for salvation is the faith
None of your prooftexts (Rom.4:5,Eph.2:9,Tit.3:5,Rom.4:16) say "only". You read various passages that speak of the importance of faith and jump to your own conclusions.
is insane!
"it pleased God, by the foolishness of our preaching, to save them that believe" (1 Cor 1:21)