[Quix]

The whole counsel of God in Scripture includes tons of verses about the primacy of FAITH.

Of course

Faith without works is dead. I think that takes care of the verse you cite quite adequately.

[Mad Dawg]

The point to moi is that here is the ONE place in the Bible where it says "faith alone" and it says faith alone will not save and yet Sola Fide is a battle cry of the Reformation and people say WE are unscriptural. Even saying faith w/o works is dead suggests that there is something up that is not SIMPLY comprehended in the plain meaning of "Faith Alone".

My interpretation and gloss would be something like: The works which show the vitality of the gift of Faith are themselves a part of the gift of new Life in Christ.

Battle cries and Slogans are kind of a nuisance, because one ends up defending them as though they were Scripture, and the contention gets simple-minded. "Faith alone" needs patient examination before it can be rightly understood in the context of Scripture or of one's own spiritual life. RC doctrine however can be -- ought to be -- mocked before understanding.