Replies

You cited many passages where the effect of faith on salvation is taught. Faith leads to righteousness. The Catholic Church, of course, teaches the same thing. But none of these passages say that we are saved by faith alone. For the Faith to save you you have to end up righteous. This is up to you to do or not do what righteousness dictates. If you do, you will be saved; if you don't, you won't be. Nothing in Romans contradicts that, and of course we have Romans 2:6-10 and Matthew 25, second half, where the Catholic teaching on salvation by good works (inspired by faith, of course) is directly taught.

Rom. 11:6

... seems to say something negative about works but what is says is that grace is not the result of works, on which we all agree. It does not say that salvation is not the result of works. Besiees, that passage speaks of the fact that the faithful remnant of theJews is not saved by the works of Jewish law -- circumcision and kosher food.

That latter part, by the way, is key to the understanding of Romans. It is a letter sent to encourage the non-Jews in faith. It tells them that Jewish works of the Law are not anything special, and not necessary for salvation. Every time "works" is mentioned in Romans, the context is circumcision, complex rules of everyday behavior, kashrut.

Galatians, Phil 3:9 all speak of the works of the Jewish (or any other) law that do not save.

Eph. 2:8-9

Cute. Didn't we just dicuss this? Want to start over? Read verse 10. Grace gives us faith and prepares our good works so we should walk in them.

Eph. 2:8-9
Cute. Didn't we just dicuss this? Want to start over? Read verse 10. Grace gives us faith and prepares our good works so we should walk in them.

Your interpretation again is off and the Magisterium is no help, again.

A fellow Catholic does not agree with your interpretation of Eph 2:8-10 and considers it a bad argument.

"Citing Ephesians 2:10 against justification by faith alone. This passage, even rightly interpreted, contains nothing inconsistent with Protestant theology. Having been saved by grace through faith, we ought to do the good works which God prepared beforehand for His children to do. This statement does not require that these good works should themselves be salvific, but is consistent with the supposition that these works are merely the necessary outgrowth of a salvation already completed. In order to establish that good works are salvific, the Catholic must look elsewhere."

http://www.pugiofidei.com/unsound.htm

Rom 4:4 Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, 6just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: