I agree with your post 516. On the question of whether or not there’s a paradox between James 2 and Ephesians 2, though, I hate to say anything that reminds us of Bill Clinton’s bad conduct here, but that just may depend on what definition of “paradox” one uses. I always heard in school that a paradox was something that seemed to be contradictory, but wasn’t, and that was what made it distinct from a contradiction. If there isn’t a word that means that, there should be, because many things can seem to be contradictory, but actually aren’t. I agree that’s the case between James 2 and Ephesians 2. And maybe the apparent contradiction between the two could be called a paradox because a paradox is actually more than one thing, according to Merriam-Webster, and those things aren’t really consistent, which is pretty odd:
Definition of paradox
1: a tenet contrary to received opinion
2a : a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true
b : a self-contradictory statement that at first seems true
c : an argument that apparently derives self-contradictory conclusions by valid deduction from acceptable premises
3: one (such as a person, situation, or action) having seemingly contradictory qualities or phases
It sounds to me like 2a and 3 might describe the situation between Ephesians 2 and James 2.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paradox
The paradox exist if you look at them out of context, and do not take into account what the authors are trying to address. In context, there is no paradox. Ephesians 2:10 clearly states we were saved by faith for good works. James 2 says that works show faith. It is cause and effect, not faith plus works.