In 2:19 James assumes that to “believe” is to agree with a r…
In 2:19 James assumes that to “believe” is to agree with a religious idea. Look at Deut 6:4. The belief that there was only one God became the hallmark of Hellenistic Judaism in the face of challenges from polytheists. For Paul, however, faith is not just an intellectual agreement with an idea, such as “Jesus is the Son of God,” or “Jesus is the Messiah” or even “Jesus died for our sins.” To “believe” = “to have faith” is to put one’s whole trust in God’s offer of relationship—to gladly become God’s obedient slave. Now read this short Handout on Pauline terms for BTT 7.pdf Given Paul’s definitions of “faith” and of “believe,” and how he uses those terms, do you think that he would he have agreed that a demon (which is totally opposed to the Reign of God, and refuses to be in covenant relationship with God), “believes”? This isn’t a trick question, but it is trying to get you to see that different biblical writers use their terms differently.
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