I imagine Paul’s first trip back to Jerusalem was awkward.  He’d left town for a short trip before life got clearer and more complex on the road to Damascus.  Now years later his reputation endured and the only Peter would risk him as a houseguest.  During his stay, however, he did meet with James.

They must have discussed many things as they compared perspectives on the growth of Christianity in Jerusalem and abroad.  I believe they talked about the essentials because Paul was anticipating his return to the frontier and confirmation from those who had lived with Jesus would surely be heartening.  I envision them debating the process of following Jesus and becoming more like him. 

The conversation would leave a mark on both.  Perhaps they were troubled by the fickle nature of men who fail to trust God for knowledge and wisdom.   Maybe they remembered this conversation when they wrote letters of guidance.  James would liken doubters to a wave tossed by the wind (Jas 1:6).  A score of years later Paul   encouraged us to grow up to maturity with a metaphor that may have grown with repetition: “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and for the by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching…” (Eph 4:14).

It is conjecture, but I think the big concept they debated was sanctification.  The word was used to denote the process of setting something apart to make it holy, purifying it for a special purpose.  Often the thing, or person for that matter, was ordinary which was fine because holiness comes from the sanctifier not the object of sanctification.  The word came to describe the path to becoming like Jesus.

The debate would have been passionate and a casual observer would think they were at odds.  Even today there is talk that they disagree because Paul says that justification is by faith alone, that it cannot be earned by works (Eph 2:8-9).  James words are set up against this as if they were contrary.  He wrote, “Show me your faith without deeds and I will show you my faith by what I do” (Jas 2:12).  This is a shallow and silly approach that I suspect is intended to find division.  In fact, it is as silly as a television commercial.

The particular 80’s commercial I am recalling involved two people on an intersecting course; one person who loved chocolate and another who loved peanut butter.  With the inevitable collision came the scintillating dialog; hey you got chocolate on my peanut butter… and so on.  The point of this misguided parallel is that the two parties agree on the value of the one thing, in this case Reese’s Peanut Butter cups; all the noise is about their singular passion.

Both James and Paul agree on the one thing; Jesus’ sacrifice justifies us so that we may be in relationship with God and grow to be like him.  They agree that the process of maturing is powered by God as a gift, and a gift by nature cannot be earned.  They agree that true faith will result in work that God designed us to do.

The passion that appears to some as disagreement was likely focused on the “..craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.”(Eph 4:14)  James argued against the Gnostics who would convince us that through faith one’s spirit could be at peace no matter what one did with the body.  Paul ranted against the legalists who would have us work our way to heaven.

The conversation may have only occurred in my mind’s eye, but the truth is clear.  To be sanctified is to grow up to maturity and to become more and more like Jesus.  James and Paul agree that Jesus is the author and finisher of this work.  The constant effort on our part is to remember the freeing work that he has done, to live in reference and response to his work.   I think James and Paul have told us that trusting God and living in gratitude for our justification is a lot of work.