WELS Topical Q&A: Roman Catholic: Use of the Word "Only", "By faith alone means we are saved by faith, not by works. There are many passages that use these exact words, for example, in Romans 3, Galatians 3, and Ephesians 2. The words not by works exclude works from being joined to faith. By faith alone is just another way of saying by faith, not works."
WELS Q&A - Doctrine - Law/Gospel "Paul is writing to people who said that faith in Jesus alone does not save a person, but one has to also obey God's law in order to be justified（Gal 3:3 （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆）, 5:4 （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆））. To counter the false idea that what we do in keeping the law must be added to faith in what Christ did for us. Paul often emphasizes in his letters（esp. Galatians, Romans, Colossians）that we are saved by grace through faith alone. James is writing to people who felt that believing in Jesus saved a person, but that having faith did not mean that a person necessarily would keep God's commandments out of love for God（James 2:14 （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆）, 17 （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆））. To show that faith is not really faith unless it leads a person to thank God for salvation in a life of glad and willing obedience to God's holy will. James emphasized that a faith which did not show that it was living faith was really not faith at all."
Stavropoulos, Christophoros, Partakers of the Divine Nature, in Eastern Orthodox Theology: A Contemporary Reader, 頁188, "The work of our theosis, our union with God, is not transmitted to us in some mechanical fashion. Our weakened human nature will not be transformed magically. The change will happen in conjunction with our own efforts. It will be realized with the cooperation of man and God. This subjective aspect of our union provides the way of theosis which we must follow."
Luther, Martin, An Open Letter on Translating （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆）, "In all these phrases, this is a German usage, even though it is not the Latin or Greek usage. It is the nature of the German tongue to add 'allein' in order that 'nicht' or 'kein' may be clearer and more complete. To be sure, I can also say 'The farmer brings grain and no (kein) money', but the words 'kein money' do not sound as full and clear as if I were to say, 'the farmer brings allein grain and kein money.' Here the word 'allein' helps the word 'kein' so much that it becomes a clear and complete German expression."
Luther, Martin, An Open Letter on Translating （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆）, "Furthermore, I am not the only one, nor the first, to say that faith alone makes one righteous. There was Ambrose, Augustine and many others who said it before me."
Keller, Brian R., Believe it or not: You are forgiven through Christ! （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆）, p7, "The Greek verb for 'justified' means that a judge declares people 'not guilty' of all charges. They are in a constant state of being declared not guilty, 'freely by his grace.'"
Luther, Martin, An Open Letter on Translating （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆）, "In all these phrases, this is a German usage, even though it is not the Latin or Greek usage. It is the nature of the German tongue to add 'allein' in order that 'nicht' or 'kein' may be clearer and more complete. To be sure, I can also say 'The farmer brings grain and no (kein) money', but the words 'kein money' do not sound as full and clear as if I were to say, 'the farmer brings allein grain and kein money.' Here the word 'allein' helps the word 'kein' so much that it becomes a clear and complete German expression."
Luther, Martin, An Open Letter on Translating （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆）, "Furthermore, I am not the only one, nor the first, to say that faith alone makes one righteous. There was Ambrose, Augustine and many others who said it before me."
Meier, Edward P., The Nature of True Faith: An Exegesis of James 2 （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆）, "[W]orks proved that his faith was active. But can the objector show faith without works? James knew what Matthew had said in the seventh chapter, 'Ye shall know them by their fruits.'"
Meier, Edward P., The Nature of True Faith: An Exegesis of James 2 （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆）, "James here also shoots down the false doctrine of work-righteousness. The only way to be free of sin is to keep the law perfectly and in its entirety. If we offend it in the slightest, tiniest little way, we are guilty of all."
WELS Q&A - Doctrine - Law/Gospel "Paul is writing to people who said that faith in Jesus alone does not save a person, but one has to also obey God's law in order to be justified（Gal 3:3 （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆）, 5:4 （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆））. To counter the false idea that what we do in keeping the law must be added to faith in what Christ did for us. Paul often emphasizes in his letters（esp. Galatians, Romans, Colossians）that we are saved by grace through faith alone. James is writing to people who felt that believing in Jesus saved a person, but that having faith did not mean that a person necessarily would keep God's commandments out of love for God（James 2:14 （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆）, 17 （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆））. To show that faith is not really faith unless it leads a person to thank God for salvation in a life of glad and willing obedience to God's holy will. James emphasized that a faith which did not show that it was living faith was really not faith at all."
Meier, Edward P., The Nature of True Faith: An Exegesis of James 2 （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆）, "James uses Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac, which took place approximately twenty years later, as proof of the saving faith that was alive in Abraham’s heart."
Justification （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆）, This We Believe, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, "We believe that God has justified all sinners, that is, he has declared them righteous for the sake of Christ. This is the central message of Scripture upon which the very existence of the church depends. It is a message relevant to people of all times and places, of all races and social levels, for 'the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men'（Romans 5:18）. All need forgiveness of sins before God, and Scripture proclaims that all have been justified, for 'the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men'（Romans 5:18）...We believe that individuals receive this free gift of forgiveness not on the basis of their own works, but only through faith（Ephesians 2:8,9）."
Justification （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆）, This We Believe, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, "We believe that God has justified all sinners, that is, he has declared them righteous for the sake of Christ. This is the central message of Scripture upon which the very existence of the church depends. It is a message relevant to people of all times and places, of all races and social levels, for 'the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men'（Romans 5:18）. All need forgiveness of sins before God, and Scripture proclaims that all have been justified, for 'the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men'（Romans 5:18）...We believe that individuals receive this free gift of forgiveness not on the basis of their own works, but only through faith（Ephesians 2:8,9）."
Keller, Brian R., Believe it or not: You are forgiven through Christ! （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆）, p7, "The Greek verb for 'justified' means that a judge declares people 'not guilty' of all charges. They are in a constant state of being declared not guilty, 'freely by his grace.'"
Meier, Edward P., The Nature of True Faith: An Exegesis of James 2 （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆）, "[W]orks proved that his faith was active. But can the objector show faith without works? James knew what Matthew had said in the seventh chapter, 'Ye shall know them by their fruits.'"
Meier, Edward P., The Nature of True Faith: An Exegesis of James 2 （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆）, "James here also shoots down the false doctrine of work-righteousness. The only way to be free of sin is to keep the law perfectly and in its entirety. If we offend it in the slightest, tiniest little way, we are guilty of all."
Meier, Edward P., The Nature of True Faith: An Exegesis of James 2 （页面存档备份，存于互联网档案馆）, "James uses Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac, which took place approximately twenty years later, as proof of the saving faith that was alive in Abraham’s heart."
