Commenting on Jas 2 and its teachings on justification, Matthew Paulson, struggling with the plain meaning of the text, writes that
The justification by works in
James is problematic. James says, “And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be
ye warmed and filled, notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are
needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works,
is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew
me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works . . .
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his
son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by work
was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham
believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness; and he was called
the Friend of God. ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by
faith only.” James 2;15-16, 24. Moreover, the Apostle Paul speaks of
justification before God (Rom. 4:2) and not before men as in (James 2;24). This
perspective seems to remedy the issue. (Matthew A. Paulson, Breaking the
Mormon Code: A Critique of Mormon Scholarship Regarding Classical Christian
Theology and the Book of Mormon [Livermore, Calif.: WingSpan Press, 2006], 182
n. 667, emphasis added)
To see why the “James is speaking of justification before man”
apologetic is wrong, see: