St. Paul didn't contradict himself, did he?

JH:What a hilarious contradiction you managed to produce there. "Salvation is not by works, but without works no one is saved." Is it possible for a Catholic to explain the Gospel without using the treacherous little word "but"? You seem to quote Romans 2:13 day and night. Why don't we ever see you quote Romans 3:19-20, 22

Romans 3 must be understood in light of Romans 2.  St. Paul didn't contradict himself, did he?

or Galatians 2:16?

This is what Gal 2:16 says:

16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Let's break it down:

16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law,No one is justified by works of the Law. If they were, the Jews would not have needed Christ. They would have been in heaven when Christ died on the Cross. But they were not. In another place, St. Paul says:

Hebrews 11:39  And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

Read this thoroughly. obtained a good report through faith and yet received not the promise:
Read it again: obtained a good report through faith and yet received not the promise:

Do you understand that even though they were faithful, they were not thereby justified?

but by the faith of Jesus Christ,

This is important. The faith OF Christ is here contrasted to faith IN Christ. They are not the same thing. The faith OF Christ is the religion He established including its rites and requirements. Faith in Christ is believing, trusting and obeying Christ through the religion He established.

even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ,

Read that to yourself over and over. Those of us who believe in Christ are justified by the FAITH OF CHRIST.

It is by submitting to and obeying rites and requirements of the religion which Christ established that we show our faith in Christ. And it is by submitting to and obeying these rites and requirements that we are justified by Christ.

and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

No one has ever been justified by the works of the Law. Even the Jews were not. But no one who does not keep the Law has ever been justified either. In order to be justified one must keep the works of the law. For it is written:

Revelation 22:13-15
King James Version (KJV)
13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.


14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.


15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

Sincerely,

De Maria