Paul contradicts himself on Salvation

 

Paul makes it clear that it's faith that grants salvation and not works:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. - Ephesians 2:8-9

However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. - Romans 4:5

For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law - Romans 3:28

And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. - Romans 11:6

know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. - Galatians 2:16


However Paul also states that we are going to be judged by our works:

God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. - Romans 2:6-7

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. - 2 Corinthians 5:10

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. - Galatians 6:7-9


What scholars say:

Throughout Galatians and Romans Paul maintains that we are justified by faith, yet in these same letters, and indeed in all the major letters commonly acknowledged as Pauline, he affirms that we will be judged by our works... In plain language: either justification is emptied of its meaning or judgment by works is rendered harmless. We appear to be left with a contradiction which is conceptually unbridgeable.

- Nigel M Watson, Justified by Faith; Judged by Works - An Antinomy?, Page 209, 221

These statements, which form crucial links in the opening argument of Paul's epistle to the Romans, stand "in at least seeming contradiction to [the] doctrine of justification by faith alone" (Bultmann, 1951:75)

- Russell Pregeant, Grance and Recompense: Reflections on a Pauline Paradox, Page 74

And the appearance of contradiction is not easily dispelled, as the drastic elements in some of the proposed explanations show... But I will also argue that the tension between grace and recompense cannot be fully resolved within the framework Paul himself provides and will at that point try to show how a Whiteheadian approach to the language of the text can foster a greater appreciation of the significance of that tension.

- Russell Pregeant, Grance and Recompense: Reflections on a Pauline Paradox, Page 74-75

The two most recent studies of Paul and the law both show a large measure of agreement in criticizing Paul's treatment of the law as inconsistent and self-contradictory. E. P. Sanders argues that Paul's 'break' with the law gave rise to different questions and problems, and that his 'diverse answers, when set alongside one another, do not form a logical whole'.1 So, in particular, Paul's 'treatment of the law in chapter 2 (of Romans) cannot be harmonized with any of the diverse things which Paul says about the law elsewhere'; in Romans 2 'Paul goes beyond inconsistency or variety of argument and explanation to true self-contradiction'.

- James D.G. Dunn, Works of the Law and the Curse of the Law, Page 523

Source: https://sci-hub.ru/10.1017/s0028688500010729

Source: https://sci-hub.ru/10.1093/jaarel/xlvii.1.73

Source: https://sci-hub.ru/10.1017/s0028688500012066