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Faith of Jesus or In Jesus?

Aaron

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"...If we translate the key passages as references to Jesus’ faith in our place, it would look something like the following.

ROM 3:22 “even the righteousness of God which comes through the faith/faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all those who believe, for there is no distinction.”

ROM 3:26 “for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who is of the faith of Jesus.”

GAL 2:16 “nevertheless knowing that a man is no justified by the works of the Law but through faith of Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified.”

GAL 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith/faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.”

GAL 3:22 “But the Scripture has shut up all me under sin, that the promise by the faith of Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.”

EPH 3:12 “in whom we have boldness and confident access through His faith/faithfulness.”

PHIL 3:9 “and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.”

At every point and at all points in between Jesus and his life and faithfulness is the point

Remember, every translation is a translation of the original text through the lens of a particular theology. The Reformers made a great step forward, away from works based salvation. It is time for us to stand on their shoulders and take the next step in their journey into a faith of Christ salvation, which, I suspect was what they were saying all along."

The faith of Christ
by C. Baxter Kruger, Ph.D.
None of this changes the fact that it's confusing. It makes it sound like Christ did things by faith when He did nothing by faith. When He walked on water, was that by faith? Cleansed the lepers? Raised the dead?

Did He know His Father by faith?

No. He did these things by His own power.
 

Van

Well-Known Member
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My pleasure.

With respect, the case that pistis is in does not affect whether Christou means 'belonging to Christ or 'towards Christ. In Galatians 2:16, which I mentioned above, pistis is in the gentive because it follows dia, meaning 'by' or 'on account of.' '...That we may be justified by faith in Christ' dia pisteos Christou.
I think the context of Romans 3:3 makes 'faithfulness' a plausible translation.

Faith in Christ is always personal, but the fact that pistin has the definite article would tend to make the verse mean, 'Do not hold the faith that is towards our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with partiality.'

Faith and teachings are two different things, and John would have used a different word (didaskalia or didache) if he had wanted to indicate 'teaching'). He means the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints, which is towards or in respect of, Jesus.

Thanks again for your views, but I disagree with some of them.

yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. (NET)

My brothers, don't hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory with partiality. (WEB)

Note that is this usage "faith" refers to the teachings of Jesus, rather than belief in Jesus. If you are partial to the rich, you are not holding to the teachings of Christ.
 

kyredneck

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It makes it sound like Christ did things by faith when He did nothing by faith.

You didn't get that notion from me.

He, as our example to follow always, did He or did He not demonstrate faith in God to do the right thing here?:

who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 1 Pet 2:23

And did not God prove Himself to be faithful by raising Him from the dead?
 

Aaron

Member
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You didn't get that notion from me.

He, as our example to follow always, did He or did He not demonstrate faith in God to do the right thing here?:

who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 1 Pet 2:23

And did not God prove Himself to be faithful by raising Him from the dead?
I didn't say I got that notion from you. I'm saying it's a confusion inherent in the suggested clunky new translation of Mark 11:22 .

As you know, faith can mean truth. Faith can mean loyalty. Faith can mean standard of belief. It can mean belief, trust, trustworthiness, assurance; it is s nuanced word. It can mean a lot of things. I'm not forgetting it's a translation of other words with more definite meanings.

But another thing that faith means is the belief in things not seen, born in the heart of a believer by God, by which one is saved. For we walk by faith, not by sight. 'We' meaning the Redeemed of earth. And ninety percent of the time that someone speaks of faith, this is what they're speaking of. Jesus did not have faith in that sense. Not even as our substitute. He needed none. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith. He is not redeemed. He is the Redeemer. But I suspect that in the zeal to prove that faith in God is not inherent in the unsaved, some Calvinists are suggesting that Christ had to exercise faith on earth to be our substitute 'in all ways.' And that's ridiculous if not heretical.

I'm just saying that the wording "faith of Christ" in some instances, especially in this new wave of translation 'improvement' which seems borne of the desire to prove a point more than the faithful presentation of a text, is clunky and confusing.
 
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Van

Well-Known Member
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Here is another example, Philippians 1:27 (HCSB): Just one thing: Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, working side by side for the faith that comes from the gospel,

(NASB)Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

(CEV) Above all else, you must live in a way that brings honor to the good news about Christ. Then, whether I visit you or not, I will hear that all of you think alike. I will know that you are working together and are struggling side by side to get others to believe the good news.

So which message was intended? Were they striving to protect the content, the teachings, of the gospel, or were they striving to get others to believe the gospel message?
 

Yeshua1

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None of this changes the fact that it's confusing. It makes it sound like Christ did things by faith when He did nothing by faith. When He walked on water, was that by faith? Cleansed the lepers? Raised the dead?

Did He know His Father by faith?

No. He did these things by His own power.
That is my concern on this issue, as do not see that Jesus had and exercised faith in the same sense that we do towards God!
 

Martin Marprelate

Well-Known Member
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Here is another example, Philippians 1:27 (HCSB): Just one thing: Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, working side by side for the faith that comes from the gospel,

(NASB)Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

(CEV) Above all else, you must live in a way that brings honor to the good news about Christ. Then, whether I visit you or not, I will hear that all of you think alike. I will know that you are working together and are struggling side by side to get others to believe the good news.

So which message was intended? Were they striving to protect the content, the teachings, of the gospel, or were they striving to get others to believe the gospel message?
Two things are clear. It is not the Gospel that believes; nor is it the Gospel's faithfulness. It is faith towards or in respect of the Gospel, or maybe the faith that comes from the preaching of the Gospel. Since it is 'the faith,' it means the 'faith once delivered to the saints' (Jude 3). Maybe we should start a thread on what exactly that is. ;)
 

Yeshua1

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Two things are clear. It is not the Gospel that believes; nor is it the Gospel's faithfulness. It is faith towards or in respect of the Gospel, or maybe the faith that comes from the preaching of the Gospel. Since it is 'the faith,' it means the 'faith once delivered to the saints' (Jude 3). Maybe we should start a thread on what exactly that is. ;)
That faith in that context would mean the NT doctrines and revelation from Jesus and his Apostles, correct?
 

Van

Well-Known Member
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Two things are clear. It is not the Gospel that believes; nor is it the Gospel's faithfulness. It is faith towards or in respect of the Gospel, or maybe the faith that comes from the preaching of the Gospel. Since it is 'the faith,' it means the 'faith once delivered to the saints' (Jude 3). Maybe we should start a thread on what exactly that is. ;)
No need, you have taken the view were striving to get others to believe the gospel message, but some take the same verse to mean they were striving to protect the pure gospel message.

The issue is how to translate these constructions consistently.
 

Martin Marprelate

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No need, you have taken the view were striving to get others to believe the gospel message, but some take the same verse to mean they were striving to protect the pure gospel message.

The issue is how to translate these constructions consistently.
I suggest that these are two sides of the same coin. If you don't know what the Gospel is, you're not going to be preaching it are you?
 

kyredneck

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If you don't know what the Gospel is

The gospel tells of life and immortality, it does not impart it. Christ the life giving spirit alone has abolished death and imparts life and immortalitry:

10 but hath now been manifested by the appearing of our Saviour Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 2 Tim 1
 

Van

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I suggest that these are two sides of the same coin. If you don't know what the Gospel is, you're not going to be preaching it are you?
If the same Greek phrase is translated two different ways, one version must be in error, but both could be.
 

percho

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Yes, but that was obedience, did not require faith!

through being a Son, did learn by the things which he suffered -- the obedience, Heb 5:8

What obedience did he learn? I say, obedience of faith.

What is faith? Substance of hope, evidence of unseen.

What s the promise of God made before the world began? In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; Titus 1:2 The obedience of faith / substance of hope.

Hebrews 5:7 who in the days of his flesh both prayers and supplications unto Him who was able to save him from death -- with strong crying and tears -- having offered up, and having been heard in respect to that which he feared,

For the sinless one who had been made sin, saved, out of death, to receive the promise of God.

IMHO The righteousness of God!
 

percho

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Consider:

Gal 3:14 YLT that to the nations the blessing of Abraham may come in Christ Jesus, that the promise of the Spirit we may receive through the faith.

Textus Receptus
3:14 ἵνα εἰς τὰ ἔθνη ἡ εὐλογία τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ γένηται ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ἵνα τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ πνεύματος λάβωμεν διὰ τῆς πίστεως
Morphological GNT
3:14 ἵνα εἰς τὰ ἔθνη ἡ εὐλογία τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ γένηται ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ἵνα τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ πνεύματος λάβωμεν διὰ τῆς πίστεως

The Spirit is received because of a specific, faith, the faith.

John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

Where was Jesus about to go for three days and three nights?

Is, the faith, Jesus going away? Dead for three days and three nights?

Now consider: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Eph 2:8
Textus Receptus
2:8 τῇ γὰρ χάριτί ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι διὰ τῆς πίστεως· καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον·

Is that the very same, "the faith," of Gal 3:14? ----- Another question? --- If Jesus who died for our sins had not have been raised from the dead, given life again from the dead, would we be saved? Would there even be faith?

1 Cor 15:17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

IMHO The resurrection of Jesus is the grace of God. And is relative to the righteousness of God. See Gal 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Eph 2:8 should read: To the, for grace, ye are ones having been saved, through the faith,

We are heirs, not yet inheritors, of the grace of life see 1 Peter 3:7 To the for grace.
 
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