From: Revcraigh (Revcraigh@aol.com)
Date: Sun Jan 11 1998 - 22:56:39 EST
In a message dated 1/11/98 9:44:18 PM, Jeremy wrote:
>Greetings, fellow B-Greekers:
>
>I have a question regarding the Greek phrase DIA PISTEWS IHSOU
>XRISTOU which could be translated "through faith OF Jesus Christ" in
>Rom. 3:22a. Does the fact that the name of the Lord is in the
>genitive case indicate that Christians are actually justified
>(reckoned righteous) by *Christ's faith* (the faith that He Himself
>possessed while He lived in this world), rather than through their
>own exercising of the faith that God has given them?
As I see it, there are a number of possibilities revolving around one's
understanding of the various genitives:
I. DIKAIOSUNH DE *QEOU* refers back to DIKAIOSUNH QEOU PEFANERWTAI of v. 21:
A. *QEOU* = possess. gen. = that righteousness which is an atribute of God;
or, similarly,
B. *QEOU* = subj. gen. = the righteousness or covenant faithfulness which God
Himself displays in all of His doings; or, conversely,
C. *QEOU* = obj. gen. = the righteousness which God requires of man (which
man owes to God); or,
D. *QEOU* = gen. of cause or origin = that righteousness which is from God
(which God imputes to the believer).
II. DIA PISTEWS = prep. phrase indicating means.
A. PISTEWS XRISTOU = "Christ's faithfulness"
1. XRISTOU = possess. gen. = faithfulness as an atribute of Christ. That is,
God's righteousness (in any of the possible meanings above) has been revealed
(PEFANERWTAI) through Christ's faithfulness (which Christ displayed in all he
did, especially in his suffering and death); or,
2. XRISTOU = subj. gen. = the faithfulness displayed by Christ in all of His
doings. That is, God's righteousness (in any of the meanings above) has been
revealed through the righteous deeds which Christ did (especially his
suffering and death); or,
3. XRISTOU = obj. gen. = the faithfulness which Christ requires of man
(which man owes to Christ). That is, God's righteousness has been revealed
through the faithfulness which Christ's disciples display by their lives in
Christ (i.e., they mirror God's righteousness); or,
4. XRISTOU = gen. of cause or origin = that faithfulness which is from
Christ (which Christ causes or enables the believer to exhibit). That is,
God's righteousness has been revealed through the faithfulness which Christ
enables his disciples to display.
B. PISTEWS XRISTOU = "Christ's faith"
1. XRISTOU = possess. gen. = faith which Christ possessed. That is, God's
righteousness (in any of the possible meanings above) has been revealed
(PEFANERWTAI) through Christ's faith (which moved him to obedience unto death,
even the death of a cross); or,
2. XRISTOU = subj. gen. = the faith displayed by Christ in all of His doings
(as epitomized by Christ's suffering and death); or,
3. XRISTOU = obj. gen. = the faith which has Christ as its object (which man
owes to Christ). That is, God's righteousness has been revealed (to the
disciples) by means of faith which is focused on Christ (particularly his
death and resurrection); or,
4. XRISTOU = gen. of cause or origin = that faith which is from Christ
(which Christ causes or enables the believer to exhibit). That is, God's
righteousness has been revealed (to the disciples) through the faith which
Christ causes or enables his disciples to display.
>I have heard
>people use this passage to prove that the faith of Christ itself is
>actually the faith whereby believers are justified
Yes, if one understands Christ's faith to be that which impelled him to suffer
and die and rise again (for these are the decisive justifying events).
>, as opposed to any
>personal believing on their own part. But I have a problem with such
>a view, since it would seem to negate other NT passages that speak of
>the believers themselves doing the believing (e.g., Eph. 1:13).
There is not necessarely a contradiction. This is what I mean. We, who believe
in Christ, are justified by that faith of Christ's which impelled him to
suffer and die and rise again. That is, because of these acts of Christ, the
righteous one, God imputes Christ's righteousness to those who believe.
>
>Any thoughts? Is there possibly another meaning to be understood from
>the use of the genitive in this phrase?
>
My own choice of a translation (thoroughly theologically biased, I freely
confess) would be something like this:
21 But now, apart from law [the requirement to do what God's commandments
demand], a righteousness imputed by God [gen. of origin] is manifest, being
testified to by the Law and the Prophets [two of the three traditional
sections of the O T; that is, told of beforehand in the O T Scriptures], 22 a
righteousness which God imputes through faith, the object of which is Christ,
unto everyone who believes.
The bracketed portions "[]" would actually be footnotes.
In other words, just as you say:
>Sola Gratia,
God Bless,
Rev. Craig R. Harmon.
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