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Before discussing some New Testament texts, it would be helpful to look at a topic from Greek grammar. In English we communicate the concept of possession in a sentence by using an apostrophe 's or sometimes of with a pair of nouns, as in "John's car" or "God's word" or "the word of God". The forms in English are a pair of nouns (the possessor and possession) in either possessor's possession or possession of possessor. Greek does not use an apostrophe 's or of to indicate possession. Instead, the pair of words are modified in a way that indicates that they have a possessor-possession relationship.
We can see three examples of this relationship in Matthew 1:1.
Matt 1:1 KJV: The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Matt 1:1 The Message: The family tree of Jesus Christ, David's son, Abraham's son
The KJV uses the English of form to communicate possession: son of David. The Message uses the apostrophe 's form to communicate possession: David's son. Here is the same text in Greek.
Matt 1:1 Greek NT: Βιβλος γενεσεως Ιησου Χριστου υιου Δαβιδ υιου Αβρααμ.
Matt 1:1 Greek NT transliteration: Biblos geneseōs Iēsou Christou uiou Dabid uiou Abraam.
The word for son in Greek is uios (υιος) and Abraham is Abraam (Αβρααμ). When a possessive relationship is communicated in Greek, the possession word is modified by changing the ending of the word: uios (υιος) becomes uiou (υιου). Consequently, uiou Abraam means son of Abraham or Abraham's son. We can see another example from John 1:44:
John 1:44 KJV: Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
John 1:44 Greek NT: ην δε ο Φιλιππος απο Βηθσαιδα, εκ της πολεως Ανδρεου και Πετρου.
In this example, the Greek word for city is polis (πολις) and Andrew is Andreas (Ανδρεας). When they are combined in a possessive relationship, polis (πολις) becomes poleōs (πολεως) and Andreas (Ανδρεας) becomes Andreou (Ανδρεου). Consequently, poleōs Andreou means city of Andrew or Andrew's city.
The possessive form in Greek is called the genitive case. You can read a Wikipedia description of the genitive case here.
Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar (by William Mounce) describes the genitive case on pages 44-45:
The genitive case in Greek can be used when showing possession. Instead of adding an "apostrophe s" or using "of," the genitive case endings are added to the word.... In English the possessive case can be indicated by the apostrophe.... Greek, however, does not have this construction.... therefore, in translating you should think with the "of" construction.... Key words are words that are associated with a particular case that you should put in front of the translation of the actual word.... The key word for the genitive is "of".
Here is a list of some examples where the Greek NT text uses the genitive case:
- Matt 2:15 – death of Herod
- Matt 10:6 – house of Israel
- Matt 23:35 – blood of Zacharias
- Mark 1:1 – gospel of Jesus (ευαγγελιου Ιησου – euaggeliou Iēsou)
- Luke 1:27 – house of David
- Luke 2:36 – tribe of Aser
- Luke 3:19 – Philip’s wife
- Luke 11:51 – blood of Abel
- Luke 17:32 – Lot’s wife
- John 4:9 – woman of Samaria
- John 11:1 – town of Mary
- Acts 1:16 – mouth of David
- Acts 1:22 – baptism of John
- Acts 7:40 – land of Egypt
- Acts 12:12 – mother of John
The Greek word pistis (πιστις)— translated faith or faithfulness— becomes pisteōs (πιστεως) in the genitive case. The Greek word for Jesus is Iēsous (Ιησους); the genitive case for Jesus is Iēsou (Ιησου). Consequently, the phrase pisteōs Iēsou (πιστεως Ιησου) means faith of Jesus or faithfulness of Jesus. Compare this with poleōs Andreou (city of Andrew) above.
Let's look at this phrase in several New Testament texts and examine how the phrase is translated in various translations. In the texts below, I have highlighted in yellow those that I think accurately translate the grammatical form. I have highlighted in orange the English translations that I think accurately translate translate the grammatical form and express the true meaning of the verse.
Romans 3:22
Rom 3:22 KJV: Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
- Greek NT: πιστεως Ιησου
- Greek NT transliterated: pisteōs Iēsou
- NKJV: faith in Jesus
- NIV: faith in Jesus
- ESV: faith in Jesus
- NASB: faith in Jesus
- RSV: faith in Jesus
- ASV: faith in Jesus
- NLT: faith in Jesus
- YLT: faith of Jesus
- ISV: faithfulness of Jesus
- GOD's WORD: faith in Jesus
- Douay-Rheims: faith of Jesus
- Darby: faith of Jesus
- Webster's: faith of Jesus
- CEV: faith in Jesus
- HCSB: faith in Jesus
- Reina-Valera 1960 (Spanish): fe en Jesucristo
- Reina-Valera Antigua (Spanish): fe de Jesucristo
- Tyndale: fayth of Iesus
- Wycliffe: feith of Jhesu
- Darby (French): foi de Jésus
- Martin (French): foi en Jésus
- Luther 1545 (German): Glauben an Jesum
- Elberfelder 1871 (German): Glauben an Jesum (O. Glauben Jesu)
- NET: faithfulness of Jesus
Romans 3:26
Rom 3:26 KJV: To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
- Greek NT: πιστεως Ιησου
- Greek NT transliteration: pisteōs Iēsou
- NKJV: faith in Jesus
- NIV: faith in Jesus
- ESV: faith in Jesus
- NASB: faith in Jesus
- YLT: faith of Jesus
- Darby: faith of Jesus
- ISV: faithfulness of Jesus
- Wycliffe: feith of Jhesu
- Darby (French): foi de Jésus
- Ostervald (French): foi en Jésus
- Luther 1545 (German): Glaubens an Jesum
- Elberfelder 1871 (German): Glaubens an Jesum (O. Glaubens Jesu)
- Reina-Valera 1960 (Spanish): fe de Jesús
- Nueva Versión Internacional (Spanish): fe en Jesús
- NET: Jesus’ faithfulness
Romans 4:16
Unlike the texts about the "faith of Jesus", there is a lot of consistency in the translation following text about the "faith of Abraham." The grammatical form of the Greek is identical to the texts about Jesus. What accounts for the difference in the translation when we are talking about Abraham rather than Jesus?
Rom 4:16 KJV: Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
- Greek NT: πιστεως Αβρααμ
- Greek NT transliteration: pisteōs Abraam
- NKJV: faith of Abraham
- NIV: faith of Abraham
- ESV: faith of Abraham
- NASB: faith of Abraham
- RSV: faith of Abraham
- YLT: faith of Abraham
- Darby: Abraham's faith
- Tyndale: fayth of Abraham
- Wycliffe: feith of Abraham
- Reina-Valera 1960 (Spanish): fe de Abraham
- La Biblia de las Américas (Spanish): fe de Abraham
- HCSB: Abraham's faith
- TNIV: faith of Abraham
- Louis Segond (French): foi d'Abraham
- Douay-Rheims: faith of Abraham
- Martin (French): foi d'Abraham
- GOD's WORD: believing as Abraham did
Galatians 2:16
Gal 2:16 KJV: 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.
- Greek NT: πιστεως Ιησου / πιστεως Χριστου
- Greek NT transliteration: pisteōs Iēsou / pisteōs Christou
- NKJV: faith in Jesus / faith in Christ
- NET: faithfulness of Jesus / faithfulness of Christ
- Tyndale: fayth of Iesus / fayth of Christ
- Wycliffe: feith of Jhesu / feith of Crist
- NIV: faith in Jesus / faith in Christ
- ESV: faith in Jesus / faith in Christ
- ESV footnote: faithfulness of Jesus
- NASB: faith in Jesus / faith in Christ
- Reina-Valera 1960 (Spanish): fe de Jesucristo / fe de Cristo
- RSV: faith in Jesus / faith in Christ
- YLT: faith of Jesus / faith of Christ
- NLT: faith in Jesus / faith in Christ
- ISV: faithfulness of Jesus / faithfulness of the Messiah
- GOD's WORD: believing in Jesus / faith in Christ
- Douay-Rheims: faith of Jesus / faith of Christ
- Darby: faith of Jesus / faith of Christ
- Webster's: faith of Jesus / faith of Christ
- Louis Segond (French): foi en Jésus / foi en Christ
- Martin (French): foi en Jésus / foi de Christ
- The Message: faith in Jesus / trusting in the Messiah
- HCSB: faith in Jesus / faith in Christ
- NIRV: believing in Jesus / believing in Christ
Galatians 3:22
Gal 3:22 KJV: But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
- Greek NT: πιστεως Ιησου
- Greek NT transliteration: pisteōs Iēsou
- NKJV: faith in Jesus
- NIV: faith in Jesus
- ESV: faith in Jesus
- NASB: faith in Jesus
- RSV: faith in Jesus
- YLT: faith of Jesus
- La Biblia de las Américas (Spanish): fe en Jesucristo
- Reina-Valera 1960 (Spanish): fe en Jesucristo
- Douay-Rheims: faith of Jesus
- Darby: faith of Jesus
- Tyndale: fayth of Iesus
- Wycliffe: feith of Jhesu
- Darby (French): foi en Jésus
- Sagradas Escrituras 1569 (Spanish): fe de Jesús
- NLT: believing in Jesus
- ISV: faithfulness of the Messiah
- NCV: believe in Jesus
- NET: faithfulness of Jesus
Philippians 3:9
Phil 3:9 KJV: And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
- Greek NT: πιστεως Χριστου
- Greek NT transliterated: pisteōs Christou
- NKJV: faith in Christ
- NET: Christ’s faithfulness
- Tyndale: fayth which is in Christ
- Wycliffe: feith of Crist
- Reina-Valera 1960 (Spanish): fe de Cristo
- NIV: faith in Christ
- ESV: faith in Christ
- NASB: faith in Christ
- YLT: faith of Christ
- Darby: faith of Christ
- ISV: faithfulness of the Messiah
- Douay-Rheims: faith of Christ
- La Biblia de las Américas (Spanish): fe en Cristo
- Elberfelder 1871 (German): Glauben an Christum (O. Glauben Christi)
- Sagradas Escrituras 1569 (Spanish): fe de Cristo
- The Message: trusting Christ
- NCV: believed in Christ
- NIRV: believe in Christ
Pistis in the Genitive Case in the Septuagint
Hab 2:4 Brenton: If he should draw back, my soul has no pleasure in him: but the just shall live by my faith.
Hab 2:4 NETS: If it draws back, my soul is not pleased in it. But the just shall live by my faith [footnote: Or faithfulness].
- Greek Septuagint: πιστεως μου
- Greek Septuagint transliterated: pisteōs mou
I think the evidence is against "faith in Jesus" as an accurate translation of pisteōs Iēsou (πιστεως Ιησου); "belief in Jesus" is less accurate still. "Faith of Jesus" is at least consistent with the Greek grammar, but since the current usage of the word faith is as a synomym of belief, it may not suggest the right meaning. I like "faithfulness of Jesus" best.
Today I looked a these texts from a language and grammatical perspective. I will look at the same texts again in the future to see if "faithfulness of Jesus" always makes sense in the context and whether it is consistent with the rest of the Bible.
Very interesting subject. I'm currently working on Hab 2:4 cited in Heb 10:38 and trying to work out whether or not it is "faith" or "faithfulness". I appreciate your postings. I'm convinced many of our English translations are wrong in putting in "faith". Many of the contexts where pistis occurs make more sense when understood as referring to what Jesus did for us rather than what we do.
ReplyDeleteI do have one comment on some you specifically said that you might want to correct. You stated the following:
uios (υιος) becomes uiou (υιου). Consequently, uiou Abraam means son of Abraham or Abraham's son.
This is not correct. That particular phrase looks like it is from Matthew 1:1. The word υιου is genitive because it is modifying Jesus Christ which is in the genitive case. If you look at Luke 19:9 you will see a better example. The possessor is the one who takes the genitive case. So for example "son of God" will be uios theou where theou is in the Genitive. In the example you gave Abraam is actually genitive case because it is possessor.Or see Matt. 9:6 for "son of man" where man is the possessor therefore it reads in Greek uios anthropou with the anthropou in the genitive case.
There is an article by Douglas A. Campbell at the following link that you might find interesting on this topic of pistis: http://www.westmont.edu/~fisk/paulandscripture/Campbell_Faithfulness_of_Jesus_Christ.pdf
I think it was this article that got me started into the debate. Thanks for the posting.
Thanks for commenting. You are right that my explanations of the genitive case examples are confused. My knowledge of Greek grammar at the time was quite limited— I know a little more now but still can't claim to be an expert.
ReplyDeleteIn the first example that I cite— Matt 1:1— every word but the first one is in the genitive case. In fact, all the examples I cited have both the words paired in the "of" relationship in the genitive. I was looking for examples that were identical in grammatical form to the "faith of Jesus" instances.
Most of these examples are objects of prepositions that require a genitive. For example in "dia pisteos Iesou Christou", pisteos is genitive because it is the object of dia (through) and Iesou Christou is genitive in the possessive sense— "of". The fact that the first word in a pair of genitives is also genitive is not relevant to the discussion about the "of" meaning of the pair. This is something that I was confused about when I wrote this post. I still think the main points of the post are correct, but unfortunately, made with some misleading grammatical points that are not relevant to the discussion.
Thanks for the link.