Faith and Faithfulness (Part 12)

This is the twelth in a series of studies on the topic of faith and faithfulness. (If you are coming to this page from a search engine, I recommend this link for a table of contents of the topics covered in this series.)

In the last study in this series, I looked at six New Testament verses where many recent translations tend to translate pisteōs Iēsou and pisteōs Christou as "faith in Jesus" and "faith in Christ"— Rom 3:22, 26; 4:16; Gal 2:16; 3:22 and Phil 3:9.  Romans 4:16 is grammatically similar to the others but it is about the  pisteōs Abraam or "faith of Abraham."

There is quite a bit of debate on this topic that can be found on the Internet.  Here is a link to one of the discussions on this topic.  A bibliography on the topic is available here.

The grammatical debate is whether pisteōs Iēsou is using Iēsou as the subject or object of the phrase— is an unspecified subject acting in belief toward Jesus, or is Jesus acting in faithfulness to an unspecified object.  Perhaps the issue can be better illustrated with a contrived phrase that is not from the Bible: "the hatred of Herod."  This phrase is ambiguous; it can suggest either one of these possiblilites:

The peoples' hatred of Herod.  — Herod is the object — this form is called objective genitive.
The hatred of Herod for the people. — Herod is the subject — this form is called subjective genitive.

In the phrase "the hatred of Herod" the meaning of the word "hatred" is not ambiguous, but the meaning of the phrase as a whole is ambiguous.   When translating the Greek pisteōs Iēsou into English, there is both uncertainty about whether Jesus is the subject or object, but there is also debate about the meaning of pisteōs.  Is it belief or faithfulness?  The NET Bible translates pisteōs Iēsou Christou in Romans 3:22 as "the faithfulness of Jesus Christ," but with the following footnote explaining the decision:

Or “faith in Christ.” A decision is difficult here. Though traditionally translated “faith in Jesus Christ,” an increasing number of NT scholars are arguing that πίστις Χριστοῦ (pisti" Cristou) and similar phrases in Paul (here and in v. 26; Gal 2:16, 20; 3:22; Eph 3:12; Phil 3:9) involve a subjective genitive and mean “Christ’s faith” or “Christ’s faithfulness” (cf., e.g., G. Howard, “The ‘Faith of Christ’,” ExpTim 85 [1974]: 212-15; R. B. Hays, The Faith of Jesus Christ [SBLDS]; Morna D. Hooker, “Πίστις Χριστοῦ,” NTS 35 [1989]: 321-42). Noteworthy among the arguments for the subjective genitive view is that when πίστις takes a personal genitive it is almost never an objective genitive (cf. Matt 9:2, 22, 29; Mark 2:5; 5:34; 10:52; Luke 5:20; 7:50; 8:25, 48; 17:19; 18:42; 22:32; Rom 1:8; 12; 3:3; 4:5, 12, 16; 1 Cor 2:5; 15:14, 17; 2 Cor 10:15; Phil 2:17; Col 1:4; 2:5; 1 Thess 1:8; 3:2, 5, 10; 2 Thess 1:3; Titus 1:1; Phlm 6; 1 Pet 1:9, 21; 2 Pet 1:5). On the other hand, the objective genitive view has its adherents: A. Hultgren, “The Pistis Christou Formulations in Paul,” NovT 22 (1980): 248-63; J. D. G. Dunn, “Once More, ΠΙΣΤΙΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ,” SBL Seminar Papers, 1991, 730-44. Most commentaries on Romans and Galatians usually side with the objective view.

I don't have enough background in the language and grammar issues to add to the debate.   I have found examples of objective genitive uses in the New Testament, but none that I have seen involve a person as the object; I would find the argument in favor of the objective genitive reading (i.e. belief in Jesus) more convincing if I saw some other examples.  This is obviously a topic that one could study for a long time.  Perhaps a more useful approach would be to examine the possible meanings of the pisteōs Iēsou texts to see which meaning makes the most sense.  Here are two versions of Romans 3:21-23 to compare.

Rom 3:21-23 NET – But now apart from the law the righteousness of God (which is attested by the law and the prophets) has been disclosed— namely, the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who believe.  For there is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Rom 3:21-23 ESV – But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

It appears that there are two main points of view on these texts that can could be summarized in the two following sentences.  Notice in the second sentance I have supplied the implied subject.  (If Jesus is the subject, then why choose "in" in place of "of?")

• The righteousness of God has been disclosed/manifested through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ.
• The righteousness of God has been disclosed/manifested through our faith in Jesus Christ.

Because we could reasonably say "belief in" in English but not "faithfulness in", the "faith in Jesus" version is essentially the same thing as "belief in Jesus."  Has the righteousness of God been manifested through our belief in Jesus?   Or is the verse better understood as God's righteousness manifested through the faithfulness of Jesus?  The implied subject of "faith in" is supplied in the New Century Version.  The Amplified Bible makes the text unambiguously about belief.

Rom 3:21-23 NCV – But God has a way to make people right with him without the law, and he has now shown us that way which the law and the prophets told us about.  God makes people right with himself through their faith in Jesus Christ.  This is true for all who believe in Christ, because all people are the same: Everyone has sinned and fallen short of God's glorious standard,

Rom 3:21-23 AMP – But now the righteousness of God has been revealed independently and altogether apart from the Law, although actually it is attested by the Law and the Prophets, Namely, the righteousness of God which comes by believing with personal trust and confident reliance on Jesus Christ (the Messiah). [And it is meant] for all who believe. For there is no distinction, Since all have sinned and are falling short of the honor and glory which God bestows and receives.

I tend to like a lot about the translation of this text in the Complete Jewish Bible.  In addition to translating pisteōs Iēsou with Jesus as the subject it also translates the verb pisteuontas as those trusting rather than those who believe, which suggests a richer relationship than a mere intellectual assent.  The use of "Torah" is an improvement over "Law" since it is clearly about Scripture rather than commandments, but perhaps "Moses' Teachings," as GOD's WORD translation has it, would be less unconventional to the average reader.

Rom 3:21-23 CJB – But now, quite apart from Torah, God's way of making people righteous in his sight has been made clear - although the Torah and the Prophets give their witness to it as well - and it is a righteousness that comes from God, through the faithfulness of Yeshua the Messiah, to all who continue trusting. For it makes no difference whether one is a Jew or a Gentile, since all have sinned and come short of earning God's praise.

The following texts are consistent with a "faithfulness of Jesus" interpretation.  They also describe how the "righteousness that comes from God" is accomplished: we are "called into the fellowship" with Jesus, God makes "a way to escape" temptation, God will "sanctify" us because he is "faithful" and "will do it,"  He will "establish" us,  He will "cleanse us from all unrighteousness,"  He has "washed us from our sins" and He is "Faithful and True."

1 Cor 1:9 KJV – God is faithful (πιστος – pistos), by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Cor 10:13 KJV – There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful (πιστος – pistos), who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

1 Thess 5:23-24 NKJV – Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He who calls you is faithful (πιστος – pistos), who also will do it.

2 Thess 3:3 NKJV – But the Lord is faithful (πιστος – pistos), who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.

1 Pet 4:19 KJV – Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful (πιστω – pistō) Creator.

1 John 1:9 KJV – If we confess our sins, he is faithful (πιστος – pistos) and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Rev 1:5 KJV – And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful (πιστος – pistos) witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

Rev 19:11 KJV – And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful (πιστος – pistos) and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.