This teaching created quite a stir. Always troubling when someone pokes at the way we traditionally understand a text. But I want to re-assure you the listener, that I am not proposing a change in understanding that diminishes the meaning of the text, but rather seeking to enhance or add depth to our understanding of the text.
In my study, I discovered that the phrases in Galatians 2:15-21 that read "by faith in Jesus Christ" (vs. 16a, 16b, 17, 20) can also be translated "by the faith of Jesus Christ". If you understand the challenge of translation and original languages, you will know that at times it's not "cut and dry" how to translate certain phrases. In this case, objective genetive and subjective genetive / technical grammatical issues, tell us that we can translate this phrase both ways. But let me say this; both ways could be right. So in this case the translators would need to do the hard work of understanding the context of the whole book, and consider how these same words are used in the broader text. This simple practice can help to shed light on what we are studying.
To begin with I used Gal. 3:23 as an anchor point, to help ground us concerning this text. Here Paul tells the listener that there is a "faith" or a "the way of faith" that was to come.
I have listed numerous versions to help us get a taste of how commentators have treated this text. It adds color to how we understand the verse, but also helps us gain appreciation for the hard task of translation. As you can see, it's not always so cut and dry.
NRSV "Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed."
NASB "But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed."
NIV "Before the coming of this faith,[a] we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed."
ESV "Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed."
Perhaps you can see that Paul is not just talking about the believer's faith response, but a grander faith, ushered in by the person of Jesus. It's His faithfulness to the Father, that made it possible for you and I to respond in faith in the first place.
Let me assure you, I see why commentators and translators interpreted the text "by faith in Jesus", because they want to put the focus on the need for people to respond in faith. People would be concerned that if the focus is solely on Christ's faithfulness, people would feel that there doesn't need to be any faith response at all, but instead to see it as a free ride. But in order to bring balance, and perhaps calm our fears, let us be reminded of James' words, "faith without works is dead." The idea here is that Christ's faithfulness to the Father, causes us to respond by faith.
On a practical level, let me assure you that I will still memorize this passage in New Living or the NIV. I won't be chucking my current translation, but as I quote Galatians 2:16-20, I will have a richer understanding of Jesus' faithfulness compared to what I understood before. Now when I sing "Great is Thy Faithfulness" I can respond in even deeper appreciation and worship. So I guess what I am saying is that it's not either / or, it's both / and. Christ's Faithfulness and our Faith response.
So my prayer for all of us, is that as we read this text, we too will be drawn into a deeper sense of worship, understanding all the more that it's Christ's faithfulness to the Father that enables you and I to respond by faith in the first place. My prayer is that this new understanding can add depth to your understanding of the text, not minimize it.
As we brought the service to a close I know some of you were rattled, and troubled. My concern is that you heard me say one thing, and got hung up from that point on, and as a result, you didn't hear anything else I said from that point. So hopefully this can help clear up some of your concerns.
Let me also remind you that tension is OK. Healthy actually. Did you see people's response after we closed the service? People turned to one another and immediately began talking - people were engaged! I could just imagine Jesus sitting there, smiling with delight; excited that His kids were engaged, wrestling and thinking about His Living Word. Like I have said before - healthy families talk, so it warms my heart that you are able to ask questions and be honest with your concerns.
To close I want to share something someone shared with me at the conclusion of the service. He told me that when he arrived at Don Ross, before anything had started the text that he had running through his mind was Matt. 13:31 which says,“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”
At the end of the service it all made more sense. That all we need is faith the size of a mustrard seed because the focus was never supposed to be our faith, the focus is Jesus' faithfulness. He's done the heavy lifting, and our simple response can be a heart full of faith, in His faithfulness on our behalf. Jesus invitation for all of us is to participate in what He's done, learning to live in and through Him.