Justification by faith - Gal 3:26

[Kliska]

Your pastor does not define faith. The CCC tells us " 1814 Faith is the theological virtue by which we believe in God and believe all that he has said and revealed to us,"
Again your reply does not even begin to address my concerns.

I’m not Catholic, so the CCC isn’t my measuring stick, but rather scripture. I was sharing the similarities in reply with other posters. I never said I agreed with what my pastor taught. Faith is trusting with great confidence. Salvation is by grace through faith.

 

[ichabode]

Thanks,
The three persons of the trinity are really distinct. Your reply sounds like Sabellianism.

I would disagree. The posters are not modalist, but stating the obvious. We are not saved by a man. If Jesus were just man and not True God and True Man (you cannot separate it) then he would not have the power to justify us. Jesus is able to justify because He is infact God. He is the second person of the Trinity the all eternal infinite image of God Himself, and there never was a moment when He did not exist.

 

[Nita]

I am very disappointed with most of the the replies I received. Some ignore my concerns and write things of no relevance to my thread. Others reflect heresies, Sabellianism and/or Pelegianism.

However El Dominguero and Robbinson have posted excellent replies, but do not fully answer the issues concerning me.

I will repeat the key issues:
"But Gal 3:26 has different translations, as shown below:

NAB Galatians 3:26 For through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus.

NAU Galatians 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

So are we justified by** faith** in Jesus Christ or in God?"

El Diminguero and Robbinson give serious answers for which I am grateful and about which I will think and pray.

Here is a link to a Greek Interlinear for Galatians chapter 3. Just scroll down to verse 26 and you’ll see the order of the words in Greek:
“All indeed sons of God you are through faith in Christ Jesus.”
biblehub.com/interlinear/galatians/3.htm

Where are you seeing that one of the translations says “faith in God”? I’m guessing you must be referring to the NAB translation, but the text of the translation just says “faith”, not “faith in God”. Given that Paul is talking to Christians about their Christian faith, it makes sense to assume he is referring to their faith in Jesus Christ. (And of course the **Person of Jesus Christ is the 2nd Person of the Trinity **-- God the Son.)

 

[Robbinson]

Brian,
thank you so much for trying to answer my queries.
Your attempt treats my concerns seriously, and merits deep reflection.
But it does not get to the heart of my query. This may be my fault that my question was not clearly framed. I am discussing Gal 2:26, and want to know what is the best translation. My question was not focused enough, as other issues are also raised…

I would like to think more deeply about your excellent reply.
Again may I send you my sincere appreciation

NoelFitz - sorry, i missed that. I think the context immediately preceding Gal 3:26 makes it clear the reference in 3:26 to “through faith” is relating to faith in Jesus Christ. Look at v. 22 - “But the scripture consigned all things to sin, that what was promised to faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.”’

This is consistent with Jesus plea in John 7:38 (and many other similar verses) -“He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.’*”” (John 7:38, RSVCE)

Blessings,

Brian

 

[fhansen]

Thanks,
The three persons of the trinity are really distinct. Your reply sounds like Sabellianism.

Jesus Christ is God. Like she said.

 

[fhansen]

The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ) states “5.The present Joint Declaration has this intention: namely, to show that on the basis of their dialogue the subscribing Lutheran churches and the Roman Catholic Church are now able to articulate a common understanding of our justification by God’s grace through faith in Christ.”

So it seems now there is agreement on justification by faith.

But Gal 3:26 has different translations, as shown below:

NAB Galatians 3:26 For through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus.

NAU Galatians 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

So are we justified by faith in Jesus Christ or in God? Also is the faith that justifies the faith we have or the faith Jesus has (faith of J C)?

Jesus came to restore faith in/relationship with God to fallen man. We must believe in Jesus, Who He is and what He revealed, in order for this to occur.

And it’s our faith, a gift of grace from God.

 

[NoelFitz]

Thanks for all the replies.

Unfortunately I may not have been clear in my initial thread, and hence replies did not fully answer my concerns. But now I have clear and sound replies from many contributors. They reflect serious concern and attention to the words of the Bible, as well as Catholic belief.

The consensus is that “faith in Christ Jesus” is meant, which agrees with my view, but not with some translations.

The Commentary by Frank Matera (Sacra Pagina) gives “For you are all sons of God, in C J, through the faith”. Two ways of looking at this verse exist: 1 Christ is the object of faith or 2 Christ is the sphere in which one is a son of God through the faith. You are sons of God through Christ’s faith.

However the key seems to be that there is substantial agreement that ‘faith in C J’ is meant.

So I am sorry for not being clear and focused initially and also for being brusque in some of my replies.

---

**
Some translations of Gal 3:26 with Greek (BibleWorks 9)
**
BNT Galatians 3:26 Πάντες γὰρ υἱοὶ θεοῦ ἐστε διὰ τῆς πίστεως ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ·

NRS Galatians 3:26 for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.

DRA Galatians 3:26 For you are all the children of God by faith, in Christ Jesus.

NAB Galatians 3:26 For through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus.

NAU Galatians 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

ESV Galatians 3:26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.

NIB Galatians 3:26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,

NET Galatians 3:26 For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith.

NJB Galatians 3:26 for all of you are the children of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus,

RSV Galatians 3:26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.

 

[fhansen]

It’s also important to have a proper understanding of what faith* is*; some theologies treat it almost as a sort of magical get-of-hell-free-card. Faith is knowledge of and relationship with God; its a *restored *relationship between humanity and Him, as that relationship was shattered at the Fall. This damaged relationship is the very reason that we’re born without intimate knowledge of God now, and the reason why Jesus came to give us that very knowledge-to reveal the Father-so we may believe in, hope in, and ultimately perfect our love for, God. This knowledge of and love for God is the right and proper order of things. Adam opted out; we’re all here to learn why and how to opt back in, with the help of grace. “Apart from Me you can do nothing”, Jesus tells us in John 15:5. This reestablishment of *communion *is the essence of the New Covenant, as prophesied in Jer 31, and what sets it apart from the Old:

**“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel
after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
34 No longer will they teach their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.” ** Jer 31:33-34

 

[ichabode]

Thanks for all the replies.
The Commentary by Frank Matera (Sacra Pagina) gives “For you are all sons of God, in C J, through the faith”. Two ways of looking at this verse exist: 1 Christ is the object of faith or 2 Christ is the sphere in which one is a son of God through the faith. You are sons of God through Christ’s faith.

There is no end run around Jesus to be saved. The reason the passage is translated differently is from literal translations and translations that provide the meaning of what is being revealed. No other religion teaches we are sons and daughters of God, only Christianity does that. No one is a son or daughter of God except through Jesus. Jesus is begotten of God not made, but we are adopted through His eternal sonship. Jesus is the object of our faith as well as God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, and number two is correct that we enter into the family of God by being grafted onto the eternal sonship of Jesus. You cannot separate the two above it is the ever famous Catholic position of both-and and not the common protestant point of view of either-or.

 

[NoelFitz]

Again some replies are off-topic, and I do not want now to consider them.
The basic problem I had has been resolved, and I am grateful.

Perhaps in another thread some of the issues raised can be considered.

For Catholics and Protestants faith has different meanings. For Catholics it is acceptance of doctrines, for Protestants it is trust in God.

 

[eazyduzit]

Intellectual faith alone is not sufficient. It must be a faith formed through charity (works).

Charity needs to be the result of faith and not the cause of it.

 

[eazyduzit]

There is no end run around Jesus to be saved. The reason the passage is translated differently is from literal translations and translations that provide the meaning of what is being revealed. No other religion teaches we are sons and daughters of God, only Christianity does that. No one is a son or daughter of God except through Jesus. Jesus is begotten of God not made, but we are adopted through His eternal sonship. Jesus is the object of our faith as well as God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, and number two is correct that we enter into the family of God by being grafted onto the eternal sonship of Jesus. You cannot separate the two above it is the ever famous Catholic position of both-and and not the common protestant point of view of either-or.

Sorry,but we do not disagree on this. It is a very evangelical view also.

 

[ichabode]

Sorry,but we do not disagree on this. It is a very evangelical view also.

Thank you for setting the record straight.

 

[fhansen]

Again some replies are off-topic, and I do not want now to consider them.
The basic problem I had has been resolved, and I am grateful.

Perhaps in another thread some of the issues raised can be considered.

For Catholics and Protestants faith has different meanings. For Catholics it is acceptance of doctrines, for Protestants it is trust in God.

For Catholics faith is the supernatural enablement to give intellectual assent to truths proposed to us by God through His Church. We must cooperate with this gift of grace; we can resist and reject it. This gift gives us the knowledge of God; it’s the essence of the reestablishment of relationship between Him and man, a relationship which was shattered at the Fall, a relationship which constitutes the right order of things. This is why it’s said that we are justified by faith; faith is considered to be the beginning, the root and foundation, of justification-of justice- for man.