
Paul defines faith as loyalty, fidelity, and faithfulness. He uses the phrase in four ways: belief in God, belief in Jesus, belief in the promises of God, and belief in the promises of Jesus. Paul's understanding of faith involves the transformation of one's perception of God and the world through Christ, relational dependence on Christ, and active loyalty to Christ.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Faith is always faith in a person | God, Jesus |
Faith is not intellectual acceptance of a body of doctrine | |
Faith is loyalty, fidelity, and faithfulness | |
Faith is an unalterable conviction that certain things are true | |
Faith is receptivity | |
Faith is assent of the mind | |
Faith is assent to the significance of the facts | |
Faith is a confident hope | |
Faith is justification | |
Faith is righteousness | |
Faith is propitiation | |
Faith is access and confidence | |
Faith is grace | |
Faith is a wholehearted acceptance of salvation through the Atonement of Christ |
What You'll Learn
Faith as loyalty and fidelity
Paul's use of the word "faith" is often interpreted as an intellectual acceptance of a set of beliefs. However, this interpretation fails to capture the full meaning of the term as Paul understood it. For Paul, faith is always faith in a person, not a passive belief in a set of doctrines.
Paul's use of the word "faith" can be understood in four ways: belief in God, belief in Jesus, belief in the promises of God, and belief in the promises of Jesus. In this context, faith means loyalty, fidelity, and faithfulness.
Paul's letters emphasise the idea of faith as loyalty and fidelity. For Paul, faith is not just about believing in God or Jesus, but also about being loyal and faithful to them. This loyalty and fidelity are demonstrated through obedience to God and Jesus, and through living according to their teachings.
Paul's understanding of faith as loyalty and fidelity is evident in his letters to the Romans, Ephesians, Colossians, Thessalonians, and Philippians. In these letters, Paul expresses his joy and gratitude for the faith of his readers, which he sees as a sign of their loyalty and fidelity to God and Jesus. He also emphasises the need for perseverance and faith in the face of persecution and affliction.
Paul contrasts the faithlessness of Israel with the faithfulness of God, highlighting the importance of loyalty and fidelity. He sees faith as a confident hope, as expressed in his letter to the Corinthians: "For we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7).
Paul's understanding of faith as loyalty and fidelity is also reflected in his discussion of justification by faith. He argues that people are justified by their faith in Jesus Christ, but also by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ in atoning for their sins. This dual meaning of "faith" in Greek (pistis) is preserved in the King James translation of Galatians 2:16: "by the faith of Jesus Christ".
For Paul, faith is not merely passive mental assent, but a deep level of belief that results in personal commitment and action. Faith for Paul implies trust, confidence, faithfulness, and obedience. It is a wholehearted acceptance of salvation through the Atonement of Christ, a commitment to Christ that naturally leads to repentance, baptism, and striving to live by the Spirit.
In conclusion, Paul's definition of faith as loyalty and fidelity emphasises the active and transformative nature of faith. It is not enough to simply believe in God or Jesus; true faith involves a deep commitment and obedience to them, demonstrated through one's actions and way of life.
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Faith as belief in God and Jesus
Paul's concept of faith is central to his belief system. For Paul, faith is always faith in a person, never an intellectual acceptance of a set of doctrines. Faith for Paul means loyalty, fidelity, and faithfulness.
Paul uses the phrase "faith in God" in several ways: belief in God, belief in Jesus, belief in the promises of God, and belief in the promises of Jesus. Paul's writings emphasise that faith in God and Jesus is not passive, but involves transformation, relational dependence, and active loyalty.
Paul's writings also highlight the importance of faith in receiving salvation. He writes that "we are saved through faith; and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God". Faith is the means by which we have a relationship with God. By putting our faith in Jesus, we receive forgiveness for our sins and the gift of eternal life.
Paul's understanding of faith is further illustrated by his interpretation of the story of Abraham. Paul notes that Abraham was justified by his faith in God's promise, as stated in Genesis 15:6: "Abram believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness". Paul emphasises that faith in God's promises is central to our relationship with God, just as it was for Abraham.
In conclusion, for Paul, faith in God and Jesus is not merely intellectual assent, but a deep level of belief that results in personal commitment and action. It involves trust, confidence, faithfulness, and obedience.
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Faith as belief in the promises of God and Jesus
Paul defines faith in several ways, one of which is belief in the promises of God and Jesus. This is a form of loyalty and fidelity to God and Jesus, and it involves a transformation of one's perception of God and the world through Christ. It is not mere intellectual acceptance of a body of doctrine, but a wholehearted acceptance of salvation through the Atonement of Christ.
Paul's use of the word "faith" in his letters is often in the context of contrasting it with "works". He argues that justification or righteousness comes by faith, and not by "works". By "works", Paul is referring specifically to the "works of the law of Moses", or the rituals and requirements of the Jewish law, such as circumcision, observing the Sabbath, and dietary restrictions. He argues that these works cannot justify a person, because no one can perfectly keep the whole law. Instead, people are justified by faith in Jesus Christ and his faithfulness in atoning for their sins.
Paul's teaching on faith and works is often contrasted with that of James, who wrote that "faith without works is dead". However, James was likely responding to distortions of Paul's teachings, and by "works", he meant good deeds and actions consistent with one's beliefs. Paul would have agreed that true faith in Christ would manifest in actions and obedience.
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Faith as trust and confidence
Paul's concept of faith is central to his belief system. For Paul, faith is always faith in a person, never an intellectual acceptance of a set of doctrines. Faith for Paul is complete trust and complete surrender to Jesus Christ. It is the total acceptance of all that Christ said, all that he offered, and all that he is.
Faith is more than intellectual agreement. It is not mere belief in something despite a lack of evidence. Instead, faith is putting your trust in God and having confidence that he will fulfil his promises. It is a confident hope. It is an unalterable conviction that certain things are true. It is a wholehearted acceptance of salvation through the Atonement of Christ.
Paul's use of the word "faith" can be understood in three ways. Firstly, it can mean "obeying faith", or "faithfulness" or "loyalty". Secondly, it can mean "believing faith", which is fundamentally epistemological. That is to say, it expresses the Christian worldview as distinct from that of the world. Thirdly, it can mean "trusting faith", where faith stands for something like Christianity, Christ, or the Christian life.
Paul's teachings on faith are closely connected to his teachings on works. For Paul, faith without works is dead. Faith works through love to produce tangible evidence of its existence in a person's life. Faith is the means by which we have a relationship with God. It is how we receive the benefits of what Jesus has done for us.
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Faith as a confident hope
Paul's concept of faith is always faith in a person, not intellectual acceptance of a body of doctrine. Paul uses the phrase in four ways: belief in God, belief in Jesus, belief in the promises of God, and belief in the promises of Jesus.
Paul's use of the word "faith" is more akin to loyalty or fidelity. For Paul, faith is a wholehearted acceptance of salvation through the Atonement of Christ. To place faith in Christ is to commit oneself to his care with a trust that naturally manifests in actions such as repentance, baptism, and striving to live by the Spirit.
Paul did not classify baptism or obedience to the gospel as works, because, in this context, works meant distinctively Jewish practices of the law of Moses. Paul saw baptism and obedience to the gospel as outgrowths of faith in Jesus Christ.
Paul's teaching about faith and works in Galatians is in response to a doctrinal and ecclesiastical controversy created by Judaizers—Jewish-Christians who were teaching Gentile members of the Church the false doctrine that in order to be saved, they must be circumcised and observe the ritual requirements of the law of Moses. Paul taught that the way God provided for people to become free from the curse of sin was through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Frequently asked questions
Paul uses the word faith to mean loyalty, fidelity, or faithfulness. Faith is always faith in a person, not intellectual acceptance of a body of doctrine.
Paul uses the phrase in four ways: belief in God, belief in Jesus, belief in the promises of God, and belief in the promises of Jesus.
Paul and James do not contradict each other on faith versus works and what saves us. Paul's main point is that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. James, on the other hand, stated that faith without works is dead. However, James was not countering what Paul taught but, more likely, countering distortions of Paul's teachings.
Faith is the means by which we have a relationship with God. It is how we receive the benefits of what Jesus has done for us. By putting our faith in him, we receive forgiveness for our sins and the gift of eternal life.
Faith is more than intellectual agreement. Genuine biblical faith expresses itself in everyday life. Faith works through love to produce tangible evidence of its existence in a person’s life.