Justification by Faith in Christ or Faithfulness of Christ? Updating the ΠΙΣΤΙΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ Debate in Light of Paul’s Use of Scripture

Abstract

Abstract The debate over Paul’s use of πίστις Χριστοῦ as ‘faith in Christ’ or ‘faithfulness of Christ’ remains an unsettled one. After discussing theological and exegetical arguments for and against the two positions, this study explores Paul’s use of Scripture, primarily Psalms and Habakkuk in Romans 1:17, 3:1–19, and 4:6–8, which may be informative on how the apostle intended πίστις Χριστοῦ to be understood by his auditors in 3:21–26. Although the study concludes that the objective genitive reading of πίστις Χριστοῦ makes better sense of the evidence, it also suggests a trajectory from Christ’s faithfulness, to faith in the gospel message about Christ, to confession of Christ as Lord at baptism, as a robust way of understanding the term.