The Faithfulness of the Second Adam in Romans 3:21–26: A Response to Porter and Cirafesi

Abstract

This response to Stanley Porter and Wally Cirafesi's essay in this issue elaborates on a previously identified connection between Rom 3:23 and Rom 5:12–21 and its significance for interpreting πίστις Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. It expands on the presence of Adamic allusions in Rom 1–7, in order to suggest that Adam's obedience reasonably disambiguates πίστις Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Then, it argues that πίστις has the meaning potential of “faithfulness,” which further supports a possible association between Rom 3:21–26 and Rom 5:12–21. Finally, it concludes that Rom 3–4 is more coherent, both rhetorically and theologically, when πίστις Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ is read as a subjective reference to Jesus' own faithfulness.