Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Through the Faith of Jesus - New Passage - Philippians 3:9


Philippians 3:6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
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Romans 3:21-26King James Version (KJV)

21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
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GJ - This is a topic worth studying at great length. The modern translations seem to be universal in translating the clear, plain Greek as "faith in Christ."
But the genitive means the "faith that belongs to Christ." The house of the governor is the governor's house, so the faith of Christ is Christ's own faith. 
I believe that casts a different light on justification by faith, another nail (among hundreds) in the UOJ coffin.
Faith in Christ suggests "my faith in Christ," which is not bad or wrong, but through the faith of Christ emphasizes the human nature in Christ and all He did to redeem us from sin and Satan. The UOJists rave about "faithians" not being "Christians" but Luther identified himself as a "solafideist" virtually the same thing. Too bad he did not study under David Scaer and other Enthusiasts at Ft. Wayne, where they have improved upon Holy Writ and clarified everything via the Great Prophet CFW Walther. 

Sola-fideist!

I am thinking out loud about this, so I welcome emails about your insights or refutations. I posted the graphic below, which I always liked, and it quotes Luther's Galatians Commentary on the same phrasing.