Faith in Christ: An Answer to the ΠΙΣΤΙΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ Debate

Abstract

Since the 1980s a major source of contention within New Testament scholarship has been the Πίστις Χριστοῦ debate. Paul teaches that our justification occurs ἐκ πίστεως Χριστοῦ (Ro 3:22,26; Ga 2:16,20; 3:22; Eph 3:12; Php 3:9) and so this debate concerns the interpretation of this Greek phrase. Does it refer, as traditionally understood, to faith in Christ, or, as has been more recently argued, to Christ’s own faithfulness unto death? This thesis demonstrates on semantic, grammatical, and exegetical grounds that the phrase should be understood in the traditional manner, as containing an objective genitive and denoting our faith in Christ.