JUSTIFIED BY THE FAITH OF CHRIST
Galatians 2:16
Morning Meditation 10/2/2012
“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”
Young's literal translation says in Galatians 2:16, "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."
I usually never quote another translation. But in this case, I want to make the point that not all previous translators take the liberty to change the received text because of human rationalism.
First, we believe in the verbal inspiration of the Scriptures. This means that we believe every WORD in the original text was God's Word and no one has ever been given liberty from God to change His Word.
Let me illustrate. Galatians 3:16 says, "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ." Notice Paul makes no small point of the difference between the singular and plural of the word “seed.” The seed is not talking to all the descendents of Abraham but to a particular seed, “which is Christ.”
The faith “of Christ” is in the Greek genitive which is the possessive case. It is the faith of Christ. Now there is a big difference between my believing in Christ and Christ believing for me. It is His faith that obtains my salvation. He had a perfect faith. It is faith completely apart from doubt that restores God to the life of man. There is/was no man on this earth who ever had a perfect faith in God. That is, until Jesus was born as the God-man.
Jesus did not only die to provide for man's redemption, He demonstrated perfect faith which allowed God to be God in His life. He has perfect faith before the Father for us. We therefore are saved by His faith. He is accepted by the Father because there was never a time when Jesus did not act immediately to say or do what the Father told Him to do.
The disciples believed in Jesus and was saved by that faith in Jesus. But even our Lord's disciples failed in the matter of faith. Matthew 8:26, "And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm." These disciples were saved but had a weak faith.
So Jesus did not only die for us but He believed God for us. He became a man, i.e., God incarnate in the flesh and made Himself available to say and do His Father's will perfectly. Jesus as a man lived by faith in His Father.
Our salvation depends on Christ as our Advocate and Mediator. Hebrews 7:25, "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."
Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith. Someone might say, “I fear that my faith is not strong enough to be saved.” I ask, “Do you believe in Jesus?” If your reply is “yes,” I will tell you that Jesus is your perfect faith before the Father. You are not saved by a perfect faith but by what faith you have. When you believe in Jesus, He immediately takes you with the faith you have, and becomes your perfect faith before the Father.
Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in (Greek eis meaning into or in) Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ (Christ is in the genetive, the same as our possessive case), and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
This is the reason that man must come to God through Christ. Only Christ can be his perfect faith before the Father. Man cannot believe God apart from Christ and ever hope to be justified. His faith will never be adequate.
The fact is that most Greek scholars take the genitive and call it an objective genitive. This is just a way of changing what belongs to Christ and exchanging it to our faith in Him. That is like saying, “It says of but it doesn't mean of, it means in.” That is taking liberties that God never gave a translator.
I agree with what Tozer said: “The scholar has a vitally important task to perform within a carefully prescribed precinct. His task is to guarantee the purity of the text, to get as close as possible to the Word as originally given. He may compare Scripture with Scripture until he has discovered the true meaning of the text. But right there his authority ends. He must never sit in judgment upon what is written .. . . After the meaning is discovered, that meaning judges him; never does he judge it.
May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.
