The Relationship of Jewish and Gentile Believers to the Law Between A.D. 30 and 70 in the Scripture

183 between the usages in Galatians and those concerning Abraham in Romans. In Romans 4: 12 Paul discusses not "faith placed in Abraham" (objective genitive) but "the faith of Abraham" (subjective genitive, Tfjc; nfcrn:wc; ToO naTpoc; ~µwv' A~paaµ ) which is a model for believers. Four verses later Paul speaks of those who have the faith of Abraham with the phrase, EK nfcrn:wc;' A~paaµ (those who are "of the faith of Abraham") which is identical to the phrase in question in Galatians 2: 16 and 3:22, EK nfcrTEwc; XptcrToO (that we may be justified "by the faith of Christ"). Thus precedent can be found in pauline literature for understanding the phrase and combinations of the phrase as a subjective genitive. One possible reason why some are reluctant to understand the phrase as a subjective genitive is because it seems to threaten the reformation truth of justification by the act of believing in Christ. It is also taught that the more ambiguous phrase in 2: 16, 'f va CLKatw0wµEv EK n(crTEwc; XpLcrToO (in order that we may be justified by "the faith of Christ" I "our faith in Christ") should be interpreted by the clear phrase ~µEtc; de; XpLcrTov'IricroOv fmcrTEucraµEv (we have believed in Christ). 11 3 In this way, however, Paul ' s statement in both 2 :16 and in 3:22 becomes tautological, "we have believed in Christ Jesus in order that we might be justified by believing in Christ" (2: 16) and " that the promise by believing in Christ might be given to those who believe" (3 :22). 114 If however the subjective genitive reading i adopted no " reformation truth" is lost since in both verses Paul clearly empha ize the place of the human act of believing, with the aorist fm crTEucra µEv followed by the obje t d e; 113 Der en . XpLcrToCriricrou i gen . obj ., wa im Zu ammenhang dur h d lm crT ucraµ v le; p1crTov' IricroO in v . 16b und on t <lurch Mk 11 :2 , ol : 1 . , Th 2 13 icherge tellt wird , " chli r , alater, 92-93 . f . al o R nald K. . ung, The Epi tle to the alatwn in The New International ommentary on the ew Te tament, d. . F. Bru ( r nd R pid · erdma , 1 88) , 114- 15 . 11 h1 ar um nt 1 u ti th ugh n t d finiti u H k r p int ut, "P ul i er e tl pa le of u ing r dund nt phr nc; pLcrTou,"