Gorman: "Cruciform Faith" (II)

The faith of Christ is the model of our faith. The faith of Christ, rather than the law or “works of the law,” is the basis and instrument of justification and righteousness. The faith of Christ is manifested in his death, his act of self-giving obedience to God and self-giving love for humanity. The faith (or faithfulness) of Christ is the manifestation of the faithfulness of God, as God takes the initiative to fulfill the covenant with Israel and extend it, as promised to the Gentiles. Christ’s faith must be shared by those who would be justified.

Seven times in Paul’s letters he writes he pistis [Iesou] Christou. This Greek phrase has traditionally been rendered “faith in Christ,” but it can also equally be rendered “faith of Christ.” The occurrences are Galatians 2.16 (twice), 2.20, 3.22; Romans 3.22, 26; and Philippians 3.9. By going from “faith in Christ” to “faith of Christ,” lots of neat theological packaging becomes more than disturbed. Since no one likes spit-and-polished theologies being messed with, the proposals from most New Testament scholars to “make the jump” has been met with fierce resistance. If such a rereading forces theologians to imagine afresh their theology, why do it at all? Because, Gorman says, it makes more sense of the text.

“Faith of Christ” rather than “faith in Christ” expresses a natural translation of the Greek phrase, it makes God (rather than God and Christ) the consistent object of faith for Paul, and it’s parallel in form and content to “the faith OF Abraham” in Romans 4.12, 16. Additionally, this interpretation makes coherent sense: it makes the most fundamental basis of salvation Christocentric rather than anthropocentric (“Christ’s faith” rather than “our faith.”). This interpretation also grounds the inseparability of love and faith in the one faithful and loving act of Christ on the cross. Construing every case of pistis Christou as the fidelity of Jesus removes unwanted awkwardness from Paul’s statement and clarifies the key point: the role of Christ in salvation. (Gorman notes that there are two exceptions to this “rule” in the Pauline letters, one in Galatians 2.16 and the other in Philippians 1.29; these texts involve the use of “believe into,” faith effecting a transfer of allegiance and social location—into Christ—rather than focusing on the object of faith).

Is the Christian faith nullified in this view? Not at all! Paul stresses the need for human faith over and over. Human faith is necessary, and it must match Christ’s faith in God. Romans 3.21-26, one of the most complicated of Pauline passages, makes more sense in this light: God’s means of justification isn’t the Law but the faith of Christ. The faith of Christ is manifested in his death, which effects justification, redemption, and atonement. The righteousness that comes through the faith of Christ comes ultimately from God; the faithful act of Jesus is also the demonstration of the faithfulness of God. The faithfulness of God demonstrated in the faith of Jesus must be met by the human response of faith to be effective. Although justification is not by means of the law but by means of Jesus’ faith met by human faith, the law and prophets bear witness to this odd means of justification. Implicitly, this justification by means of God’s faithfulness, revealed in the faith of Jesus, is available to all people, apart from their relationship to the “works of the law.”

God has solved the problem of human unrighteousness—and of Israel’s faithlessness—by putting forward as a sacrifice the one perfect human being, Jesus. Though others rebelled and refused to give glory to God, Jesus remained faithful. Romans 3.21-26 highlights the faithfulness of God revealed in the faithfulness of Christ, which is meant to engender human faith leading to justification. The odd phrase in Romans 1.17 (“from faith toward faith”) makes sense in this light: the righteousness of God (his covenant fidelity) is revealed in the faithful death of Jesus and for the purpose of evoking a response of covenant faithfulness from both Jews and Gentiles. The gospel proclaims that God’s righteousness both originates in fidelity and engenders fidelity. The accent is placed on the faithfulness of God revealed in the faithfulness of Jesus.

In Philippians 3.8-9, Paul notes that his “life goal” is to be conformed to the death of Christ in order to be raised with him, and he invites the Philippians to imitate him—and others who live like him—rather than those who live as “enemies of the cross.” What marked Christ in the hymn in Philippians 2.6-11 was his obedience, his faithfulness to God, and it is this obedience to God—not keeping human laws or ethnic boundary markers—that is the basis of justification. Christ’s faithfulness to God, climaxing in the cross, is the prototype of humanity’s appropriate, dynamic, narrative posture before God.

Gorman defines the faith of Christ as his “narrative posture” of faithfulness, or obedience toward God, the right ordering of his “fundamental option,” which led him to, and was particularly manifested in, the cross. The “faith of Christ” is, fundamentally, trust, or LOYALTY, to God. The phrase “faith of Christ,” found through the New Testament, is a summary allusion to Christ’s proper posture before God. In Christ’s death, Christ is faithful to God, and God is faithful to Christ. Christ’s faith is the prototype of humanity’s proper dynamic, narrative posture before God, the heart of faith.

In Philippians 2, Christ’s death by crucifixion was a voluntary act of obedience, the culmination of a human life lived as the servant of God. Obedience as God’s servant was Christ’s life-stance before God, his “narrative posture.” In Romans 5, we see that Christ is the anti-type to Adam, who was disobedient to God’s command, and who may well have sought to exploit for his selfish gain being made in God’s image. Here, Paul contrasts the affects of humanity of the one representative “trespass” and act of “disobedience” of Adam with the affects of the one representative act of “grace,” “righteousness,” and “obedience” of Jesus. Christ’s one act of obedience was cosmic in scope and power; by means of Christ’s death, death’s reign has ended and life begins. Sin is no longer the norm for those who receive the grace effected by his death; the righteousness of Christ leads to the righteousness of many. Implicitly, the obedience of one leads to the obedience of many. The gift of Christ’s obedient death restores believing humanity to a proper relationship with God (in a word, justification) whereby those who respond in faith are enabled to become righteous and obey with the power of the Spirit. Thus Christ’s obedience permits and enables OUR obedience.

Those who wish to benefit from God’s grace must “have” or “share in” the faith of Jesus. God justifies those who share Christ’s faith. The justified are “co-crucified” with Christ and continue to live “by the faith of the Son of God,” whose faithfulness to God expressed itself in self-giving love.