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  • From: "John Brand" <jbrand AT gvsd.mb.ca>
  • To: corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Corpus-Paul] Galatians 2:16: Exploring the Relationship between Faith and Works
  • Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2004 12:51:00 -0500

Greetings Corpus Paulinum listers. I am new to this list. I am interested in exploring Paul's view of the relationship between Faith and Works which has often been posited to be at odds with other NT writers and with the Patristic Era.

Paul's use of the exceptive clause in Galatians 2:16 is an intriguing window into the whole matter of the relationship between the human and the divine aspects of Soteriology in general and Pauline Soteriology in particular.

If an analysis of similar syntactical situations of the NT is attempted, the results will demonstrate that the particles EAN MH are translated in the exceptive sense everywhere else in the NT except for Galatians 2:16. Translators out of a desire to bring the english sense into line with Pauline theology, prefer the contrastive sense so that a man is justified through faith and not by works. I am interested in exploring the possibilities of the exceptive sense: 'a man is not being justified by works of the law except through faith in of Jesus Christ.'

I have found it important to include an analysis of the various tense and mood of DIKAIOW in the analysis since Paul uses this verb in the aorist, the perfect, the present, and the future in his writings. Insight can be gained from a similar use of various tenses for DIKAIOW in the Patristic Clement's 'Epistle to the Corinthians.'

Currently, my working hypothesis related to a rationale behind Paul's use of EAN MH rather than ALLA in this statement relies heavily upon the attitude toward justification that I see in the Patristic Era. I will offer a short summary and brief explanation of this for the benefit of those who would be interested in exploring this matter: IMO Paul has the process of sanctification in view in Galatians rather than the initial forgiveness of sins that are past. The Galatians were losing sight of their obligation in the process due to their reliance upon the ritual of the Judaizers rather than their own piety in terms of the fruit viz a vis evidence of the Spirit at work within them. This evident resistance of the Holy Spirit meant that they were attempting to 'be made perfect' by sarx which was impossible since no sarx could ever justify (read global) a man.

By way of explanation:  It appears that there is a good deal of continuity among the Greek Fathers on their being no notional distinction between justification as an act of forgiveness for sins that are past and the process which came to be referred to as sanctification after the Reformation. However, the application of the concept does appear to have a past, a present and a future aspect. Thus, Abraham is justified by faith rather than by his works (Epistle to the Corinthians 2:13f). But because the Corinthian church had become factious in contrast to the fruits of love that had characterized it in time past (see Chapters 1-2), there can be no expectation of a justification at the final judgment (Chapter 35). Judging by the meaning of the present tense in other contexts and with other verbs, both Lot and Rahab (Chapter 11-12) appear to be used as illustrations of those who were successfully submissive to the process of justification that would correspond to our view of sanctification viz a vis God at work in us as we cooperate with his will (i.e. Philippians 2:12-13).

It should be noted that there is some correspondence in the view of justification as a process with a definite end in view and the Augustinian view of justification except that for the Greek Fathers the warnings to the flock indicate that the will of man is able to resist or aid the divine will in the mater of our being released from the power of darkness whereas for Augustine the process requires submission to the sacrament rather than careful attention to ethics.

John Brand
Manitoba, Canada
B.A. (Bib Stu, Providence College, Manitoba, 1980); MMin (Providence Seminary, 1991).




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