Apostle Paul by Udo Schnelle

Author:Udo Schnelle [Udo Schnelle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: REL006040, REL006100, Paul—the Apostle—Saint, Christian saints—Turkey—Tarsus—Biography, Bible. N.T. Epistles of Paul—Theology
ISBN: 9781441242006
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2012-11-15T16:00:00+00:00

19.4 Faith as the New Qualification of the Self

By faith the person enters the realm of God’s love for the world; faith is a new qualification of the self. The foundation and possibility of faith are given in God’s saving initiative in Jesus Christ.

Faith as Gift

Faith does not rest on human decision but is a gift of God’s grace.[101] This was already true for Abraham: “For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace [Διὰ τοῦτο ἐκ πίστεως, ἵνα κατὰ χάριν] and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us . . .)” (Rom. 4:16). The basic structure of the Pauline concept of faith is clearly revealed in Phil. 1:29: “For he has graciously granted you the privilege [ὅτι ὑµῖν ἐχαρίσθη] not only of believing in Christ [οὐ µόνον τὸ εἰς αὐτὸν πιστεύειν], but of suffering for him as well.” Faith is numbered among the fruits of the Spirit (cf. 1 Cor. 12:9; Gal. 5:22), for “no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:3b).[102] Faith, like love, cannot be commanded, but only received, experienced, and lived out. Faith opens up a new relationship to God, a relationship human beings can only gratefully receive. The gift character of πίστις/πιστεύω (faith/believe) also determines the close relationship between faith and preaching in Paul’s thought. Faith is ignited by the gospel, the power of God (Rom. 1:16). It pleased God, “through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe” (1 Cor. 1:21). Early on, the word was spread about the apostle: “The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy” (Gal. 1:23). According to Rom. 10:8, Paul preaches the “word of faith” (τὸ ῥῆµα τῆς πίστεως). Faith grows out of preaching, which in turn goes back to the word from/about Christ (Rom. 10:17, “So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ”). Thus Christ himself in active in the word of preaching; “the hearing of faith” takes place in the preaching of the gospel (Gal. 3:2, 5, ἡ ἀκοὴ πίστεως; NRSV, “believing what you heard”). In 1 Cor. 15:11b Paul concludes his basic instruction with the words “so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.” It is not the rhetorical arts of the preacher or the enthusiastic human “yes” in response that leads to faith but the Spirit and power of God (cf. 1 Cor. 2:4–5). The Spirit mediates the gift of faith and at the same time gives its content a characteristic stamp, thus giving unity to the church. Spirit and faith are related in Paul’s thought as cause and effect inasmuch as the Spirit opens the door to faith and the believer then leads his or her life in the power of the Spirit.

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