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Faith -- Action or Belief?
Page 3
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This
time all the translators, except the New Jerusalem Bible translators,
correctly translated the Hebrew word as "faithfulness."
Interestingly, the NJB translators may have been more accurate in
their translation of the first part of the verse -- " May Yahweh
reward each as each has been ____."
In the other translations it is difficult to determine whether it
is "the LORD's faithfulness" or "the man's
faithfulness" to which the Source is making reference.
Habakkuk
2:4
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| KJV |
WEB |
DRA |
ASV |
NIV |
NJB |
| Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not
upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. |
Behold, his soul {which} is lifted up, is not
upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. |
Behold, he that is unbelieving, his soul shall
not be right in himself: but the just shall live in his faith. |
Behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright
in him; but the righteous shall live by his faith. |
"See, he is puffed up; his desires are not
upright-- but the righteous will live by his faith. |
'You see, anyone whose heart is not upright will
succumb, but the upright will live through faithfulness.' |
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This time only one translation reflects the Hebrew meaning of the word
-- the New Jerusalem Bible. This
verse is of particular importance because of its use in Christian
theology. However, it is
not the verse from Habakkuk with which most Christians are familiar.
Instead it is Paul's use of it in Galatians 3:11.
Let's see how New Testament translators handled it there.
Galatians
3:11 |
| KJV |
WEB |
DRA |
ASV |
NIV |
NJB |
| But that no man is justified by the law in the
sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. |
But
that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, {is} evident:
for, The just shall live by faith.
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But
that in the law no man is justified with God, it is manifest: because
the just man liveth by faith.
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Now that no man is justified by the law before
God, is evident: for, The righteous shall live by faith. |
Clearly
no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous
will live by faith."
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Now it is obvious that nobody is reckoned as
upright in God's sight by the Law, since the upright will live through faith. |
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Notice that this time even the translators of the New Jerusalem Bible
changed their translation from "faithfulness" (behavior) to
"faith" (mental assent).
This is a significant change because it completely destroys the
original Source's meaning of faithfulness -- an action. Was
Paul teaching the members of the new Jesus Movement that the most
important thing was for them to have the "correct behavior" or the "correct
beliefs?" Let's back
up a few verses in Galatians and see if it will help.
Galatians
2:16
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| KJV |
WEB |
DRA |
ASV |
NIV |
NJB |
| 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. |
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 may 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. |
But knowing that man is not justified by the
works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, we
also believe in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by the faith
of Christ and not by the works of the law: because by the works
of the law no flesh shall be justified. |
yet knowing that a man is not justified by the
works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even
we believed on Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in
Christ, and not by the works of the law: because by the works of the
law shall no flesh be justified. |
know that a man is not justified by observing the
law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put
our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in
Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no
one will be justified. |
have nevertheless learnt that someone is reckoned
as upright not by practicing the Law but by faith in Jesus
Christ; and we too came to believe in Christ Jesus so as to be reckoned
as upright by faith in Christ and not by practicing the
Law: since no human being can be found upright by keeping the Law. |
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This
time all the translators selected the same translation -
"faith." However, they were not as consistent when it came to another
very important word, the very next word -- should it be translated "of"
or "in." The
choice one makes can raises several questions.
Is a man justified by the "faith of Jesus" or "faith in
Jesus"? Would it be more accurate to translate this as "a man is justified
by the faithfulness of Jesus"?
or Is Paul saying that it was "what Jesus believed" that justifies man?
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