Are We Saved By The Faith Of Jesus, Do We Live By The Faith of Jesus? Part Three - Galatians 2:20

In Part One and Two, I stated there is a teaching gaining popularity in within the grace movement that says we are saved by the faith of Jesus and live by the faith of Jesus and not by our own faith.

This teaching comes from a misinterpretation and mistranslation by many translators of Romans 3:22 and Galatians 2:20.

In Part One, I examined Romans 3:22.

In Part Two, I begin to examine Galatians 2:20 and will conclude the study in this teaching.

Be sure to read Part One and Part Two so you will have a fuller understanding of this topic and my view of Romans 3:22 and Galatians 2:20.

So, does Galatians 2:20 really say that we live by the faith of Jesus?

Let’s look at the context.

Galatians 2:20 is not written to us.

Rather, Galatians 2:20 is part of the confrontation of Peter by Paul when Peter deserted grace for righteousness to depending upon the law for righteousness.

So, we must understand Galatians 2:20 based upon Paul’s confrontation of Peter in Galatians 2:11-21.

The historical context of these verses is that James sent specific men to Syrian Antioch – the church started in Acts 11 that Paul and Barnabas spent a year in teaching the truths of the gospel of grace.

James sent certain men to the church in Syrian Antioch to persuade Peter to return to the law for righteousness (Galatians 2:11-13).

This was after the Jerusalem meeting in Acts 15 where it was agreed upon that righteousness is by grace through faith in Jesus and not by following the law.

Also In Acts 15, it was agreed upon the Gentiles did not need to convert to Judaism first then place their faith in Jesus and follow the law for righteousness.

Sometimes after the Acts 15 agreement, it seems James backed away from the truth of righteousness by grace through faith apart from the law and sent certain men to Syrian Antioch to persuade Peter to reject the Gentiles and grace and return to the law of Moses for righteousness and for living (Galatians 2:11-21).

Peter surrendered to the pressure because he craved the acceptance of James and the other leaders in Jerusalem.

Consequently, Peter began instructing the Gentiles that they had to follow the law for righteousness (Galatians 2:14).

Peter’s influence was strong on the many of the Jews as well as Barnabas, who joined Peter in abandoning grace for righteousness and returning to the law for righteousness and for living (Galatians 2:13).

When Paul discovered that Peter had abandoned grace and returned to the law, Paul confronted Peter.

The words of this confrontation are quoted by Paul in Galatians 2:15-21.

In this confrontation, Paul tells Peter in verse 16 that justification comes through the faithfulness of Jesus.

Some translations say faith in Jesus or faith of Jesus in verse 16.

However, I believe the correct translation of “by the faithfulness of Jesus” is found in the International Standard Version and the NET Bible.

Even the NIV notes of Galatians 2:16 say that it can be translated as the faithfulness of Jesus.

It is vital to understand the point Paul is making to Peter in these verses.

Paul is telling Peter that it is not one’s faithfulness to the law of Moses or faithfulness to the leaders of the Jewish church in Jerusalem that makes a person righteous.

Rather, Paul tells Peter that righteousness comes through the faithfulness of Jesus (which we saw in Part One and Part Two) when he went to the cross.

This is Paul’s point in Galatians 2:19-21.

Peter had set aside grace for righteousness was now living according to the law for righteousness.

Paul tells Peter that he (Paul) died to the law so that he could live in relationship with God.

Paul then tells Peter that he (Paul) was crucified with Christ, where the law was also nailed.

Paul tells Peter that because he (Paul) was crucified with Jesus that he (Paul) no longer lives according to the law of Moses – the old testament of law.

Christ now lives in Paul.

The life Paul now lives is according to the faithfulness of Jesus who loved him and gave himself for him.

Paul is stating that he (Paul) does not live each day seeking righteousness through faithfulness to the law, but he lives each day assured of his righteousness because of the faithfulness of Jesus who loved him and gave himself for Paul.

Paul makes the point in Galatians 2:21 when he says to Peter,

“I [Paul] do not set aside the grace of God [as you did Peter], for if righteousness could be gained through the law [which you are trying to do Peter], Christ died for nothing [Jesus’ faithfulness in going to the cross and giving himself for our sins is useless]!”

In Galatians 2:21, Paul sums up his confrontation of Peter by stating the faithfulness of Jesus was his death on the cross for our sins and the offer of his righteousness for our salvation.

The faithfulness of Jesus in loving Paul and giving his life for Paul (and for us all) so that we could be righteous is called grace.

Peter, under pressure from the specific men James sent, had set aside grace.

Peter had set aside the faithfulness of Jesus’ death on the cross to for righteousness.

Peter had set aside the love of Jesus in giving himself for righteousness.

Thus, Peter returned to the law, seeking to secure his own righteousness through daily faithfulness to the law.

We must understand Galatians 2:20 in this context.

If not, it will be mistranslated, misinterpreted, and misapplied.

Galatians 2:20 is not saying a person is saved by the faith of Jesus.

That is not the context.

The context is that righteousness came through the faithfulness of Jesus who loved and gave himself for us when he died on the cross.

The appeal of scripture is to place our faith in Jesus for righteousness.

There is nowhere in the Bible to support that we are saved by the faith of Jesus.

Yet, the overwhelming appeal of Scripture is to believe, to have faith in Jesus for righteousness.

God has given us all the ability to believe…to have faith.

The question is, who will we have faith in for righteousness?

We will have faith in our own faithfulness to live according to a set of religious practices to become righteous, which no one can do?

Or will we have faith in the faithfulness of Jesus who loved us and gave himself for us to take upon himself our sinfulness and to freely offer us his righteousness?

Part Four: Is Jesus The Author and Perfecter Of Our Faith (Hebrews 12:1-4)?