Paul's Ethnic Discourse on “Faith”: Christ's Faithfulness and Gentile Access to the Judean God in Romans 3:21–5:1

Abstract

In this article I pursue two interrelated goals. First, and more narrowly, I argue that thein Rom 5:1 plausibly refers to Christ's(conventionally translated as “faith” or “faithfulness”) and not to theof Christ followers; and certainly not to theof Christ followers that is specifically “in Christ.” To my knowledge no modern commentator identifies thein Rom 5:1 as Christ's own. Several scholars suggest it in passing, and one presents a partial argument turning on several claims of coherence with his broader reading of Paul. I offer a more thorough case for the plausibility of this suggestion, especially by demonstrating how my reading of Rom 5:1 makes sense as an encapsulation of Paul's emphases in Rom 3:21–4:25.