Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

  • Apple
  • Android
  • Windows Phone
  • Android

To get the free app, enter your email address or mobile phone number.
Download to your computer
Kindle Cloud Reader

The Faith of Jesus Christ: The Narrative Substructure of Galatians 3:1-4:11 (The Biblical Resource Series) 2nd Edition

by
Richard B. Hays (Author)
› Visit Amazon's Richard B. Hays Page
Find all the books, read about the author, and more.
See search results for this author
Are you an author? Learn about Author Central
Richard B. Hays (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars 11 customer reviews
ISBN-13: 978-0802849571
ISBN-10: 0802849571
Why is ISBN important?
ISBN
This bar-code number lets you verify that you're getting exactly the right version or edition of a book. The 13-digit and 10-digit formats both work.
Scan an ISBN with your phone
Use the Amazon App to scan ISBNs and compare prices.
Sell yours for a Gift Card
We'll buy it for $2.33
Learn More
Trade in now
Have one to sell? Sell on Amazon

Sorry, there was a problem.

There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Please try again.

Sorry, there was a problem.

List unavailable.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest
Buy new
$26.22
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.
Want it Tuesday, April 12? Order within and choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
List Price: $30.50 Save: $4.28 (14%)
32 New from $16.01
FREE Shipping.
Qty:1
The Faith of Jesus Christ... has been added to your Cart
Ship to:
Select a shipping address:
To see addresses, please
or
Please enter a valid US zip code.
or
More Buying Choices
32 New from $16.01 27 Used from $15.36
59 used & new from $15.36
See All Buying Options
Free Two-Day Shipping for College Students with Amazon Student Free%20Two-Day%20Shipping%20for%20College%20Students%20with%20Amazon%20Student

Big Ideas Simply Explained
The Shakespeare Book
The Movie Book
The Literature Book

Frequently Bought Together

  • The Faith of Jesus Christ: The Narrative Substructure of Galatians 3:1-4:11 (The Biblical Resource Series)
  • +
  • Faith of Jesus Christ, The: Exegetical, Biblical, and Theological Studies
Total price: $51.22
Buy the selected items together
If you buy a new print edition of this book (or purchased one in the past), you can buy the Kindle edition for only $2.99 (Save 88%). Print edition purchase must be sold by Amazon. Learn more.

Product Details

  • Series: Biblical Resource (Book 56)
  • Paperback: 308 pages
  • Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; 2 edition (2002)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0802849571
  • ISBN-13: 978-0802849571
  • Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 0.8 x 9.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #413,214 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsWorth several readings
By Mark Horne on April 19, 2003
Format: Paperback
Richard Hays argues that Paul is telling or appealing to a story in his argument with the Galatians--the story of the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. There are many things of interest and value in this work. I will simply mention the provacative thesis that, many times, when our English Bibles translate "faith in Jesus Christ," Hays argues that Paul is actually referring to "the faith of Jesus Christ." Christ's own trust in God and his faithful obedience to the point of death on the cross is the crux of our salvation from the curse.
I still haven't decided if I'm sure Hays is right. As I have noted, the book is worth several readings. But for those looking for something meaty in New Testament theology, hermeneutics and/or literary theory, I think this should be at the top of your list.
Comment 39 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Report abuse
5.0 out of 5 starsSaved by faith in Christ or of Christ
By Douglas VanderMeulen on June 19, 2004
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
This is a highly technical work and you must have some knowledge of New Testament Greek to maximize its benefit. This is a work that all pastors, and laymen who work with the Greek text should interact. Hays makes a very cogent argument for certain passages normally translated "faith in Christ" to be the "faith or faithfullness of Christ" that is to say the "Subjective Gentive instead of the traditional "Objective Genitive." This position is not new and does have growing support by many serious Biblical language scholars. Agree or disagree with the author's conclusion, this is the type of exegetical issues that every Bible exeget should at least be conversant. The text will give you important data and exegetical information for drawing an infomred conclusion. The text is easy to follow. This second addition has a new introduction and two appedixes, one by Dr. James Dunn (Romans in Word Bible Commentary) who argues against Hays' thesis, followed by a response by Hays. These three additions are worth the price of the book. If Hays is correct, nothing of the cardinal doctrines of Christianity change, but how we might approach the teaching of Romans and Galatians will. For example, there would be a greater emphasis on preaching both the active and passive obedience of Christ, the federal headship of Christ and a defense against turning faith into a justifying work like Jacob Arminius tried to do.
1 Comment 36 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Report abuse
5.0 out of 5 starsBrilliant! A Possible Solution to a Troubling Dilemma
By Robert P. Odle on November 11, 2005
Format: Paperback
Richard B. Hays argues that the passage in Galatians (2:16) translated into English as, "... a [human being] is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ ..." can be, and should be, translated differently.

Hays argues that the passage should be translated as it is literally given in the original koine Greek: "... a [human being] is not justified by the works of the law but through [the] faith OF Jesus Christ ..."

Of course, such a translation all but destroys the popular Protestant doctrine of "justification by faith only." The emphasis of most evangelicals is that it is OUR faith that saves us and that no "work" we perform can, in any way, contribute to our salvation.

Reasoning from this conclusion most of Protestantism has jettisoned water baptism as having any role to play in a person's salvation whatsoever. The fellowship through which I came to the Lord as a teenager, however, teaches that a person must be baptized in water to be saved. This has always confused me.

For years I have listened to the wrangling and agreed (secretly) that baptism could be considered a "work" if understood as a human work. On the other hand, if a human being is saved by "faith only" then I have never been able to understand why water baptism has played such a large role in Christian conversion through the centuries. What is the purpose of water baptism if a human being is saved by faith only?

Hays, if he is correct, solves the dilemma. His argument helps me see why water baptism has been the central initiation rite within Christianity from its inception.

If we are going to be consistent in our translation of the verse then the faith Paul is describing is as much "of Christ" as the works Paul is describing are "of the law.Read more ›
4 Comments 42 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Report abuse
5.0 out of 5 starsJesus' Dogged Loyalty
By Michael Simone on December 3, 2009
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
Don't be put off if you don't know Greek, German, French or Hebrew! You can read Appendix 2 in this book and get the gist of the argument!

English is less ambiguous about the difference between the `objective genitive' and the `subjective genitive.' For instance, in English the difference between `my faith in Jesus Christ' and `Jesus Christ's faithfulness to me' is clear. But in Greek, the same words, (pistis jesou christou) can mean either. (In English we call the genitive case the `possessive' case.)

`Pistos' is the Greek word for faith (nominative case). This word has a deep sense of loyalty, fidelity and dogged persistence. (The young General Josephus, just before the destruction of Jerusalem, was trying to convince a young Jewish zealot to give up his hot-headed resistance to Rome, he said to him, `εἰ μέλλοι μετανοήσειν καὶ πιστὸς ἐμοὶ γενήσεσθαι.' You might recognize this as `repent and believe in me,' the same words we find in the gospel. He means: `give up your old agenda and give me your loyalty.')

So when the Greek genitive is used of `faith' and `Christ' or `Jesus' or `Christ Jesus,' it can mean, `my loyalty (faithfulness) to Jesus,' or `Jesus loyalty (faithfulness) to me.

The burden of Hays argument is that many of these `pistis (jesou) christou' references in their various forms make much more sense of Galatians when they refer to the faithfulness of Jesus Christ and not our loyalty to him.

When I was young I memorized Gal 2:20: `I have been crucified with Christ; it is not longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by FAITH IN THE SON OF GOD who loved me and gave himself for me.Read more ›
Comment 8 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Report abuse

Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsa perfect faith, s faith that is a gift

The reviewer who praised the subjective genitive as supportive of water baptism by which he is placed into Christ raises my eyebrows. Read more

Published 10 months ago by Nathanael Layne
5.0 out of 5 starsEarly English translations had "faith of Christ."

Just a side comment related to the issue of the "faith in Christ" vs. "faith (or faithfulness) of Christ" debate prompted by this important book by Dr. Hays. Read more

Published 12 months ago by T. Diebold
5.0 out of 5 starsFaith in or Faith OF Jesus Christ

This volume addresses the question of whether Pistis Christou means "Faith in.." or "Faith of..." Jesus Christ. Read more

Published on February 27, 2013 by C. Larsen
5.0 out of 5 starsScholarly work

Not for the everyday Christian. Highly technical. Difficult to read without steep background. However a very important issue that should be understood since it makes a difference... Read more

Published on January 13, 2013 by leslie10
5.0 out of 5 starsThe Faith of/in Jesus

I have just read the second edition of Hays' materful work on Gal 3.1-4.11, having read the first edition years ago. Read more

Published on May 27, 2011 by Patrick R. Novak
1.0 out of 5 starsFaith OF equals salvation ONLY to the elect of God!

Why does it take some huge envolved thesis to understand that it is the faith OF Jesus Christ that is in view. Read more

Published on March 25, 2010 by Dougie Quick
4.0 out of 5 starsChallenge to one's theology, challenge to one's life

Hays avers his work doesn't supplant other approaches to understanding but that it is "complementary. Read more

Published on November 7, 2005 by Dale H. Robinson

Set up an Amazon Giveaway

The Faith of Jesus Christ: The Narrative Substructure of Galatians 3:1-4:11 (The Biblical Resource Series)
Amazon Giveaway allows you to run promotional giveaways in order to create buzz, reward your audience, and attract new followers and customers. Learn more
This item: The Faith of Jesus Christ: The Narrative Substructure of Galatians 3:1-4:11 (The Biblical Resource Series)
Set up a giveaway

There's a problem loading this menu right now.

Learn more about Amazon Prime.



Pages with Related Products. See and discover other items: bibles