Re: Mark 11:22 God's faith or faith in God?

From: Jim Lindemann (jlindem@canuck.com)
Date: Thu Feb 20 1997 - 08:56:36 EST


>From: Jonathan Robie <jwrobie@mindspring.com>
>Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 08:49:32 -0500
>Subject: Re: Mark 11:22 God's faith or faith in God?
>
>ILKVM@aol.com wrote:
>> Mark 11:22 has the phrase, "Have faith in God" -- K21. Other
>> translations read,"Have the faith of God. Those are the two most
>> common renderings. However, I have heard that the Greek should
>> really read, "Have the God kind of faith" or "Have the faith of
>> God".
>
>This is a frequent question. The Greek says ECETE PISTIN QEOU, and
>it is ambiguous enough to allow all the translations you have
>suggested. Only the context can help here, and I'm afraid that your
>own theological beliefs will probably influence your translation. To
>say that the Greek "should really read" one of these options isn't
>accurate, since the Greek allows all of these interpretations.
>
>Literally, the Greek is a lot like saying "have faith of God", which
>is pretty ambiguous in English or Greek. And the word PISTIS can
>mean either "faith" or "faithfulness", which gives us even more
>options.
>>>snip<<<<

Isn't this like "the love of God", where if I receive the love from
God, then I will have love for Him; and if I love Him, it is because
"He first loved us" -- my love is an echo or reflection (as in the
"image of God"?) of "God's love poured into my heart" -- that in the
person who is God's, then both MUST be operating, and to separate
them is more a matter of semantics rather than reality?

I guess here doctrinal position will influence interpretation,
because I understand the Bible as indicating that I cannot believe
unless the faith is given to me -- that He must be the Source of
everything, even my faith. So MY faith is only the product of the
faith poured into me.

Would it best be compared to a multi-faceted diamond which as it is
turned reveals more about itself, yet is the same diamond throughout?
Rather than "choosing THE correct translation" (which I realize
someone who *publishes* a translation must do -- but isn't the Greek
student given the opportunity toward a greater picture of the
text?), would it be more helpful to discover how each interpretation
builds up the passage, recognizing a certain intentionally built-in
flexibility/ambiguity of application?

What I have in mind is that the relationship with the Lord is not
"quantities" of "faith" but a dynamic flow back-and-forth: He trusts
ME (!), through Him I trust Him, He is faithful, in Him I am
faithful, etc. The passage then would be the urging to step inside
(or step further into) this flow: "Look at God's faithfulness, Look
at His faith in you, Hold on to Him,

Jim Lindemann
jlindem@canuck.com
Box 964 Pincher Creek Alberta CANADA T0K 1W0
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