It’s by Faithfulness NOT by Faith
The question is generated by translators and the opinions of the "self-appointed" false usage of the word by Apostle Paul/Saul.
Paul/Saul in his letter to the Galatians - Gal. 3:11, says (in English): "But that no man is justified by Torah..."– This is the argument that Paul has been pursuing (upon which most of "Christianity" is now based). He then proceeds to develop and attempts to confirm this by various declarations in his Greek writings. Paul’s opinion is this: It is impossible that a man should be justified by keeping the Commandments because (he supposes) God has appointed another way of salvation by quoting Hab.2:4. There is no other evidence but the one verse in Hab. 2:4, that he provides for what is his own conjecture. He reasons there cannot be two ways of obtaining life (its either Torah or faith). Paul reasons God must have appointed “faith” as the new requirement on which to obtain life. By his assumption Paul has precluded the possibility of obtaining salvation by any other means except by his conjectured “faith” opinion. By this Paul has also trashed the entire Hebrew Bible.
For “the just shall live by faith" – Here Paul is again quoting from Hab. 2:4, (one of the most minor of all the Hebrew Prophets) in Rom 1:17, and in Heb. 10:38. However, we must recognize that the word “faith” used in these passages comes only by way of “English” translators. The sense here is that life appears to be promised to man only in connection with his faith. But, the word faith in these passages is NOT used by Paul. Paul uses the Septuagint Greek translated word “pisteos[1] ” which actually means “persuasion.” The word comes from the Greek root word “peitho” meaning - to convince by argument, true or false. This word is re-translated as faith in many English NT Bibles, but the word faith is NOT a correct definition for the Greek word pisteos.
According to Paul’s understanding of Hab. 2:4, he reasons, it is not by the keeping of the commandments that leads to life. The condition of life he believes comes by ‘persuasion” (he used the Greek word), not the word faith. Will the only one “persuaded” by Paul have eternal life? No. This idea of Paul is based only on Paul’s conjecture since he provides no other Scriptural supporting evidence. Life he believes is promised and exists only in connection with his so-called persuasion, and that the just or righteous man obtains "life" only in this way. He is convinced life cannot be obtained by the observance of the commandments; therefore, it must be by this other scheme. The question we must ask, is, how does one obtain faith or become persuaded as Paul says, since faith defined, is simply to believe in the statement of another with trust or confidence but without evidence or proof of any kind. Being persuaded by someone in someone or in something is not faith is it?
Paul’s opinion of “persuasion” is directly opposed to the teachings of Yahshua (aka Jesus) the Hebrew Prophet. We must remember that Paul never had the opportunity to directly learn from Yahshua and did not even physically meet him. This is unfortunate, for much of Christianity took to believing the error of Paul’s Greek translation of Hab. 2:4 (read more below). Christians continue to ignore the clear teachings of the prophet Yahshua Messiah (Jesus) and the writings from other Apostles obviously not available to Paul.
A Summary of Eternal Life from Yahshua (Jesus) in the Greek New Testament:
Mat 19:16 And, behold, coming near, one said to Him (Yahshua, Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?
Mat 19:17 And He (Yahshua) said to him, why do you call me good? No one is good except One, YHWH! But if you desire to enter into life, keep the commandments.
Yahshua is clearly providing an answer in Mathew to a very specific question. According to Yahshua, entering into "life" requires the keeping of the commandments. In other words, it must be faithfulness and holding firm; to be resolved by one's actions that lead to justification, not just "blind faith” or Paul’s “persuasion.” Yahshua did not quote from Hab. 2:4, or give an opinion similar to Paul's, that the requirement for life is “a persuasion" or to be convinced by argument, something that may be true, or may be false.
Paul’s quote "the Just shall live by faith" is supposed to be a quote from Hab. 2:4. Yet, in light of what Yahshua is quoted to have said, who is really correct? Is Paul correct, that obtaining life requires only persuasion or conviction by someone, or is Yahshua Messiah correct, that obtaining life requires "faithfulness" firmness or a resolve by one's action, like keeping the Covenant, i.e. the10 Commandments?
The American Heritage of the English language definition of faith:
Faith 1. "Confidence, belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or a thing. 2. Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence.”
As we can see with the definition, faith is confidence or trustworthiness, but disregards any logical proof or material evidence. (In theology, the term “faith” is often used to “sidestep” the absence of logic, or evidence).
Since Paul is attempted to quote a passage from Hab. 2:4 from the Hebrew Bible, we will use the actual Hebrew definition of the word translated as “faith” to see if his understanding is actually valid or correct.
Some correct translations of Habakkuk, 2:4:
“See, he whose being is not upright in him is puffed up. But the righteous one lives by his steadfastness.” (The Scriptures translation) See footnote [2]
“See how he flags [he is distended] he whose soul is not at rights, but the upright man will live by his faithfulness.”(The Jerusalem Bible)
Strong’s Concordance of the Hebrew Bible defines the word translated as Faith:
The Hebrew word in Habakkuk, 2:4, translated “Faith” in many English Bibles is the word “A-MW-NH.”
A-MW-NH is the feminine of Strong’s H529; literally it means firmness; figuratively security; moral fidelity: - faith (-ful, -ly, -ness, [man]), set office, stability, steady, truly, truth, verily." As can be readily seen, the "literal" root meaning of the Hebrew word is "firmness" not “faith.” Figuratively it is "security" and used with morality it is "fidelity."As used in the KJV, the word is translated as "faith (-ful, -ly, -ness, [man]), set office, stability, steady, truly, truth, verily". (This is quite a mixed bag of wrong choices isn’t it)?
Paul in his writings changed the Hebrew word “firmness” into a Greek word “pistieos” meaning “persuasion” because Paul used the Septuagint (a Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible) that used the word “pistieos” instead of the correct Hebrew Word “A-MW-NH,” (I guess Paul did not have the Hebrew Bible available to him). English translators then changed Paul’s Greek word “pistieos” (persuasion) into the word “faith.”
Since this all important word Faith has several meanings in the KJV beyond that of just “simple belief that does not rest on logic or evidence” we will need to do a deeper study into the Hebrew word – A-MW-NH.
According to the Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible, pg 170-171, the "action definition" of the Hebrew word root (A-MW-NH) where translated in English as “faith” actually means "Firmness" in Hebrew. The pictograph (Ancient Hebrew letters in picture form) shows a picture of water or liquid such as "blood" together with a picture of a seed representing "continuance." Combined these symbols mean "blood - continues." In general terms, it means that each species (its kind) continues by passing its blood (genealogy) to the following generation which comes from the parents. It conveys the idea of strength (or firmness) that comes through the continuance of the bloodline by the faithfulness of the parents.
To be "firm" is to remain steadfast, solid, and faithful, requiring resolve. Faith on the other hand, is simply trusting in something or someone. Faith is the belief that what someone has told you is correct, when in fact it may or may not be correct. In Christianity the word faith is often used loosely without much thought. Is it even possible to have faith without first having had some logical proof or material evidence? To believe that what you read in this document is true without any further study would be having "faith in us." If you study to come to the conclusion that what is presented in this document is correct, then you would be faithful.
It soon becomes very clear that the English word "faith" is used by translators to develop much of Paul’s theology, but it is completely deceptive, or just plain by error. The correct Hebrew word A-MW-NH has the meaning of being firm or having firmness, - like representing family continuance through the steadfastness (and the resolve) of the parents. Therefore it includes passing on Scriptural truth, and teaching the young the all-important 10 commandments; passing on all the knowledge learned by the parents from Scripture. In other words, it is all of "faithfulness, faithfully, truth, stability, steady, truly, steadfastness and resolve." It demands "firm" action by passing the resolve on "through the family line" as well as maintaining a pure genealogy so that the following generation can in turn also continue in "steadfastness and resolve" and also remain faithful. The simple "blind faith" held or claimed by any individual cannot be passed on since it is only a personal conviction. Faith dies with the individual, but firmness, action, steadfastness and resolve, required by faithfulness is a trait that can, and must be passed on to the children, so they will not depart from it.
Paul has mistranslated Habakkuk, 2:4; by using "a secondary Greek source" rather than relying on the foundational Hebrew Bible a mistake, or likely because the Hebrew scrolls were not available to him forcing him to rely on faulty memory. But, because of it, he has built his entire Christian doctrine on justification by “persuasion” instead of the Hebrew meaning “firmness or faithfulness.” English translators use the word faith. This puts “faith” falsely in Paul’s words, when in fact Yahshua taught that Yahweh requires "faithfulness."
So, who do you believe is correct? Is it "blind faith" as in the opinion of the translators; persuasion by the self appointed Apostle Paul/Saul from which one receives life, or is it "faithfulness or steadfastness" as taught by the prophet Yahshua Messiah from which one inherits life? We choose the opinion of Yahshua.
Mat. 7:21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22. Many will tell me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many mighty works?’ 22. Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.’
Note: If your Bible translation uses the substitute word “faith” instead of “firmness, steadfastness, or faithfulness” in the passage of Habakkuk. 2:4, your translation is faulty or deceptive. Please replace your translation, and find another that translates Habakkuk, and the word “faith” correctly in English Bibles.
Some English Bible Passages that need correction:
Ha. 2:4 “Behold, the soul of him is
puffed up and is not upright; but the
just shall live by his faith faithfulness."
(Rom.
1:17) ………,
"But the just shall live by faith faithfulness."
(Hab. 2:4)
(Gal.
3:11) ……….…,"The
just shall live by faith faithfulness." (Hab. 2:4)
By one simple mistake by the Pharisee Paul all of Christianity has become a deceptive religion.
Note: Although the English word “faith” is used some 244 times in the Greek New Testament, the actual Greek word is “pisteos” (Strong’s number G4102) which actually means “persuasion.” Pisteos comes from the Greek root word “peitho” meaning - to convince by argument, true or false. The word never means Faith.
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[1] Pisteos, Greek - Strong’s 4102; from “peitho” Greek - Strong’s 3982; persuasion, i.e. credence; - a primary verb; to convince (by argument, true or false).
[2] The maximum, of universal application is found in Isaiah 3; 10-11, and sums up the concept of “faithfulness” to Yahweh, to his word and to His will.