IN THE FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST:
THE ACTUAL WORDS PAUL WROTE
ARE BASED UPON A CONTEXT

IN THE FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST:

THE ACTUAL WORDS PAUL WROTE

ARE BASED UPON A CONTEXT

JAN LILLEBY

 ​​​​ Checking the Greek​​ language​​ regarding Paul’s epistles, we find that he started his writings with a​​ setting of context,​​ with which he used in a sort of ‘short-hand manner’. Let me explain: Instead of writing​​ “In the faith in Jesus Christ” – he wrote “In Him”. Simply because the context had already established what ‘in Him’ meant: In the faith in Jesus Christ’. ​​​​ IMAGE: Fragment of the Colossians, in Greek.

But that is Greek. When translating this to English, or into Norwegian (my native language) we should not just have to settle for ‘In Him’. We should be able to read the FULL meaning of Paul’s words, such as mentioned above.​​ In the faith in Jesus Christ​​ – and not just ‘in Him’.

Just to display what this would do to our reading of Ephesians and Colossians, I have taken the liberty to insert this correct way of translation, by​​ red letters, so we can register for ourselves what effect/influence this might have on​​ us as believers.

As the Ephesians 1​​ quoted​​ below now have these inserts​​ shown, you actually will read this in the​​ correct manner of translation​​ – since we do not put as much weight upon contexts as we find in the Greek language.​​ In verse 15 Paul allowed himself to​​ repeat the context, as you will see.

Ephesians 1:1-23, NASB,​​ 

“1​​ Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and who​​ are​​ faithful​​ in​​ Christ​​ Jesus:​​ 

2​​ Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.​​ 

3​​ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places​​ in​​ the faith in​​ Christ,​​ 

4​​ just as He chose us​​ in​​ the faith in​​ Him​​ before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love​​ 

5​​ He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,​​ 

6​​ to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us​​ in the​​ faith​​ in the​​ Beloved.​​ 

7​​ In​​ the faith in​​ Him​​ we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace​​ 

8​​ which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight​​ 

9​​ He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed​​ in​​ the faith in​​ Him​​ 

10​​ with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things​​ in​​ the faith in​​ Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.​​ In​​ the faith in​​ Him​​ 

11​​ also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,​​ 

12​​ to the end that we who were the first to hope​​ in​​ the faith in​​ Christ​​ would be to the praise of His glory.​​ 

13​​ In​​ the faith in​​ Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation -having also believed, you were sealed​​ in​​ the faith in​​ Him​​ with the Holy Spirit of promise,​​ 

14​​ who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.​​ 

15​​ For this reason I too, having heard of​​ the​​ faith​​ in the​​ Lord​​ Jesus​​ which exists among you and your love for all the saints,​​ 

16​​ do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers;​​ 

17​​ that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.​​ 

18​​ I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,​​ 

19​​ and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might​​ 

20​​ which He brought about​​ in​​ the faith in​​ Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,​​ 

21​​ far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.​​ 

22​​ And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,​​ 

23​​ which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.​​ “

ONE ADDITIONAL EXAMPLE OF CONTEXT,

AS SEEN IN COLOSSIANS

Paul mentioned​​ his work of having spread the Gospel throughout the entire world – well, that is if we are to read this​​ only based on those words, leaving out the real CONTEXT.

Like shown above, with the first chapter of Ephesians, that we have to count in the over-ruling CONTEXT to get the full literal sentences, - so it is with Colossians also. In Ephesians 1, we find that the ruling context is OUR FAITH in Jesus Christ. But Paul did not write this full line, but only ‘in Him’, referring to OUR FAITH in Him.

But translating this just to be ‘in Him’ is a fault, regarding what Paul really wrote. To Paul, every time he wrote ‘in Him’ – he actually wrote – via the established context –​​ “In your faith in Him”.

Colossians 1:1-7, NASB,

“1​​ Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,​​ 

2​​ To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.​​ 

3​​ We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,​​ 

4​​ since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints;​​ 

5​​ because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel​​ 

6​​ which has​​ come​​ to you,​​ just​​ as in​​ all​​ the​​ world​​ also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth;​​ 

7​​ just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf”​​ 

It is proven by history itself, that Paul’s preaching had NOT arrived in the entire world. It is quite impossible that Paul had managed to fill the entire Globe (all the world, everywhere) with the Grace Gospel.

Thus he wrote of NOT the entire world, but the entire LAND or section of a land, to which he had made the Gospel known. Namely Asia Minor, the same as we today call Turkey.

Ephesus, Colossae, Hierapolis,​​ and​​ Laodicea​​ (neighbor city to Colossae), and other communities and towns were reached with Paul’s message of the Grace Gospel.

It all lays in the established context: he wrote to the Colossians knowing they were part of Asia Minor…which again, was ‘All the World’ in the minds of Paul and the believers in his time.

Here in Norway, it is proven that the Gospel of Christ did not arrive before around the year 820-850 CE! And that was the kind of ‘gospel’ which was​​ based upon the Catholic Church and their missionaries, for crying out loud.

So, it is evident that in Greek, context is very, very, important to notice so we can get the​​ correct translation​​ into our modern languages.

I hope this little article may be of help to​​ you in the faith in Jesus Christ!

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