God’s New Time Will Assuredly Come: Habakkuk 2.3–4 and the Origin of Eschatological Christ-faith (Πίστις Χριστοῦ) in Paul

Abstract

Adopting Benjamin Schliesser’s ‘third view’ of πίστις Χριστοῦ, according to which ‘Christ-faith’ refers to the Christ-event and the eschatological age of faith that breaks into history in Christ, this essay argues that Paul’s concept of Christ-faith originates from his reading of Hab. 2.3–4, in which he hears prophesied a new time in redemptive history. Three reasons suggest that this is Paul’s interpretation. First, this is the best interpretation of the Greek (and possibly Hebrew) text of Habakkuk. Second, it parallels the interpretation of Habakkuk in 1QpHab. Third, it makes the most sense of Paul’s argument in Galatians. Habakkuk envisioned a coming age in which, consequent upon God’s historical action, God’s people would find life ἐκ πίστεως. Paul believed that age had arrived in Christ. Habakkuk’s πίστις simply is πίστις Χριστοῦ. From Hab. 2.3–4, Paul has all he needs to refer metonymically to the new age as πίστις Χριστοῦ.