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Marxsen is entirely correct that the statement, "God has raised Jesus from the dead," is a "consequence" of lived faith (as well as, naturally, of its "prehistory"). But the assertion made by means of this statement, even as by any other christological statement of any type whatever, is properly said to be, not merely a "consequence," but a necessary presupposition or implication of lived faith, but for the truth of which lived faith itself would be groundless. In this sense, the assertion made by means of the statement, far from being a mere "consequence," is rightly said to belong to the foundation of lived faith – -- specifically, its "dogmatic or doctrinal foundation."

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On the other hand, this is in no way to deny the possible validity of the statement that "God has raised Jesus from the dead," or of any other christological or theological statement – -- whether the adoptionist christological statements also to be found in the traditions redacted in the New Testament writings or even the mariological statements finally defined by the modern Roman Catholic Church as dogmas of faith. Any christological or theological statement can be valid insofar as it is understood as one of the ways or means of making the assertion(s) that alone belong to the "dogmatic or doctrinal foundation of faith."

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