744. Bultmann says in one place that ...

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Bultmann says in one place that, as Paul conceives it, faith is "faithfulness, holding fast to what God has graciously done and in grace demands." He goes on, then, to say: "Paul's concept of faith is the old concept of the Old Testament; it is constituted by the moments of obedience, faithfulness (= loyalty), trust that form an inner unity. And, to Paul's mind, this is not a new demand of God. It is God's old demand encountered in the law; for the law likewise demands obedience. The Jews' false understanding of the law was just that they used it as a means of establishing their own righteousness, of having their own boast before God. Therefore, the forgiveness that is offered in Christ is not at all surrendering God's demanding will in the law, but carrying it out: the acceptance of forgiveness occurs only in obedience. And as in the Old Testament 'ethics' is grounded as an ethics of obedience and loyalty in obediently receiving God's gracious act, so is it also with Paul" ("Urchristentum und Religionsgeschichte": 17).

17 February 2005