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To go on unto perfection was to reach one's goal or aim, and is explained by the
language of Phil. 3: 12: "That I may apprehend that for which I also am apprehended of
Christ Jesus."
In Gal. 3: 3 `perfected' is placed in antithesis with `begin'. Faith is `perfected' by
the works that accompany it; they bring faith to its legitimate `end'. So the love of God
can be perfected' (I John 2: 5; 4: 12, 17, 18).
His strength can be "perfected"
(II Cor. 12: 9), and even holiness can be `perfected' or brought to its logical and practical
conclusion (II Cor. 7: 1, see II Cor. 6: 14-18). So Paul desired that he might `finish'
(same word) his course (Acts 20: 24). In chapter 1: James speaks more of this
`perfecting'.
"Let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting
nothing" (James 1: 4).
In chapter 2: 14 of his epistle, James asks, "Can that faith save him?" and follows by
the illustration of verses 15 and 16. Three times James says `faith without works is
dead', and with this Paul would agree. The initial act of justification is `by faith, without
works'. God justifies the `ungodly' (Rom. 4: 5) whose `works' would but the more
condemn him. But after the ungodly has been `declared righteous', continuance in sin,
unfruitful living, mere lip service, is no more tolerated by Paul than by James. If we
distinguish between `the ground' of our justification as taught by Paul, and the
`perfecting' of faith by our subsequent works as taught by James, we have a balanced
presentation of a blessed truth.
Three great epistles of Paul, namely, Romans, Galatians and Hebrews, make reference
to Hab. 2: 4, "The just shall live by his faith". A text that appealed so powerfully to the
Apostle must be given careful attention by all who would attain to any understanding of
that apostle's teaching.
First, we must observe the slight variation from the original that we find in the
Septuagint Version and in the epistles.
"Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him; but the just by his faith shall
live" (Hebrew).
"If any man draw back, my soul hath no pleasure in him; but the just by My faith
shall live" (LXX).
"As it is written, The just by faith shall live" (Rom. 1: 17).
"For the just by faith shall live" (Gal. 3: 11).
"Now the just by faith shall live; but if any man draw back, My soul shall have no
pleasure in him" (Heb. 10: 38).
(NOTE--The order of the original wording is followed in all these references.)
It is evident that the translators of the Septuagint Version understood the words "His
faith", which in the Hebrew they found to refer to God, as meaning "His faithfulness".
This meaning of pistis has been dealt with in the previous article.