Two Models of Faith and the Law in Paul and the Western Diaspora

Abstract This article explores two distinct models of faith: the Jewish concept of emunah and the Greek concept of pistis as used by Saint Paul. It examines the theological, legal, and political implications of the shift from emunah to pistis during the nascent phase of Christianity within the Western diaspora. The transition from emunah to pistis has profound implications. It redefines the relationship between humanity, the divine and the law. The law ceases to be the path to salvation; indeed, the end of the law is what allows faith to be the access to salvation. Politically, the spread of Christianity within the diaspora introduced a new dimension to religious and social identity. The use of Greek and the concept of pistis helped Paul communicate the Christian message to a broader Hellenistic audience, facilitating the spread of Christianity as a universal faith, but it left an essential ambiguity regarding the very terms of Faith and Lordship. This ambiguity characterizes the relationship between Faith and Law in much of Western thought. This article seeks to analyse the layers of this original ambiguity as a characteristic of Western legal and political thought. It concludes that this ambiguity in the terms of Faith and Lordship has deeply influenced the development of Western doctrines, continuously shaping the interplay between Faith and Law throughout history.