How rich is this expression "From faith to faith". When Paul uses these words, he is thinking not just of the personal development of faith in you and me, but of faith's development among all the peoples of earth down through the ages. This "historical perspective" may sound boring, and you might be tempted to skip it, but it's more interesting and relevant than you might imagine. You and I need this historical perspective to understand and develop our own personal faith better.

Importance of the Historical Aspect

Look again at what Paul said to the Christians in Rome:-

"I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek, for in it the righteousness of God is revealed, from faith to faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith'" (Rom 1:15-17).

Note the expression "from faith to faith" linked to the idea of, "the Jew first, and also to the Greek". By the way, the term "Greek" here is used as a synonym for "Gentile" and refers not only to the Greeks but to all non-Jews.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul is thinking about how the veiled faith of one nation in a past age, develops into the revealed faith for all nations today. There are two strands of thought here. One is how the faith focussed in one nation is now a world-wide faith. Let's call this strand "the faith extended". The second is how the faith that was once veiled in mystery has now been revealed clearly through Jesus Christ. Let's call this strand "the faith comprehended".

The faith extended

FAITH FOR ALL PEOPLE

A faith focussed in one nation has become a faith far and wide. We say "focussed" rather than "confined" because faith, and justification by faith, were always available to all people, not just those within the lineage of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob-Israel. When Paul said, "...to the Jew first and also to the Greek" (Rom 1:16) he did not imply that previously only the Jew could be justified by faith. God has always accepted both Jew and Gentile.

One of the great themes of Paul's letter to the Romans, is the place of the Gentile in God's scheme of things down through the ages. Paul understood that salvation is "for everyone who believes". That is because "There is no partiality with God" (Rom 2:11). Paul adds that Jew and Gentile alike are "all under sin" (Rom 3:9). As Paul saw it, God's wrath and God's salvation were universal (Rom 2:9-10). The opportunity of faith was always meant to be extended to all human beings.

The patriarchs of old had real faith, even though they had the gospel only in the form of promises whose fulfillment was still a long way off. Nevertheless the future was real to the patriarchs, albeit dimly perceived. It was real because God's promises made it so. In a parallel manner, we believe the second coming of Christ is real, although it is at present only a promise and has yet to actually happen. The patriarchs' faith in Christ saved them as much as our faith in Christ saves us. It was as true of them as it is of us that, when the right time came, "God presented [his Son] as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood... to be the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus" (Rom 3:21-26).

When quoting one Old Testament passage about salvation by faith, Paul related it to the birth of Christ, that is, his coming down from heaven to dwell among men (Rom 10:6). This reminds us that angels proclaimed Christ's birth with the benediction, "Peace on earth, goodwill to mankind". They did not confine it to "Peace in Israel, goodwill to Jews" (Lke 2:14). We also recall that "Wise men came from the east... to worship him" (Matt 2:1-2). People from distant lands were aware of the promises and prophecies, and in faith were watching for signs of the coming Christ.

God's word was known to the Gentiles, but generally speaking they suppressed and perverted the truth which God made known to them (Rom 1:18-19). God was always willing to accept anyone who had faith in Christ (Rom 3:28-30).

The principle has always been true that the real Jew is the person who is a Jew inwardly, regardless of lineage or fleshly circumcision (Rom 2:26-29). The circumcision that counts is that of the heart (namely faith in Christ) and not that of the flesh. Paul could have used the argument that godly women were accepted without fleshly circumcision, but he used an even more cogent argument: Abraham himself was justified by faith while he was uncircumcised. Those who develop in themselves the faith which Abraham had while uncircumcised, are the true Jews. The gospel makes Abraham's faith a paradigm for the wide world to follow (Rom 4:9-12). Paul laboured to spread that faith to the Gentiles (Rom 1:5).

As a Moabite, Ruth was without Jewish lineage. As a woman, she was without circumcision. Yet lacking both, she was welcomed in Bethlehem and welcomed by God, because she did not lack faith. Remember that, in the fulness of time, Ruth's descendant would be born, Jesus the Christ. For if Christ was the son of David (Rom 1:3) then he was also the son of Ruth the Gentile (great) grandmother of David (Ruth 4:13,21-22).

When Paul told the Ephesians that they had been "excluded from the commonwealth of Israel", he certainly did not imply that God had excluded them as Gentiles. Rather, they had excluded themselves as sinners who lacked faith in Christ (Eph 2:12).

Paul does not deny that Israel had a special place in God's scheme of things. He alludes to that twice (Rom 3:1-2 and 9:4-5). But there is a great difference between having a special place, and having an exclusive place. The Jews never had an exclusive right to justification by faith. Their place was only relative.

In the broad view, faith in Christ has always been a faith for the wide world, "for the Jew first and also for the Greek". From the historical perspective, we would expect to observe the faith being extended, no longer focussed in one nation but becoming a truly worldwide faith.

The faith comprehended

FAITH FULLY REVEALED

Now consider the development from a faith veiled in mystery, to a faith enlightened by the revelation of Christ.

The faith which Paul was spreading was not a different faith to the ancient faith. Paul understood, however, that the old faith had undergone development in its character. Paul uses the terms "mystery" and "secret" to describe the character of the faith of the patriarchs, and the terms "revelation" and "manifested" to characterise the modern faith (Rom 16:25-26).

Of course, these terms must be regarded as relative. Paul quotes the scripture, "Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness" (Rom 4:3). If we asked Paul what Abraham believed, Paul would not say, "Nothing at all". That would not make sense.

Abraham and the other patriarchs did believe in something quite clear and concrete, namely "the promises" (Rom 15:8). Obviously a promise might contain elements of mystery, but the thing promised cannot be kept absolutely secret, else it is no promise at all.

There were two basic promises, the land promise (Eph 17:8) and the seed promise (Eph 22:18). These promises were definite things to believe in. At the same time, there was much in these promises, especially the seed promise, that was left unexplained, secret and mysterious. The patriarchs had to be satisfied in the conviction that when the promises were fulfilled, all would become clear, and of course that was what happened.

So when Paul uses the expression "from faith to faith" he thinks not only of a faith further extended, but also further comprehended. His gospel proclaims the fulfillment and further revelation of the seed promise in which the fathers believed. The things that were mysterious to them are now made manifest to us.

Thus, in historical perspective, we see the development of "the faith comprehended". Faith in Christ has developed from the patriarchal faith veiled and mysterious, to the faith of today fully revealed and manifested.

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