Justification by N.T Wright
Wright N.T. Justification IVP Academic 2009.
After finally getting some time to read, I had the much anticipated experience of reading through Tom Wright's response to John Piper's critique of Wright's view on Justification. My reaction as I read the last page of the book was, "thanks Tom for your faithfulness, scholarship, insight, and care as a pastor and scholar, a true doctor of the church, in bringing, as you always do, a bigger picture to the issue of justification in Paul's letters."
Drawing on so much of his other work, Wright confirms once again [and yes you have been clear Tom] the Hebraic narratival background to Paul's theological point of view in relation to the appearance, life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. In particular, Wright points out repeatedly that to not read the Hebrew narrative [Genesis 15, Deuteronomy 30, Daniel 7 and 9, Isaiah 40ff] in the background of Paul's letters is to miss entirely what his intent is in the use of justification in building his arguments for the significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus. What one can appreciate is not only Wright's perspective on Paul, but also his perspective on the Gospels and the message inherent in them that gets a detailed explanation in the letter's of Paul.
Wright adamantly encourages us to see that justification and righteousness in Paul's writing is more than just [and Tom does not use this "just" lightly but with anticipation that as great as this is its part of something much greater] forgiveness of our sins so that we can get to heaven but God's cosmic plan for the rescue of His creation. Jesus is the Messiah of Old Testament narrative who fulfills God's plan-through-Israel-for-the-world. Solving the sin issue is part of this much larger goal of the Father. Having missed their calling as God's light to the nations, Israel has tried to wear Torah as their badge of belonging to God's people. Because of rebellion and disobedience [sin] Israel could not fulfill this belonging by its Torah observance [of which Wright points out is not keeping Torah perfectly but keeping Torah so as to qualify for membership in God's family]. By not fulfilling Torah they were also unable to be the light that shone God's purpose to the rest of humanity.
The sin issue of which many old perspective Reformed Scholars make as the primary issue, is solved by God the Father in the person of his Son who comes and is the true Israel - light to the nations - drawing humanity to the Father. Jesus' sacrifice provides forgiveness and justification [both present and future] so that both Israel and the other nations can now belong to God's family according to faith. This faith is encouraged and inspired in humanity by the Spirit working through declaration of the Good News to draw others to God. What was sin and death in the effort to keep Torah in order to belong [which by the way Wright points out was alienation both of Jew and Gentile given God's plan was to reach Gentiles through Jews]is now a "law of faith" as Paul puts it in Romans chapter eight, where the Spirit empowers humanity to fulfill Torah and belong to God's community.
Wright does not particularly fight for new perspective over old perspective but continually points out in the book examples in Paul's letters of how both old and new perspective theological implications come together in Paul [a clear example being Ephesians chapter two]. The focus is on covenant, which is affirmed through the verdict [lawcourt] of righteousness [covenant language, not moral merit language] based on Christology [the person of Jesus and His work] that produces a Soteriology that confirms the Eschatological Jewish hope renewed and expanded through the appearance of Jesus [and so Christology again]. This produces a robust and purposeful Eccliesology where the Spirit empowers the emerging new community of God's family to be the reconstituted Israel through whom God is reaching out as a light to the rest of humanity. The Eschatology also includes the recovery and renewal of the creation as well which is so clearly laid out by Paul in Romans chapter eight and Ephesians chapter two.
Wright points out what many have come to conclude: that the Reformers viewed Paul through their own personal experience of which they then read into Paul's letters and forged a paradigm that caused those who followed to see only what they saw. These blinders have been challenged over the years, not least by those in Jesus scholarship of the New Quest for Jesus where attention was returned to the Hebraic context of 1st century Palestine to make sense of the purpose of Jesus and his coming. This trickled through to Pauline studies as well and slowly began to challenge the reformed view of justification by faith alone as scholars used the Reformation slogan of semper reformanda [pg. 233] to look at Scripture with fresh eyes and let what the Spirit reveals to cause the reader to revisit theological constructs. Wright points out that this is not a "denying tradition" its place and importance in faith and practice but rather letting Scripture take an even more important role of evaluating our tradition as the Spirit allows us to grow in both our understanding and perspective.
For far too long, what Wright calls "some would-be Reformation theology" has been insufficiently trinitarian, creational and Israel-focused. [pg. 239] The creation of an "imputed righteousness" construct among old perspective scholars has diminished emphasis and focus in Paul's letters of the Spirit's role in helping humanity achieve a morality and obedience consistent with being in relationship with God. Anselm's soteriological construct of penal substitution behind the Reformers construction of their explanation of the significance of Christ's atonement has also, for far too long, been clouding our ability to see Paul for Paul. Wright also "rightly" [no pun intended] points out Augustine's shift from a relational based understanding of Trinity to a morally based foundation of relationship with God as another major shift that has affected and solidified the Reformed blinders to the greater construct Paul is sharing regarding God's goal for humanity.
In the style that is akin to his book The Climax of the Covenant, Wright takes a detailed journey once again through the pertinent passages in Paul that help to clarify what Paul is on about in regard to the significance of Christ and God's goal for the human race. Every student, pastor and scholar of Scripture must read this very important book that clarifies the perspective of Pauline theology that is both old and new and especially, as Wright puts it, the only way to read Paul so that all the jig-saw pieces come together in the puzzle of what Paul is communicating through his letters to his intended audience.
After finally getting some time to read, I had the much anticipated experience of reading through Tom Wright's response to John Piper's critique of Wright's view on Justification. My reaction as I read the last page of the book was, "thanks Tom for your faithfulness, scholarship, insight, and care as a pastor and scholar, a true doctor of the church, in bringing, as you always do, a bigger picture to the issue of justification in Paul's letters."
Drawing on so much of his other work, Wright confirms once again [and yes you have been clear Tom] the Hebraic narratival background to Paul's theological point of view in relation to the appearance, life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. In particular, Wright points out repeatedly that to not read the Hebrew narrative [Genesis 15, Deuteronomy 30, Daniel 7 and 9, Isaiah 40ff] in the background of Paul's letters is to miss entirely what his intent is in the use of justification in building his arguments for the significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus. What one can appreciate is not only Wright's perspective on Paul, but also his perspective on the Gospels and the message inherent in them that gets a detailed explanation in the letter's of Paul.
Wright adamantly encourages us to see that justification and righteousness in Paul's writing is more than just [and Tom does not use this "just" lightly but with anticipation that as great as this is its part of something much greater] forgiveness of our sins so that we can get to heaven but God's cosmic plan for the rescue of His creation. Jesus is the Messiah of Old Testament narrative who fulfills God's plan-through-Israel-for-the-world. Solving the sin issue is part of this much larger goal of the Father. Having missed their calling as God's light to the nations, Israel has tried to wear Torah as their badge of belonging to God's people. Because of rebellion and disobedience [sin] Israel could not fulfill this belonging by its Torah observance [of which Wright points out is not keeping Torah perfectly but keeping Torah so as to qualify for membership in God's family]. By not fulfilling Torah they were also unable to be the light that shone God's purpose to the rest of humanity.
The sin issue of which many old perspective Reformed Scholars make as the primary issue, is solved by God the Father in the person of his Son who comes and is the true Israel - light to the nations - drawing humanity to the Father. Jesus' sacrifice provides forgiveness and justification [both present and future] so that both Israel and the other nations can now belong to God's family according to faith. This faith is encouraged and inspired in humanity by the Spirit working through declaration of the Good News to draw others to God. What was sin and death in the effort to keep Torah in order to belong [which by the way Wright points out was alienation both of Jew and Gentile given God's plan was to reach Gentiles through Jews]is now a "law of faith" as Paul puts it in Romans chapter eight, where the Spirit empowers humanity to fulfill Torah and belong to God's community.
Wright does not particularly fight for new perspective over old perspective but continually points out in the book examples in Paul's letters of how both old and new perspective theological implications come together in Paul [a clear example being Ephesians chapter two]. The focus is on covenant, which is affirmed through the verdict [lawcourt] of righteousness [covenant language, not moral merit language] based on Christology [the person of Jesus and His work] that produces a Soteriology that confirms the Eschatological Jewish hope renewed and expanded through the appearance of Jesus [and so Christology again]. This produces a robust and purposeful Eccliesology where the Spirit empowers the emerging new community of God's family to be the reconstituted Israel through whom God is reaching out as a light to the rest of humanity. The Eschatology also includes the recovery and renewal of the creation as well which is so clearly laid out by Paul in Romans chapter eight and Ephesians chapter two.
Wright points out what many have come to conclude: that the Reformers viewed Paul through their own personal experience of which they then read into Paul's letters and forged a paradigm that caused those who followed to see only what they saw. These blinders have been challenged over the years, not least by those in Jesus scholarship of the New Quest for Jesus where attention was returned to the Hebraic context of 1st century Palestine to make sense of the purpose of Jesus and his coming. This trickled through to Pauline studies as well and slowly began to challenge the reformed view of justification by faith alone as scholars used the Reformation slogan of semper reformanda [pg. 233] to look at Scripture with fresh eyes and let what the Spirit reveals to cause the reader to revisit theological constructs. Wright points out that this is not a "denying tradition" its place and importance in faith and practice but rather letting Scripture take an even more important role of evaluating our tradition as the Spirit allows us to grow in both our understanding and perspective.
For far too long, what Wright calls "some would-be Reformation theology" has been insufficiently trinitarian, creational and Israel-focused. [pg. 239] The creation of an "imputed righteousness" construct among old perspective scholars has diminished emphasis and focus in Paul's letters of the Spirit's role in helping humanity achieve a morality and obedience consistent with being in relationship with God. Anselm's soteriological construct of penal substitution behind the Reformers construction of their explanation of the significance of Christ's atonement has also, for far too long, been clouding our ability to see Paul for Paul. Wright also "rightly" [no pun intended] points out Augustine's shift from a relational based understanding of Trinity to a morally based foundation of relationship with God as another major shift that has affected and solidified the Reformed blinders to the greater construct Paul is sharing regarding God's goal for humanity.
In the style that is akin to his book The Climax of the Covenant, Wright takes a detailed journey once again through the pertinent passages in Paul that help to clarify what Paul is on about in regard to the significance of Christ and God's goal for the human race. Every student, pastor and scholar of Scripture must read this very important book that clarifies the perspective of Pauline theology that is both old and new and especially, as Wright puts it, the only way to read Paul so that all the jig-saw pieces come together in the puzzle of what Paul is communicating through his letters to his intended audience.
posted by Luciano Lombardi at 1:39 PM
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