Rest and Reflect

New Perspective(s) on Paul March 1, 2009

Here’s a very brief summary of NT Wright and the New Perspective on Paul: http://www.hornes.org/theologia/travis-tamerius/n-t-wright-evangelical-theology

Look at the following verses in Galatians:

Gal 3:29
“If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s heirs, inheriting the promise”

Gal 3:16
“The promise wasn’t made to ‘seeds’, as in Abraham’s many genetic descendants, but to one ‘seed’. That ‘seed’ is Christ.”

Gal 3:28
“So there isn’t: Jews and Greeks, bondservants and freemen, men and women, because all of you are one in Christ.”

Gal 3:7
“It’s those who have faith who are Abraham’s heirs.”

The theme in Galatians 3 is: you’re not saved by virtue of being Jewish (symbolised by “having the law/Torah/nomos”), but by virtue of being in Christ by faith. The argument really isn’t whether the law (moral or ceremonial) still stands or has been abolished. Instead the emphasis is on unity in Christ – not pointing out distinctions (e.g. circumcised vs not) which are not important in Christ.

Similarly, it’s not by virtue of being Sabbatarians, or commandment-keepers, or baptised Christians, or vegetarians, or Adventists that we are saved. Not by virtue of identifying with any group. But by “pistis” – our identity in Christ – our faith in Christ, our faithfulness to Christ, or the faithfulness of Christ, or Christ’s faithfulness towards us. All renderings of the Greek “pistis” are meaningful.

Bottom line: do we have a relationship with God?

It’s interesting how the “New Perspectives on Paul” are much more compatible with Adventist notions of law, grace, faith and works.