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N. T. Wright\u2019s views on Paul and justification will be misconstrued if they are examined outside the context of his views on Israel\u2019s history and Jesus\u2019 role in that history. That is, Wright\u2019s work is of a piece \u2013 his historical Jesus studies are essential to a proper understanding of his historical Paul studies. <\/p>\n
How does this work? Wright says that God called Israel into covenant as an answer to the problem of human sin. Abraham is the antidote to Adam, and through Abraham God intends to bring blessings to the nations by gathering a single worldwide family in Abraham\u2019s seed. Israel, however, proved as sinful as the nations; the problem is \u201cthe hidden Adam in the Jew,\u201d which is particularly evident in Israel\u2019s \u201cmeta-sin\u201d of boasting in her special place in God\u2019s purposes. <\/p>\n
As a result of Israel\u2019s fall and failure, Israel is sent into exile, and continues in that cursed condition until Jesus comes. Israel is also called as a representative of the nations, as a nation that bears the sins and uncleanness of the world, which is \u201cheaped up\u201d in Israel, in order finally to be removed in and by the Messiah. <\/p>\n
Jesus is the true Israel, who is faithful where Israel failed. Yet, Jesus suffers the curse of His people and participates in their fate. In His death, God\u2019s judgment against Israel\u2019s sin comes to a climax, as Jesus suffers the ultimate exile. His resurrection is, however, the end of exile, the \u201cexhaustion\u201d of the curse of the covenant. The Spirit\u2019s coming is the sign of a renewed covenant, and in this renewed condition Gentiles are welcomed along with Jews into the people of God. <\/p>\n
On this construction, Torah was never designed to be the means for fulfilling God\u2019s purposes for the nations. Torah sets up boundaries between Israel and the nations, and thus was never the ultimate order of God\u2019s people. Further, Torah in fact brought curse to Israel. Torah is thus subordinate to the promise of a universal people given to Abraham; the Torah that came hundreds of years after Abraham didn\u2019t cancel the promise, but was part of God\u2019s means for realizing the promise. With the climax of the covenant, God redefines His people, as already anticipated by OT prophecy and promise. No longer is the people of God identified by Jewish markers of circumcision and other works. Rather, God\u2019s people is marked out by the presence of faith, the firstfruits of the Spirit\u2019s work. <\/p>\n
Justification should be fit into this redemptive-historical framework. Justification is the event of God\u2019s vindication of His people; it is by faith because the ones to be vindicated are the ones who have faith in Jesus. Israel had long looked forward to the day of God\u2019s righteousness, the day on which God would condemn Israel\u2019s enemies and vindicate His people in a great law-court event. To be judged righteous means to be vindicated in this judgment. The question between Jews and Gentiles is what marks a person as a member of the people to be vindicated: Works of Torah, or faith in Jesus? Wright doesn\u2019t think that the boasting that Paul condemns is condemned because it is a striving for self-recognition; it is rather the national righteousness, the notion that Israel\u2019s vindication can be assured by doing the works of Torah. <\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
N. T. Wright\u2019s views on Paul and justification will be misconstrued if they are examined outside the context of his views on Israel\u2019s history and Jesus\u2019 role in that history. That is, Wright\u2019s work is of a piece \u2013 his historical Jesus studies are essential to a proper understanding of his historical Paul studies. How […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3021,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2922","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bible-nt-paul"],"yoast_head":"\n