(pp. 257-258) Cut to the quickest of the quick, then, the issue that divides the "Lutheran" Paul from his contemporary critics is whether "justification by faith, not by works of the law" means "sinners find God's approval by grace, through faith, not by anything they do," or whether its thrust is that "Gentiles are included in the people of God by faith without the bother of becoming Jews." In the one case justification is directly connected to the Pauline gospel summed up in the words "Christ died for our sins" (1 Cor. 15:3) and "Be reconciled to God" (2 Cor. 5:20). It promises deliverance from sin. In the other case the good news of justification is found in the best-of-both-worlds scenario that it paints for Gentiles: "You people want to become Jews, but you are afraid of the knife. Have I got an offer for you!" It promises deliverance from a good deal of hassle. For readers whose attention has (understandably) lapsed but who want to know what is essential,...the former is the position of the "Lutheran" Paul and the latter isn't.
9 comments:
Snake bite? Ouch.
which foot?
It looks like his left. Check out the blue toe and incredible swelling. It looks like the hematoxin from a pit viper.
The photo deals with the issue of having a leg to stand on.
That guy's leg is really big.
PCH
JZ, your dad just signed his new book for me at the Advent. He signed it "Sister Sledge"!! With a martini glass beneath!
I am not a monster!!
He's not going to have much of a leg to stand on anymore if he doesn't go to the doctor and get some antivenin.
It'll be stumpville.
Nice try, David, but no banana. Not a snakebite. Note the change in pigmentation of the affected lower leg and the ashy scale on the surface. This is chronic edema. The clothing suggests that the man is African, and he has a condition called “elephantiasis.” It is caused by a variety of diseases which block the drainage of lymphatic fluid, and it can be much more impressive than this. Medical texts love to show elephantiasis of the scrotum, for instance.
This man’s elephantiasis is probably from lymphatic filariasis due to Wuchereria bancrofti, a roundworm transmitted by mosquitoes. The infection, itself, can be easily treated by Ivermectin, but any elephantiasis which may have developed before treatment is permanent.
So what?
I believe that the soil for the working of the Holy Spirit is much more fertile in places where the contingency of human life and health are obvious from daily observation. The death rate in the U.S. and Africa are the same (100%), but carpe diem is so much easier when illness can be hidden away and disguised. Is it any wonder that Americans seem to lead the world in hubris? Is it any wonder that Americans and Europeans have tamed Aslan in their hearts? Our spiritual disease is no worse than anyone else’s. Our symptoms are just more silent, and we think we can treat ourselves.
Solus Christus,
Lou
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