"If I were speaking today of love, which bears all things, I could perhaps say that the Joint Declaration (and its confusion of law and gospel) 'is being economical with the truth'." (Paulson, p. 104, from The Gospel of Justification in Christ)
"There's a position on this matter which one encounters among English-speaking exegetes. According to this view, the message of justification was limited to setting aside the Jewish 'identity markers' (e.g., cirmcumcision, Sabbath observance, etc.) for Gentile Christians, but it had no relevance to Jewish Christians. This view, I believe, founders on the fact that Paul speaks of the justification of the ungodly in the same context as he speaks of the justification of Abraham (Rom. 4:5). Furthermore, it would be difficult to grasp why, in Galatians and Romans, Paul, with his systematic interpretation of the Gospel as a message about the Cross that justifies sinners, had undoubtedly devoted so much attention to such a subject." (Jungel, p. xxxi-xxxii, Justification: The Heart of the Christian Faith)
p.s., Hooray! Simeon has arrived for Thanksgiving (see above for further details).
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3 comments:
John, we both hear a lot about ecumenism, putting aside old quarrels, unity while leaving a few strings untied, etc.
Somebody (Mark Twain?) once said "A hippoptamus is a race horse designed by committee." I think what we have in the Joint Declaration, the Finnish Lutherans, the New Perspective, and contemporary American evangelicalism in general is hippopotamus theology.
Everyone may be happy and huggy, but it ain't going to win the race.
Hey John,
Great little quote here. I think that what the New Perspective has helpfully accomplished is demonstrate the context in which the (still) valid and percing Pauline (and, later, Lutheran) insights have arisen, but these scholars have dropped the ball when it comes to the insights themselves. The fairly unbridled NP focus on context (which is in Sanders a somewhat narrow and incomplete view of 2nd Temple Judaism) eclipsed the ding an sich.
Eh, just a thought.
Love to the brothas,
Ethan
Love the hippo analogy, better yet is Steven Colbert's WORD on "Ecu-menace". If I could get Colbert to come to Dallas, I just might move out of the wilderness and in with the Romans.
OR the self-proclaimed Episcopalian Robin Williams...it is not "demonic", it is called "Making ADHD work for you".
I love your blog John!
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