Justification: God\u2019s Plan & Paul\u2019s Vision<\/em> (IVP: 2009)<\/a> is N.T. Wright\u2019s attempt to explain once again his view on Paul\u2019s use of justification. He wrote it as a summary of his view, and as a response to critics (primarily John Piper) who seem to not understand what he is saying.<\/p>\nThe book is written with ironic humor and remarkable restraint, but the most amazing feature is the Biblical paradigm shift that Wright presents to his readers regarding justification. Though most of what Wright explains in this book he has written elsewhere, this book puts it all together in nice, orderly fashion, so that even if one does not agree with Wright, we can hope that they will now be able to critique his view with understanding.<\/p>\n
As for myself, I am not yet fully persuaded of Wright\u2019s view. His basic view is that justification is God\u2019s law-court declaration that a person is in right standing (so far, so good) with God\u2019s covenant. It\u2019s that covenant part that raises questions, particularly since Wright\u2019s definition of justification does away with the doctrine of imputed righteousness. Wright does not believe that through justification we receive the righteousness of Christ (p. 135).<\/p>\n
And yet, what Wright takes away with one hand, he gives back with another. Wright argues that issues related to deliverance from the penalty and power of sin in our lives come through resurrection, not through justification (pp. 231-235). This, however, though a major doctrine, is a minor point in Wright\u2019s book.<\/p>\n
His main concern is to show how his view of justification makes more sense of the Pauline passages that speak of it. And with this, he is more than a conqueror. If, for example, you\u2019ve ever struggled with what Romans 9-11 has to do with the rest of the letter, Wright\u2019s view makes these chapters not only fit within the flow of Paul\u2019s argument, but actually become the pinnacle and the climax of Romans. Wright\u2019s strength in this is due to his insistence on reading the biblical text, not with twenty-first century eyes and sixteenth-century questions, but with first-century eyes and first-century questions. This, it seems to me, is the best way to read and study Scripture, and Wright does an excellent job leading the way.<\/p>\n
If you want to understand some of the nuances to the current debate on justification, I recommend this book. If, however, you want to understand the thought flow of some of Paul\u2019s letters (like Galatians, Ephesians, and Romans), this book must not be ignored. Take it up, and read.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Justification: God\u2019s Plan & Paul\u2019s Vision (IVP: 2009) is N.T. Wright\u2019s attempt to explain once again his view on Paul\u2019s use of justification. He wrote it as a summary of his view, and as a response to critics (primarily John Piper) who seem to not understand what he is saying. The book is written with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[13,39],"class_list":{"0":"post-784","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"tag-books-im-reading","7":"tag-theology-salvation","8":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\n
Justification: God's Plan and Paul's Vision<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n