“The answer he gives to the opening question of [Romans] chapter 6 is an answer about status. Jesus' death and resurrection is the great Passover (I Corinthians 5:7), the moment when, and the means by which, we are set free from the slavery of sin once and for all. The challenge to the believer—indeed, on might almost say the challenge of learning to believe at all—is to 'reckon' that this is true, that one has indeed left behind the state of slavery, that one really has come now to stand on resurrection ground (Romans 6:6-11). All that the supposed doctrine of the 'imputed righteousness of Christ' has to offer is offered instead by Paul under this rubric, on these terms and within this covenantal framework.”—Justification, pages 232-233
<idle musing>
Can I hear an “Amen!” from you? It is so much simpler than we try to make it sometimes. We died and rose in Christ. As Colossians 3 says:
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Get that? We're dead, but raised, sitting with Christ—who is our life, mind you—on the right hand of God! If you can't get excited about that, then something must be wrong somewhere. That is the heart of the gospel; everything else is sundries.
</idle musing>
2 comments:
I'm really liking your blog - thanks for the interesting posts!
A quick thought on the NT Wright quote you cited. The debate over imputation is so much more detailed than Wright is making it out to be; in fact, friends of mine who are historical theologians (unlike me!) have noted that though Wright is a strong biblical scholar, he is very misinformed about the history of imputation as it was received in the Christian tradition even from the Reformation on. This misinformation has led him to caricature Luther and the Reformation Protestant Scholastics when using language like "righteousness being gassed over to the sinner."
While the language of being resurrected and seated with Christ (due to our union with him in his death, resurrection and glorification) is indeed wonderful and unspeakable good news, I'm not sure that his articulation of a final justification according to works gives much hope that this "seatedness" and "resurrectedness" can't be undone by Christian failure and sin. Unless there is a righteousness that believers possess that can never be shaken (the righteousness of Christ imputed to sinners by faith alone), such news of being seated with Christ eternally seems like only a possibility.
Anyway - you're the one actually reading Wright's book (I, unfortunately, haven't had the time to do so) so I don't want to sound like I'm commenting on imputation to you as though you are unaware of the debate. I just wanted to offer my thoughts (from an imputational standpoint) about why Wright's read of Paul doesn't inspire in me personally the kind of hope I think he would like it to.
Keep the great posts coming!
Andrew,
Thanks for the perspective. I would say that Wright doesn't overlook the imputational aspects, but that he feels that imputation has been made to do service where it was never intended. I tend to agree with him.
The impartational aspects of the Christian life have been overshadowed by the imputational aspects. Wright believes that there has to be transformation (by grace!) in order for the imputation to be real. I tend to agree with him there. Too much sin in "christians" has been glossed over because of an over-emphasis on imputation without the required transformation. That was the theme of the last book I was excerpting from, Inhabiting the Cruciform God
James
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