Sinclair Ferguson says a number of fine things in his piece for Tabletalk. Here is one: “Justification cannot be abstracted from Christ as if it were a ‘thing’ apart from or added to Him. Chrhist Himself is our justification. We cannot have justification without Christ! Nor can we have Christ without justification!” But I have …
Diligent Oyster Avoidance
The next article consists of J.V. Fesko tackling the “works of the law” in Paul as N.T. Wright construes them, which is to say, as boundary markers. The works of the law for Wright are not the moral good works “which the Reformation tradition loves to hate.” For Wright, the identity markers were things like …
Carpet Bombing Theology
The next article in Tabletalk is by Cornelis Venema, and is entitled “A Future Justification Based on Works?” In it he tackles Wright’s emphasis upon a future justification on the basis of works. Venema’s point is that Wright “radically compromises the scriptural teaching that justification is not based upon works or human performance.” Venema adds …
Introspective Weird Beards in the Monasteries
Al Mohler’s contribution to this edition of Tabletalk, an article entitled “Rethinking the Gospel?” is simply superb. And let me tell you why. First, he acknowledges Wright’s gifts. He is “brilliant, creative, provocative, and fascinating.” He also acknowledges that, as a matter of emphasis, Wright has some real contributions to make when it comes to …
Damned for Being Underfoot?
Just ran across this, and it seems to me to be N.T. Wright’s central mistake, one that generates a host of lesser mistakes. “We have got over the old idea that law-keeping was an early form of Pelagianism, by which Pharisees and others sought to earn their justification or salvation by moral effort” (N.T. Wright, …
Doing Good and Doing Well
Here is a fine response to N.T. Wright’s most recent book on justification that I commend to you.
Plucking At Your Sleeve
There is a view afoot, I am afraid, that holds that when Paul says law he is always referring to the Torah. The works of the law, therefore, are those works that maintain the covenant boundary markers, which were given by grace. The works of the law understood in this way are part of the …
Well Done
I have commented before on N.T. Wright’s need to be more forthright in his statements about the homosexual issue that is tearing, and now has torn, the Anglican communion apart. I was glad to see this statement from him. One could always quibble (I don’t want to involve Islam as a model for sexual ethics), …
Kinder, Gentler Principalities and Powers
Craig Blomberg has a post here, reviewing N.T. Wright’s book-length response to John Piper’s book. Justin Taylor has some good comments on the related issue of active obedience here. And now I have some comments, with no link necessary, because as it turns out, you are already where you need to be. Just scroll down. …
tom, bishop of durham
In his discussion of the last part of Romans, Wright returns to his great theme. The gospel is all about the vindication of God’s righteousness in that the Messiah finally came, as promised, and fulfilled God’s-plan-for-the-world-through Israel. That’s Wright’s drum, and I have to say that he is consistent in how he lays down the …