“There follows from this a vital and liberating point, which I first met in the works of the great Anglican divine Richard Hooker, and for which I shall always be grateful. One is not justified by faith by believing in justification by faith. One is justified by faith by believing in Jesus” (What St. Paul Really Said, p. 159).
This is a glorious point, really, and is one of the reasons why those who differ with Wright on other important points should still be able to read him with profit. This is a point, incidentally, where Wright understands the gospel far better than John Robbins does.
Mr. Robbins is on my mind because I just finished reading “A Guide for the Perplexed” by him, in which he essays to provide a set of directions for people wanting to sort through the federal vision stuff. Robbins can crank out articles like this because he only deals with propositions, and the ninth commandment, being an imperative, is not a proposition. No sense carrying around all that heavy stuff that slows you down in making your connections.
A statement from Wright like the above will be met with howls of protest. And because I quoted it approvingly, it will no doubt be said that I think that belief in justification by faith alone is “not important” and so on. But of course belief in justification by faith alone is crucial, and anyone who cannot clearly define it, articulate it, and defend it from Scripture ought not to be ordained. But if anyone says that defining it, articulating it, and defending it is essential to salvation, he has in effect denied the doctrine itself in the name of defending it. What score must you get on the theology quiz, justification section, before the pearly gates swing open? And who grades the quizzes anyway?
St. Peter: “Halt! Who goes there?”
Me: “Me!”
St. Peter: “Why should I let you into this place?”
Me: “Because my answer to the next question will be perfect!”
(muttering to self. Hope I get this right.)
St. Peter: “Okay. Why should I let you into this place?”
Me: “Because I unequivocally affirm sola fide!”
St. Peter: “Sorry. I don’t know Latin.”
Me: “Huh. I would have thought . . . Because I unequivocally affirm faith alone!”
St. Peter: “Wrong.”
Me: “What do you mean wrong? I was told that was the stinking password. Did you change the codes on me?”
St. Peter (rolling his eyes): “There have been a lot of you guys recently. Well, here is the good news, at least as far as you are concerned. I am letting you in because your answers were wrong.”
And the gates opened. I didn’t even have to push.