Reflections on Justification, Part 3

~ Alex Poulos ~ 4 Comments

I’ve ruminated on Justification in two previous posts: here and here.

I took the scenic route in the last post, veering away from the topic of justification, going through my own development and growth.  I looked especially at eschatology: the study of the last things.  I discussed the now/not-yet tension we live in, and how understanding this has been tremendously helpful as I try to make sense of the New Testament.  Now, I’ll try to apply this to justification, mostly rehashing what Wright says in his book.

Justification has usually been understood in Protestantism as more or less synonymous with salvation.  It’s something which takes place when you place your faith in Christ’s death and resurrection.  At this time, God declares us innocent from the charges of sin which have been made against us on the basis of Christ’s sacrifice for us.  I’m not familiar with any “not-yet”  aspect of justification in traditional Protestant thought.

What Wright argues is that justification has two parts: one part happens in the present, more or less as I’ve described in the last paragraph.  (He takes issue with some of the specifics, mainly the Reformed notion of “imputation,” but leaves most of it intact)  However, this is not the complete picture.  Paul also speaks of a final justification in Romans 2, where those “by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he [God] will give eternal life” This “not-yet” justification will take place on the last day, and looks quite a bit like justification according to works.  How does this fit in with the justification by faith Paul discusses later in Romans?

As mentioned previously, justification occurs in two parts.  The first justification is by faith; this takes place in the present.  This justification takes place when we trust in Christ for our ultimate vindication.  When this happens, the Holy Spirit comes into our lives and empowers us to live lives in anticipation of the last day.  He empowers us to persist in doing good, to seek glory, honor, and immortality, and to not do the evil things which incur judgment.  Our justification by faith in the present anticipates the judgment on the final day; it is the “assurance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen” as the letter to the Hebrews states.

I haven’t worked out the details.  I’m not sure how the Holy Spirit’s work within us interacts with the work of Jesus on the cross (I’m thinking the latter enables the former). I’m not sure how this outline of justification affects the perseverance of the saints (can we, or can we not lose our salvation?).  I do, however, think that Wright offers a compelling view of justification.  It’s deeply rooted in scripture, and has helped me make much more sense of both my experience and the scriptures.  If you’re still curious, there’s plenty on his website to read, or you can just read the book.  It’s quite good :-)

~alex

The Bible in 90 Days: Reflections so far

~ Alex Poulos ~ 2 Comments

I’ve begun a plan recently that will take me through the entire Bible in 90 days.  I’m hoping it will give me a better sense of the broad Story of the Bible, especially in the Old Testament. It’s been challenging so far (I’m on day 18, in Judges), but I’m starting to see budding in my understanding and appreciation.  One thing that fascinates me is how these writings have defined a people for thousands of years: first the Jewish people and then the Christians as well.  Those who wrote the New Testament would have been immersed in these stories, probably having most of them memorized.  It was largely Israel’s story of enslavement, exodus, rise and fall which drove their thinking.

What strikes me most of all so far is how candid the stories are.  The authors, and in turn the Spirit guiding them, was not concerned with dressing things up, or glazing over the difficult parts.  We see the full falleness presented, both of the greatest heroes and the darkest villains.  You have Moses, on one hand parting the red sea and interceding between Yahweh and Israel, great things!  On the other hand, you have him getting so mad with this stubborn group of people that he finally hits a rock too hard, which incurs discipline from Yahweh.  Leadership is not without its challenges.  I’ve a feeling we should give them a little slack some times.

Then you have stories which are just funny.  How about Balaam?  A threatened king tries repeatedly to pay Balaam to curse the Israelites.  Balaam probably shouldn’t have even entertained the king’s request, (made evident by a talking she-ass) but he does.  Instead of pronouncing a curse, Balaam blesses the Israelites 3 times!  I’m sure the situation would have been quite grave, but several thousand years later it’s hard not to laugh ;-)

Summing up, I guess these writings are still quite foreign to me.  I don’t really understand the context in which these things happened, but they are becoming more familiar.  I’m hoping that familiarity will breed deeper appreciation, instead of contempt; so far we’re heading in the right direction :-)

~alex

Further Reflections on Justification

~ Alex Poulos ~ Leave a comment

The book discussed here is N.T. Wright’s Justification: God’s Plan and Paul’s Vision.

I’ve had this book finished for a little while now, trying to figure out what to say about it.  Frankly, I’ll need to read it at least once more to get the message Wright presents.  I followed the argument easily when he was discussing letters I was familiar with (especially Galatians).  However, I’m not nearly well versed enough in Romans to follow his argument there, and it’s on Romans that the thrust of his argument lies.  Once I do some in depth study of Romans, especially some memorization, this book will make much more sense to me.

My own thinking has grown a lot through reading Wright.  I grew up with a fairly typical baptist/pentecostal/protestant understanding of salvation.  I was taught that we were saved through believing in Jesus, and not by doing good deeds. This happened by saying a prayer where I confessed my sins and stated that I believed in Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross and in his resurrection.  In believing this, I was saved from the just penalty of sin, namely eternal suffering in hell.  Later on, I learned a bit more.  There was a difference between positional righteousness and actual/practical righteousness.  We were positionally righteous because the Father looks at us and sees Jesus living in us, yet we still had to struggle with our flesh.  I had a hard time understanding this issue.  Luther’s simul justus et peccator (at the same time righteous and sinful) didn’t make much sense to me.  I didn’t understand justification very well.  How do we reconcile the fact that we’re “new creations” (2 Cor 5:17) with the fact that Christians very clearly can still sin?  After justification was sanctification, the process of becoming more like God, more holy and righteous.  This wasn’t necessary for final salvation, but was expected by God (which also didn’t make much sense).  I didn’t have any real concept of glorification.

What has been most helpful as I waded through this theological milieu has been a firmer understanding of eschatology.  More specifically, it was understanding the now/not-yet tension of Christianity.  Eschatology is the study of the last things.  Basically, I came to see that all of these big theological words (justification, salvation, sanctification, glorification) all need to be understood with the now/not-yet tension with which they’re discussed in the New Testament.  For instance, sanctification is usually thought of as a process which follows justification, not an event.  We are continually formed into Christ’s image as we pray, serve others, read scripture, etc.  However, Paul writes to the Corinthians with these words: “To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy…”  Here sanctification is an event which had already happened.  We see the same tension with salvation.  In Ephesians 2:8, we have been saved by faith.  In Philippians 3:20-21 we are eagerly awaiting a savior from heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Romans tells us that those he justified, he also glorified.  The same verses in Philippians tell us that he will transform our lowly bodies and make them like his glorious one.

This brings us to what, in long terms, might be expressed as the eschatological tension of Christianity.  We live the uncomfortable tension between what God has done in Jesus (the dramatic defeat of sin and death and the inauguration of the New Creation),  and the final consummation (when God will finally be all in all, when he’ll wipe every tear from our eyes, and where sin and death will be judged finally and banished forever).  By faith, we eagerly wait and hope for that day.  This hope transforms how we live.  We still suffer in the flesh.  We long for the “putting of of our earthly tents” and for our “heavenly home” as Paul expresses in II Corinthians 5.  We feel the groanings of the present age.  We still see sin and death working hard around us, even in us.  However, as those who are presently seated with Christ in Heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6) we pray as Jesus taught us, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  We watch as God graciously gives us “down payments” on the age to come.  We see him transform lives, heal bodies, and restore communities.  We see him ease suffering, and do basically what Jesus did 2000 years ago in Palestine.

This post left its origins in justification and became much broader.  In a future post, I’ll bring it back to justification.  I’ll talk about how this eschatological tension affect the two justifications mentioned in Romans: the justification by faith and the justification according to works (Romans 2:6-11 and  Romans 3:28).

~alex

Good Works in Titus (Part Three)

~ Alex Poulos ~ Leave a comment

This post is the final installment of the series on Titus.  The previous two can be found here and here

The 3rd chapter of Titus continues the back and forth between doctrine and practice which characterizes all of this letter.  Verses 1-2 begin the chapter with several instructions concerning behavior.  We’re reminded to be, among other things, ready for every good work.  The last imperative, to show “all courtesy to all people” in verse 2 launches us into verse 3, “For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray…”  where Paul summarizes the life before Christ.  Following that description, we get an amazing illustration of the christian’s experience with God.  Verses 3-7 form a very concise statement of the gospel, going from our life in sin to our salvation and some of its implications.  In particular, the progression from verse 2 to verse 4 is quite interesting, and deserves highlighting.

First of all, these three verses are linked together.  Verses 2 and 3 are linked with a for and verses 3 and 4 are linked with a but. Initially, I didn’t see the link between 2-3.  What do our prior sinful lives have to do with these behavioral instructions?  After further probing, the link became evident.  The last behavioral instruction in verse 2 is, “to show all courtesy toward all people.” This sets the stage for the summary of the gospel, which follows.  Why are good works important?  They’re important because they display the grace of God to all people, especially those who are caught up in the conundrum described in verse 3: those who are foolish, disobedient, led astray, etc.  The way we act is a vessel of God’s grace to a world which desperately needs it.

Next, we note that verses 3-5 parallel Ephesians 2:3-10 strikingly well.  Paul is communicating a similar point in both places.  We’re not saved by the things we do, but by God’s grace.  However, as God’s workmanship, we have been created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Eph. 2:10).  Jumping back to Titus, we’re also given a hope that energizes this labor.  In verse 7, it says, “so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”  Our hope in our inheritance (the world!) energizes our labor now, because we know it’s not in vain.

Following this, Paul again ties works and faith together in verse 8, “This saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things so that those who have believed in God would be careful to devote themselves to good works.” Faith in God must develop into good labor.  The remainder of the verse states “that these things are excellent and profitable for all people.” Faith, which expresses itself in good works, is excellent and profitable for everyone.  Again we see the link between christian witness and our actions.

Skipping down to verse 14, we get the last mention of good works in the letter.  Verse 14 states, “Let our people learn to devote themselves to good works by helping necessary needs, so that they will not be unfruitful.”  A few things pop out.  First, we learn to do good works.  Good works don’t usually come naturally; living out our faith takes practice.  I also find the word unfruitful to be interesting.  The first thing that comes to mind is the command in Genesis chapter one to be fruitful.  Paul very well may have that in mind.  That I’ll explore in a post tentatively titled, “Good Works and New Creation!”  which will be heavily influenced by N.T. Wright’s thinking :)

~Alex

Good Works in Titus (Part Two)

~ Alex Poulos ~ 1 Comment

Here’s the second part of the post I started last week on good works.  This part comes after a wonderful discussion, which has given me some helpful insights on the letter.  Any reading this who are fellow NC State/Meredith students are encouraged to come.  It has been fun and insightful.
The first part of this post can be found here.

A basic recap:  Many strands of protestantism have been quite uneasy with the notion of “good works,” envisioning the rather ugly strand of medieval catholicism which contained elements of earning or even purchasing salvation.  In rejecting these excesses, we sometimes miss the message of Paul, who was very concerned that faith work itself out with good, christian service.  This series is an exploration of the nature of good works in Titus, noting as I did previously that good works is more than simply small, discrete good deeds.  In addition, I’d like to note that good works can mean something broader, perhaps akin to our usage when we use a phrase like, “my life’s work.”

With that established, we may move forward into Titus 2.  Paul begins with the statement, “but you, teach that which fits with healthy (or sound) doctrine.”  He then launches into things which fit with sound doctrine.  He makes a distinction between the two: doctrine and practice.  However he also weaves the two together.  In this case, we have behavior which is expected of various groups of people, divided here by gender and age.  In these divisions, I see Paul’s pastoral sensitivities.  While we are all one in Christ (Gal 3:28) different people are subject to different expressions of the fallen nature.

These instructions on christian behavior work their way back to doctrine in verse 10.  One of the reasons for christian service and behavior is to “adorn the doctrine of God our savior” (this instruction is given to slaves, but I think Paul is applying a general principle to a specific situation).  Our behaviors and attitudes are to make the christian faith attractive.  We then launch back into an exposition of doctrine, “For the grace of God appeared, bringing salvation to all people.” Notice the connecting for.  He continues, saying that this grace trains us to reject ungodliness and live upright lives.  Furthermore, we do these things in eager expectation for the revealing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.  We then get a glimpse of God’s purpose in sending Christ, “to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”  There are allusions here to some of Paul’s other writings.  Galatians 1:4 is paralleled, as is Ephesians 2:10.  I’m convinced these allusions do matter, and allow us to bring those letters to bear on what Paul is saying here.  That said, I haven’t yet figured out how that works out.  I’m thinking I’ll explore it more on a post devoted to good works in general.  Chapter 3 is chocked full of allusions to other Pauline writings.  At the very least, there are parallels worth exploring.

In summing up this post, Titus 2 shows us that doctrine and practice, while certainly distinct, belong very closely together.  Our christian service and behavior is intended to make the christian faith attractive to others.  This outward expression is only possible because “the grace of God appeared.”  Christian service must not be divorced from recognizing the God’s grace working in us.  Nor can good works be dismissed with a notion of cheap grace, since us being empowered to do good works is a central reason for the grace of God appearing!  I’ll be exploring that idea more in subsequent posts.

~alex

Good Works in Titus (Part one)

~ Alex Poulos ~ 6 Comments

In this 2-3 part series I want to look at what Paul has to say in Titus about, “good works.”  As I’ve noted before, we’re going through Paul’s letters in the bible study I’m a part of, so it’s a perfect time to reflect on this letter.  Since the book itself may get split into two weeks, I see no reason to constrain myself to a single post.  :-)

Since the reformation, many in the protestant church have been wary of “good works” because they bring back memories of a rather distorted form of catholicism, which indeed did have some elements of earning (or buying at points) your salvation.  Much of the protestant rhetoric was framed in this context.  It was against these excesses that much of protestant theology was formed.  I fear that at times we’ve been so zealous for faith we’ve neglected it’s proper outworking.  In this examination of Titus, I’m hoping to get closer to letting Paul’s writing guide us on the topic.

First of all, I don’t think Paul’s teachings on “good works” in anyway contradict his teaching on “justification by faith.”  Understood properly, one is a direct result of the other.  In fact, throughout Paul’s writings, we see very clearly that one of the reasons God saves us is so that we can do his work on the earth, which goes all the way back to our original vocation as given in Genesis.  I want to look at how how this plays out in Titus.

Paul begins the letter with doctrine, which is not strange for him.  1:1-3 give a giant picture of God and his mission for and in his people.  After the greeting, he then moves into practical instructions for Titus.  He gives qualifications for elders, covering everything from family life to alcohol and business, and finally their doctrine.  Next we move into the first passage where works are explicitly mentioned, although the theme arguably started earlier.  Here, Paul sharply denounces the heretical groups within the Cretan church, which seem to largely be comprised of some mixture of Judaism and paganism.  The “circumcision group” is explicitly named; Paul is thus opposing the claim that gentile converts have to obey torah after coming to faith, especially laws pertaining to circumcision and food.  He may have other opponents, but these dominate his thinking.

Paul gives a dense statement in 1:15 that helps explain the matter of works.  “To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; both their minds and their consciences are defiled.” Here he echoes the teaching of Jesus who communicates a similar point in Luke 6:45, “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”  The problem with his opponents is that even though they claim to know God, they betray this claim with their actions.  They are guilty of all sorts of things, as Paul points out early in 1:10.  They are defiled, and thus everything they set out to do is defiled.  A bad tree cannot produce good fruit, only a good tree can.  Likewise those who are not pure cannot “do purity.”  Paul doesn’t remind Titus of how that happens, but the point is clear.  Proper good work is impossible for those whose “minds and consciences are defiled.”

A brief aside on the word “work.”  For me, when I hear the words, “good works”, I immediately picture in my head small, quite discrete “good deeds.”  Giving money to someone in need at an intersection, or helping someone study even though you’re tired, etc.  While I think that kind of thing is very important to his message, I think the word here can connote something a little bit broader than a collection of “discrete good deeds.”  I think that it can also mean something bigger, like labor, or even the word, “work” in the singular (my life’s work as an example).  The greek word for work often shows up in the context of labor.  It would be beneficial for us if we melded together the concepts of moral good deeds and solid, hard work/labor back together.  I think these ideas are much closer than we imagine in scripture, perhaps even two sides of the same word ;-)  (disclaimer: I’m a Greek newbie here).

Philemon

~ Alex Poulos ~ 4 Comments

The bible study I’m a part of took a look at Paul’s letter to Philemon this week, so I’m going to reflect here a bit after my study and our discussion.  I definitely have a lot to grow in terms of bible study participation.  I neither communicated well nor listened well.  Hopefully that will change as the study progresses. 

First, I had this letter memorized in the NIV (from participating in teen bible quiz), so I was most familiar with that translation.  As I ventured out beyond the NIV, I tried to look at some other translations, and the underlying Greek.  Verse 5 in particular jumped out to me, which I rendered as, “I hear about the love and faithfulness that you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints.”  That doesn’t quite bring out the distinction between Jesus and the saints (Paul uses two different words which can be translated as toward), but this seemed more vibrant than the NIV’s “because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints.”  Notably, I think Paul is commenting on Philemon’s love and faithful loyalty toward the saints and toward Jesus.  Philemon is demonstrating loving faithfulness in his actions toward God and God’s people, enough so for Paul to hear about it. 

Verse 6 also made more sense as I studied it further, “I pray that the fellowship/partnership (gk koinonea) of your faith would effectively grow toward the knowledge of every good thing that’s ours in Christ.”  Seeing the Greek word koinonea excited me, because it brings out tones of not just partnership, which Tom Wright highlights, but also of rich, Christian fellowship.  Both the ESV and the NIV render the beginning of the verse to like this, “I pray the sharing of your faith would be…” To me, the term “sharing your faith” seems foreign to the New Testament but very common in contemporary evangelical lingo.  Perhaps that’s why Tom Wright, Eugene Peterson, and the TNIV translate along the lines of “partnership” instead of “sharing your faith.”  For me, this fits in better with the rest of the letter, which is not primarily concerned with evangelism (though evangelism is important!) but with the reconciliation of a runaway slave to his master, which will hopefully result in liberation for Onesimus.  Among other things, this would mean that Onesimus could continue helping Paul in Philemon’s place (verse 13)  Verse 7 brings out the depth of joy and affection which Paul feels toward Philemon.  It’s clear that Philemon is a very dear friend in the Lord, and that Paul is deeply encouraged and joyful because of his vibrant, godly life. 

This, I think forms the basis of the appeal for Onesimus.  He appeals on the basis of love (verse 8), on the basis of a deep affection and encouragement (verse 7), and on the basis of a shared partnership and fellowship in the gospel (verse 6).  This is why Paul can make a very bold appeal to Philemon.  Of course, this love is not just toward Philemon, but also toward Onesimus, whom he calls, “my very heart.” (verse 12)  Paul cares deeply for both, and for their sakes and the sake of the Gospel he makes the appeal for reconciliation (there’s interesting connections here with 2 Corinthians, perhaps worth exploring elsewhere).  Paul also drops subtle hints of their equal standing before God, which he develops elsewhere in Colossians and Ephesians.  He wishes that Onesimus could “take your [Philemon’s] place” in helping Paul, and urges Philemon to welcome him back, “as much more than a slave, and a brother in the Lord!”  The deeply subversive nature of the christian gospel fascinates me.  Paul recognizes the legal and practical bases on which Philemon could punish or even kill Onesimus, but he urges him to consider the Gospel, to consider what I have done for you, to consider our koinonea in the faith.  These clearly trump the reasons which come from an earthly point of view (what about the other slaves; our economy is based on slavery! etc).  Paul persuades christianly.  He doesn’t lord his authority over Philemon (though he does remind him of their past together).  That’s one thing I think we need to learn from Paul: how to persuade christianly.  As christians, we have to learn not to beat people up with scripture (or anything else).  Instead we have to argue on the basis of love and affection.  We have to persuade in the shining light of what Jesus has accomplished.  To beat people up or “lord over people” in the name of Jesus, even for something good, is to undermine the faith we declare (especially when we beat up our brothers and sisters!).  God, help us sort this out!

But of course, the greatest theme we see here is the theme of reconciliation.  The ministry of reconciliation which we have been given is astounding.  As God made his appeal through the apostles, “be reconciled to God!” so he continues to do into the present age.  We are to be his ambassadors, his peacemakers, his agents of reconciliation.  Undoubtedly, this won’t be easy.  Sin is nasty.  The full fruition of sin in the fall works out into a fractured and divided humanity.  We have blood feuds which go back generations.  Yet, we must hear God’s desire for reconciliation, and prayerfully step between the slave and his master, all in the name of Jesus, motivated by His love and power.  The world desperately needs this news.  Reconciliation won’t be quick or easy.  Indeed, we won’t see its full fruition until the parousia, until God puts the whole world to rights, but we absolutely have to anticipate it now, because our labor is not in vain:  Happy are the peacemakers, because they will be called children of God. 

Reflections on Tom Wright’s Justification

~ Alex Poulos ~ 1 Comment

I wanted to record a few little bits as I go along reading N.T. Wright’s book on Justification. More will be coming as I continue to read through the book. Hopefully I’ll get to write a review of the whole book once I finish.

I just finished up his bit of exegesis on Corinthians. His reading of 2 Corinthians 5 I found challenging, as I often do when I read Wright. I think he’s correct in his exegesis, but it does fly in the face of how I’ve heard that passage read and read it myself for years. However, it makes much more sense of the text. As I recall, the argument is basically that the end of 2 Cor 5 (especially the "that we might become the righteousness of God" part) is the climax to the 3 chapter long expose on the nature of his apostleship. The we here functions first to refer to the apostles. The point of becoming the righteousness of God is not so much we’re not going to hell, or we’re pardoned from sin, or that we’re going to heaven but that through the apostles (and in turn the whole church) God is making his plea of reconciliation to the world, God is displaying his covenant faithfulness in us (faithfulness to the covenant is Wright’s definition of righteousness as understood in second temple Judaism and early Christianity). We have made the primary focus of this passage what Paul has made the implicit, underlying assumption. Paul is not talking primarily about what happens to us when we become Christians, he’s rather discussing his apostolic calling, and indeed the call of the entire church. By dying and rising with Christ, by the washing of baptism and the seal of the Holy Spirit, in the power and wisdom of the Spirit we call out to the world: "be reconciled to God!" As usual, Wright’s reading of the text, though not always agreeing with the Protestant tradition which I’ve grown up in, does give me the "Aha!"’ moment. Scripture makes much more sense than it did before.

His comments on Ephesians, too were interesting. In our Protestant zeal to divorce soteriology (how we get saved) from ecclesiology (our beliefs about the church), we’ve lost the New Testament’s very high ecclesiology. Frankly, it’s hard for me to reconcile Paul’s picture of a glorified church with our rather spotty track record over the past 2,000 years. I suppose that’s another part of learning to live with the eschatological tension, the tension which groans in the present because we’ve experience a down payment of what’s to come. I do find it comforting that the primitive church was far less perfect than we sometimes imagine it. Paul too, as he wrote Ephesians, knew that the church was not perfect. He knew that racial tensions were rampant, and that false prophets and teachers abounded. His letters to the Corinthians showed how "colorful" the church could be. Yet he still paints the broad, view of a jew+gentile church, one which is seated in heavenly places with Christ, which is, indeed, the bride of Christ. It’s a fascinating picture which Paul paints for us, and understanding the jew+gentile tension certainly helps it resonate more deeply within me.

Thanks for reading!