Getting the Gospel Right

Assessing the Reformation and New Perspectives on Paul

Author

Cornelis P. Venema

Category Theology Books

Getting the Gospel Right by Cornelis Venema

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Weight	0.26 lbs
Dimensions	7.13 × 4.75 × 0.35 in
ISBN	9780851519272
Binding	Paperback, eBook (ePub & Kindle), Paperback & eBook (ePub & Kindle)
Topic	Justification, Salvation
Original Pub Date	2006
Banner Pub Date	May 7, 2006
Page Count	112
Format	Book

Book Description

Every generation of Christian believer faces the challenge of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ with integrity and in conformity to the teaching of the Scriptures.

But what do the Scriptures teach with regard to the central message of the gospel? Were the Reformers correct to insist that the good news of God’s gracious and free acceptance of guilty sinners, on the basis of the obedience and atoning sacrifice of Christ, lies at the heart of the gospel? Or are we to accept the ‘new perspectives’ on Paul’s teaching, which have been advocated in recent years by those who have made a fresh study of the relevant historical sources?

Since the new perspectives challenge some of the basic features of the traditional Protestant understanding of justification, they require careful study and thoughtful evaluation. Nothing less than the shape of the evangelical church’s proclamation of the gospel today is at stake.

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Table of Contents Expand ↓

	Preface	vii
1.	INTRODUCTION	1
2.	THE REFORMATION PERSPECTIVE ON PAUL	5
	‘Justification’: A Judicial Declaration of Acceptance with God	8
	‘By Grace Alone’: The Basis for Free Justification	12
	‘Through Faith Alone’: The Instrument of Justification	16
	Key Features of the Reformation Perspective	19
3.	A ‘NEW PERSPECTIVE’ ON PAUL	23
	A New View of Second-Temple Judaism: E. P. Sanders	26
	A New View of the ‘Works of the Law’: J. D. G. Dunn	31
	A New View of ‘Justification’: N. T. Wright	35
4.	A CRITICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE NEW PERSPECTIVE	59
	An Exaggerated View of Sanders’ Achievement	60
	The ‘Works of the Law’ in Paul’s Epistles	65
	‘The Righteousness of God’ in Paul	71
	The Nature of ‘Justification’	74
	‘Substitution’, ‘Imputation’, and ‘Faith’	80
	A ‘Final Justification’ on the Basis of Works?	83
5.	CONCLUSION	89