JUSTIFICATION:

GOD’S PLAN AND

PAUL’S VISION

TOM WRIGHT

Bishop of Durham

First published in Great Britain in 2009

Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge

36 Causton Street

London SW1P 4ST

Copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2009

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British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 978-0-281-06090-0

Contents

Preface

Abbreviations

Part 1

INTRODUCTION

1 What’s all this about, and why does it matter?

2 Rules of engagement

3 First-century Judaism: covenant, law and lawcourt

4 Justification: definitions and puzzles

Part 2

EXEGESIS

5 Galatians

6 Interlude: Philippians, Corinthians, Ephesians

7 Romans

8 Conclusion

Bibliography

Index of biblical references

Index of names

Index of topics

Preface

When I heard about John Piper’s book, The Future of Justification: A Response to N. T. Wright, I was torn between two reflections. On the one hand, as they say, the actor doesn’t mind whether he’s playing the hero or the villain as long as it’s his name on the board outside the theatre. On the other hand, there is a danger that if people typecast you as the villain the image may stick and you won’t get any other parts. So, despite my initial reluctance to get drawn into the details of debate when I am really far too busy with other things, I eventually decided that an initial response was called for.

I say ‘initial response’, because I do not suppose that this book is in any way complete. Piper is one of an increasing number who, supposing the great Reformation tradition of reading and preaching Paul to be under attack, has leapt to its defence, and every passing week brings a further batch of worried and anxious ripostes to the ‘new perspective on Paul’ and to myself as one of its exponents. I cannot begin ...