Perspectives Old and New on Paul

The “Lutheran” Paul and His Critics

STEPHEN WESTERHOLM

William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company

Grand Rapids, Michigan / Cambridge, U.K.

© 2004 Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

All rights reserved

Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

2140 Oak Industrial Drive N.E., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49505 /

P.O. Box 163, Cambridge CB3 9PU U.K.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Westerholm, Stephen, 1949–

Perspectives old and new on Paul: the “Lutheran” Paul and his critics / Stephen Westerholm.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-8028-4809-3 (pbk.: alk. paper)

1. Bible. N.T. Epistles of Paul — Criticism, interpretation, etc. — History.

2. Bible. N.T. Epistles of Paul — Theology.

3. Lutheran Church — Doctrines. I. Title.

BS2651.W46 2004

335.9′2—dc22

2003064214

www.eerdmans.com

For Birger Gerhardsson

Contents

Preface

Whimsical Introduction

PART ONE:

PORTRAITS OF THE “LUTHERAN” PAUL

1. Augustine

i. Creation

ii. The Fall

iii. Redemption

iv. The Place of the Law

v. Human Dependence on Grace

vi. Summary

2. Martin Luther

3. John Calvin

i. Divine Providence and Human Responsibility

ii. Adam

iii. Christ

iv. Abraham and Moses

v. The Life of the Redeemed

vi. Summary

4. John Wesley

i. Of Human Nature and the Covenant of Works

ii. The Covenant of Grace and the Path to Faith

iii. The New Birth and the Path to Sanctification

iv. The Law and the Spirit

v. Providence and the “Divine Decrees”

vi. Summary

5. A Portrait of the “Lutheran” Paul

PART TWO:

TWENTIETH-CENTURY RESPONSES TO THE “LUTHERAN” PAUL

6. Paul’s “Polemical Doctrine”: Wrede and Schweitzer

i. William Wrede

ii. Albert Schweitzer

7. The Faith of Paul’s Fathers: Montefiore, Schoeps, and Sanders

i. Claude G. Montefiore

ii. Hans Joachim Schoeps

iii. E. P. Sanders

8. Paul’s Robust Conscience: Kümmel and Stendahl

i. W. G. Kümmel

ii. Krister Stendahl

9. The “Righteousness of the Law”: Bultmann, Wilckens, and Sanders

i. Rudolf Bultmann

ii. Ulrich Wilckens

iii. E. P. Sanders

10. The “Hobgoblin” of Consistency: Drane, Hübner, and Räisänen

i. John W. Drane

ii. Hans Hübner

iii. Heikki Räisänen

11. Saint Paul against the Lutherans: Wright, Dunn, and Donaldson

i. N. T. Wright

ii. James D. G. Dunn

iii. Terence Donaldson

12. “Lutheran” Responses

i. C. E. B. Cranfield

ii. Thomas Schreiner and Andrew Das

iii. Frank Thielman

iv. Mark Seifrid

13. Other Perspectives

i. Paul’s Anthropology: Timo Laato

ii. Paul’s Rhetoric: Lauri Thurén and Jean-Noël Aletti

iii. Paul’s Apocalyptic Worldview: J. Louis Martyn

iv. Paul’s Theology of the Cross: Jürgen Becker

14. The Quotable Anti-“Lutheran” Paul

i. Judaism Preaches Grace

ii. What Paul Finds Wrong with Judaism

iii. What “Justification by Faith” is For, and What “Not by Works” is Against

PART THREE:

THE HISTORICAL AND THE “LUTHERAN” PAUL

15. Matters of Definition, 1: “Righteousness” in Paul

i. Terminology

ii. Ordinary Dikaiosness

iii. Extraordinary Dikaiosness

iv....