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corpus-paul - RE: [Corpus-Paul] Galatians 2:16: Exploring the Relationship between Faith and Works

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  • From: "Doug Chaplin" <lists AT actually.me.uk>
  • To: "'Corpus-Paul'" <corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: RE: [Corpus-Paul] Galatians 2:16: Exploring the Relationship between Faith and Works
  • Date: Thu, 12 Aug 2004 22:31:47 +0100

> John Brand wrote:

>

> >

> > It is not that we are forgiven or made worthy of this kind of

> > process by our own merit. It is that we are forgiven freely on the

> > basis of Christ's sacrifice which frees God up to begin the inner

> > the work that is necessary to have us doing what he requires.

>

Jeffrey Gibson wrote:

> Is forgiveness really a central concern of Paul?

 

>John, then said:

>No, is central concern is their walking in step with the Spirit
>
or as a result of the inner work of the Spirit
>
rather than by the outer code of the Judaizers.

> Your question is thought provoking.
>
My statement above obviously anticipates how Paul is interpreted
>
after the reformation and offers an explanation of the relationship
>
between justification as a process that includes sanctification
>
(pre-Reformation) in view of the notional distinction
>
between justification and sanctification that becomes
>
prominent after the reformation.

 

I’m not entirely convinced that the logic of Paul’s thought is quite in this direction.

I would argue that the following, all closely related and interdependent concepts, work together in this kind of logical order.

1) The people of God are redefined as those in Christ, rather than those keeping the law: I know that “in Christ” is open to many controverted interpretations, but see it myself as including faith that Christ is the faithful one, who now provides the pattern for Israel, and the representative one (King, Messiah), through whom God can truly deal with Israel.

2) That the God who deals with Israel in Christ, is the one who through the resurrection of Christ, restores Israel from its deepest exile, and reconciles them to himself.

3) That this is the primary meaning of “forgiveness” for Paul, who fundamentally follows second Isaiah: it is a national restoration, not an individual remission, but applies to individuals as they enter the renewed Israel through the Messiah.

4) That this forgiveness is proved, because they inherit the gift of the Holy Spirit, that is the immediate presence and empowerment of God, and that for Paul this immediate presence of the Spirit effectively replaces the land as the object of the promised restoration, just as the body of Christ (Christ with believers together) replaces the temple.

5) That justification offers a different take on the whole process, looked at more from the point of view of asking the question “How can we know this person / group belongs to the people of God?”

 

In short, I think that the inner (Spirit), outer (Law) distinction belongs to a secondary level of Paul’s theology and that his primary is drawn more fundamentally from apocalyptic eschatology, and is about succeeding ages.

 

Doug Chaplin




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