Of all the authors who are to some extent identified with the “new perspective on Paul,” perhaps none is as prolific or popularly known as Nicholas Thomas (“Tom”) Wright. Though Wright prefers not to be identified with some monochrome development known as “the new perspective,” he clearly writes as one convinced that a return to […]
In order to understand the full meaning of this summary statement of the doctrine of justification, we need to consider briefly several distinct aspects of Wright’s understanding. Chief among these are: 1) his interpretation of the phrase, “the righteousness of God,” as the basis for the justification of God’s people; 2) the precise meaning of […]
Any evaluation of the new perspective on Paul faces a number of daunting challenges. Since a considerable part of the argument for a new approach to the teaching of the apostle Paul rests upon E. P. Sanders’ historical reconstruction of the pattern of religion known as “second temple Judaism,” some evaluation of this reconstruction is […]
It is appropriate that we begin our evaluation of the new perspective by raising several questions regarding its historical reassessment of Second Temple Judaism. All of the primary writers who advocate a new approach to our understanding of the apostle Paul’s gospel, do so from the conviction that E. P. Sanders’ study of Judaism requires […]
Advocates of a new perspective on Paul often insist that the Reformational view of the doctrine of justification is based upon an incorrect and outdated understanding of Second Temple Judaism. According to authors of the new perspective, E.P. Sanders has persuasively demonstrated the error of the Reformation’s claim that Judaism in Paul’s day taught a […]
Is there a distinction between Old Testament and Second Temple Judaism? A final question that needs to be addressed to the new perspective’s treatment of Second Temple Judaism relates to the distinction between Old Testament and Second Temple Judaism. Does the new perspective adequately take into account the difference between the teaching of the Old […]
Part 1 So far our evaluation of the new perspective on Paul has addressed several general matters of method and the understanding of Second Temple Judaism associated with the work of E. P. Sanders. The most important test, however, of the new perspective is whether it adequately treats the writings of the apostle Paul. Does […]
Part 2 WHAT IS MEANT BY THE “WORKS OF THE LAW”? Within the richness and complexity of Paul’s use of the language of the law, the most pressing question raised by the new perspective is: what is the meaning in Paul’s epistles of the expression, “the works of law,” and of a more general, but […]
Part 3 “WORKS” AND “WORKS OF THE LAW” IN ROMANS The book of Romans also uses the expression, “works of the law,” as well as the general term, “works,” but in a way that quite clearly goes beyond the limitations of certain boundary marker requirements of the law. Even though it is plausible that the […]
‘Works of the Law’, Human Inability and Boasting In my previous articles, I noted that, in order to evaluate the claims of the new perspective regarding the interpretation of the apostle Paul, we need to begin by considering three distinct, though related, questions: First, what does the apostle Paul mean by the language of “works […]