Comments on: The “Righteousness” of Romans and Galatians, and the Gospel of Christ http://www.thepaulpage.com/the-righteousness-of-romans-and-galatians-and-the-gospel-of-christ/ Just another Marketing WordPress Legion site Mon, 17 Jun 2013 08:54:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Michal Gomulka http://www.thepaulpage.com/the-righteousness-of-romans-and-galatians-and-the-gospel-of-christ/comment-page-1/#comment-27 Michal Gomulka Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:42:37 +0000 http://www.thepaulpage.com/?p=122#comment-27 It sounds so “fresh” so harmonized if I may say with no intention of poking at your “thesis statement.”

First few things:
1. You are limiting the Jewish second temple understanding of salvation to anomial ethnocentrism which very nicely fits into the New Perspective thus the argument is one sided. 2 Baruch, Tobit, Psalms of Solomon are just a few sources that show that Jews did believe in salvation based upon their works. Both works and election were stressed in second temple Judaism and one must admit in the gospels especially (Luke 18:9-14, Luke 18:18-22, Deuteronomy 6:25). Look carefully at Deuteronomy 6:25, it is the “whole law” (Torah) all of it and that includes ceremonial, civil and moral obligations.

2. “Faith” (believe)PISTIS is not just a “badge” a mark of the one being in the covenant but it is the crucial element which looks to Someone and that is Christ, faith has an object. “Faithfulness of Christ” by the way is a bad translation and both N.T Wright and D.G Dunn would disagree on that. Faith in Jesus is necessary for salvation.

3. Last but not least is what happened in Antioch with Peter and Paul. Why would Paul be breaking table fellowship if what was at stake was anomial ethnocentrism? Seems like he makes it clear in Romans 14 that we should not condemn the weak brother or sister. Paul is creating a heated argument because the GOSPEL is at stake, justification means exactly what it means, acquittal of one’s sins, forgiveness of sins, being declared righteous. Of course one might argue that HESED (covenantal faithfulness) is a part of it yet if you are going to import a word from the Old Testament into the New Testament make sure that you are not guilty of semantic anachronism.

In conclusion, Righteousness is that which is required from us to be “in the right” before God (Deuteronomy 6:25) “If you keep all these laws it will be righteousness for you” This is exactly the righteousness that Abraham needed that was credited to him by God. Jesus is the culmination of the law, one might say He is the law and if you are not in Jesus you have not fulfilled the law because Christ is the end of the Law that is why both Jews and Gentiles must repent and believe in Jesus, Romans 10:1-13 makes it clear.

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