Slides from New Perspective Lecture

1. The New Perspective on Paul

2. The New Perspective on Paul
Not ‘New’
• Phrase goes back to
Dunn
• Return to Pauline
Worldview

3. The New Perspective on Paul
Not ‘New’
Perspectives
• Phrase goes back to
Dunn
• Return to Pauline
Worldview

5. How can I find a
gracious God?

6. How can I find a
gracious God?
“Though I lived as a monk without
reproach, I felt that I was a sinner
before God with an extremely
disturbed conscience. I could not
believe that he was placated by
my satisfaction…….Thus I raged
with a fierce and troubled
conscience. Nevertheless, I beat
importunately upon Paul at that
place, most ardently desiring to
know what St. Paul wanted.”

7. Lutheran Soteriology

8. Lutheran Soteriology
Sola Fide

9. Lutheran Soteriology
Sola Fide
Imputation of Christ’s
Righteousness

10. Lutheran Soteriology
Sola Fide
Imputation of Christ’s
Righteousness
Faith v Works, Law v Gospel

11. Lutheran Soteriology
Sola Fide
Imputation of Christ’s
Righteousness
Faith v Works, Law v Gospel
Same Situation which Paul
faced in Galatians/Early Church.

12. Lutheran Soteriology
Sola Fide
Imputation of Christ’s
Righteousness
Faith v Works, Law v Gospel
Same Situation which Paul
faced in Galatians/Early Church.
Developed in Protestant
Theology and Praxis

13. Lutheran Soteriology
Sola Fide
Imputation of Christ’s
Righteousness
Faith v Works, Law v Gospel
Same Situation which Paul
faced in Galatians/Early Church.
Developed in Protestant
Theology and Praxis
“Faith without works is sufficient for
salvation, and alone justifies”

14. Lutheran Exegesis/Interpretation of Galatians 2:16
… yet we know that a person is
not justified by works of the law
but through faith in Jesus Christ,
so we also have believed in Christ
Jesus, in order to be justified by
faith in Christ and not by works
of the law, because by works of
the law no one will be justified.

15. Lutheran Exegesis/Interpretation of Galatians 2:16
… yet we know that a person is
not justified by works of the law
but through faith in Jesus Christ,
so we also have believed in Christ
Jesus, in order to be justified by
faith in Christ and not by works
of the law, because by works of
the law no one will be justified.
Justified: Declared Righteous, become a Christian

16. Lutheran Exegesis/Interpretation of Galatians 2:16
… yet we know that a person is
not justified by works of the law
but through faith in Jesus Christ,
so we also have believed in Christ
Jesus, in order to be justified by
faith in Christ and not by works
of the law, because by works of
the law no one will be justified.
Justified: Declared Righteous, become a Christian
‘Works of the law’: Self-Effort, Works Righteousness

17. Lutheran Exegesis/Interpretation of Galatians 2:16
… yet we know that a person is
not justified by works of the law
but through faith in Jesus Christ,
so we also have believed in Christ
Jesus, in order to be justified by
faith in Christ and not by works
of the law, because by works of
the law no one will be justified.
Justified: Declared Righteous, become a Christian
‘Works of the law’: Self-Effort, Works Righteousness
Faith in Jesus as opposed to moral effort

18. Lutheran Exegesis/Interpretation of Galatians 2:16
… yet we know that a person is
With Paul we absolutely deny the possibility of self-merit. God
never yet gave to any person grace and everlasting life as a
not justified by works of the law
reward for merit. The opinions of the papists are the
but through faith in Jesus Christ,
intellectual pipe-dreams of idle pates, that serve no other
purposeso we also have believed in Christ
but to draw men away from the true worship of God.
Jesus, in order to be justified by
The papacy is founded upon hallucinations.
faith in Christ and not by works
of the law, because by works of
the law no one will be justified.
Justified: Declared Righteous, become a Christian
‘Works of the law’: Self-Effort, Works Righteousness
Faith in Jesus as opposed to moral effort

19. Lutheran Exegesis/Interpretation of Galatians 2:16
… yet we know that a person is
With Paul we absolutely deny the possibility of self-merit. God
never yet gave to any person grace and everlasting life as a
not justified by works of the law
reward for merit. The opinions of the papists are the
but through faith in Jesus Christ,
intellectual pipe-dreams of idle pates, that serve no other
purposeso we also have believed in Christ
but to draw men away from the true worship of God.
Jesus, in order to be justified by
The papacy is founded upon hallucinations.
faith in Christ and not by works
“What are these false apostles doing?”by works ofare
of the law, because Paul cries. “They
turning Law into grace, and grace into be justified.
the law no one will Law. They are changing
Moses into Christ, and Christ into Moses. By teaching that
besides Christ and His righteousnessbecome a Christian
Justified: Declared Righteous, the performance of the
Law is necessary unto salvation, they Works Righteousness
‘Works of the law’: Self-Effort, put the Law in the place
of Christ, they attribute to the Law the power to save, a power
Faith in Jesus as opposed to moral effort
that belongs to Christ only.”

20. New Perspective on Paul

21. New Perspective on Paul
Krister Stendahl

22. New Perspective on Paul
Krister Stendahl
1963 (published 1976)
‘Paul and the Introspective Conscience of the West’

23. New Perspective on Paul
Krister Stendahl
1963 (published 1976)
‘Paul and the Introspective Conscience of the West’
Paul was not Luther

24. New Perspective on Paul
Krister Stendahl
1963 (published 1976)
‘Paul and the Introspective Conscience of the West’
Paul was not Luther
Paul’s conscience ‘robust’ - Phil. 3:6, cf Acts 23:1

25. New Perspective on Paul
Krister Stendahl
1963 (published 1976)
‘Paul and the Introspective Conscience of the West’
Paul was not Luther
Paul’s conscience ‘robust’ - Phil. 3:6, cf Acts 23:1
‘Paul dealt with those issues with which he actually
deals’

26. New Perspective on Paul
E.P. Sanders
‘Covenantal Nomism’

27. New Perspective on Paul
E.P. Sanders
‘Covenantal Nomism’
1977 E.P Sanders ‘Paul and Palestinian Judaism’

28. New Perspective on Paul
E.P. Sanders
‘Covenantal Nomism’
1977 E.P Sanders ‘Paul and Palestinian Judaism’
Judaism at the time of Jesus and Paul was:-

29. New Perspective on Paul
E.P. Sanders
‘Covenantal Nomism’
1977 E.P Sanders ‘Paul and Palestinian Judaism’
Judaism at the time of Jesus and Paul was:-
Not a legalistic religion of merit

30. New Perspective on Paul
E.P. Sanders
‘Covenantal Nomism’
1977 E.P Sanders ‘Paul and Palestinian Judaism’
Judaism at the time of Jesus and Paul was:-
Not a legalistic religion of merit
Focused on Gods mercy and election

31. New Perspective on Paul
E.P. Sanders
‘Covenantal Nomism’
1977 E.P Sanders ‘Paul and Palestinian Judaism’
Judaism at the time of Jesus and Paul was:-
Not a legalistic religion of merit
Focused on Gods mercy and election
Best described using the phrase
‘Covenantal Nomist’

32. New Perspective on Paul
E.P. Sanders
‘Covenantal Nomism’
1977 E.P Sanders ‘Paul and Palestinian is this (1)
“The ‘pattern’ or ‘structure’ of covenantal nomism Judaism’
God has chosen Israel and (2) given the law. The law implies
both (3) God’s promise to maintain the election and (4)
Judaism at the obey. (5) God rewards obedience and
requirement to time of Jesus and Paul was:-
punishes transgression. (6) The law provides for means of
atonement, a legalistic religion of merit
Not and atonement results in (7) maintenance or re-
establishment of the covenantal relationship. (8) All those
who are maintained in Gods mercy and election
Focused on the covenant by obedience, atonement
and God’s mercy belong to the group which will be saved. An
Best described using the phrase
important interpretation of the first and last points is that
‘Covenantal Nomist’
election and ultimately salvation are considered to be by
God’s mercy rather than human achievement.”

33. New Perspective on Paul
Jimmy Dunn
‘Works of the Law’

34. New Perspective on Paul
Jimmy Dunn
‘Works of the Law’
‘Works of the Law’: not general good works, but

35. New Perspective on Paul
Jimmy Dunn
‘Works of the Law’
‘Works of the Law’: not general good works, but
Works of Torah, especially circumcision, food laws,
sabbaths. Badges or Boundary Markers of Jewish
national identity.

36. New Perspective on Paul
Jimmy Dunn
‘Works of the Law’
‘Works of the Law’: not general good works, but
Works of Torah, especially circumcision, food laws,
sabbaths. Badges or Boundary Markers of Jewish
national identity.
4QMMT

37. New Perspective on Paul
Jimmy Dunn
‘Works of the Law’
‘Works of the Law’: not general good works, but
The ‘ works of Torah’ were not a legalist ladder, up which one
climbed in order to earn the divine favour, but were the badges
Works ofwore as the marks of circumcision, food to the
that one Torah, especially identity, of belonging laws,
chosen people in the present, and hence the all important
sabbaths. Badges one’s neighbours, that one belonged to
signs, to oneself and
or Boundary Markers of Jewish
national identity.
the company who would be vindicated when the covenant God
acted to redeem his people. They were the present signs of
future vindication.
4QMMT N.T Wright ‘What Saint Paul Really Said’

38. New Perspective on Paul
Tom Wright
Justification by faith:-

39. New Perspective on Paul
Tom Wright
Justification by faith:-
Covenantal, law-court, and eschatological

40. New Perspective on Paul
Tom Wright
Justification by faith:-
Covenantal, law-court, and eschatological
Not how you ‘get in’, but how you can tell in the
present who will be vindicated on the last day.

41. NPP Exegesis/Interpretation of Galatians 2:16
… yet we know that a person is
not justified by works of the law
but through faith in Jesus Christ,
so we also have believed in Christ
Jesus, in order to be justified by
faith in Christ and not by works
of the law, because by works of
the law no one will be justified.

42. NPP Exegesis/Interpretation of Galatians 2:16
… yet we know that a person is
not justified by works of the law
but through faith in Jesus Christ,
so we also have believed in Christ
Jesus, in order to be justified by
faith in Christ and not by works
of the law, because by works of
the law no one will be justified.
Justified: Declared righteous, declared to be in the
covenant family. Covenant, Lawcourt, Eschatology

43. NPP Exegesis/Interpretation of Galatians 2:16
… yet we know that a person is
not justified by works of the law
but through faith in Jesus Christ,
so we also have believed in Christ
Jesus, in order to be justified by
faith in Christ and not by works
of the law, because by works of
the law no one will be justified.
Justified: Declared righteous, declared to be in the
covenant family. Covenant, Lawcourt, Eschatology
‘Works of the law’: Torah but specifically
circumcision, food laws, Badges of Identity,
Covenant Community Markers

44. New Perspective on Paul
Questions?
Implications

45. New Perspective on Paul
Criticisms

46. New Perspective on Paul
Criticisms
More diversity in 1st Century Judaism than Sanders
allowed for -‘variegated nomism’

47. New Perspective on Paul
Criticisms
More diversity in 1st Century Judaism than Sanders
allowed for -‘variegated nomism’
Downplays forgiveness of sin?

48. New Perspective on Paul
Criticisms
More diversity in 1st Century Judaism than Sanders
allowed for -‘variegated nomism’
Downplays forgiveness of sin?
Allows works-salvation by the back door?

49. The New Perspective on Paul
Resources:
http://www.thepaulpage.com/
http://www.ntwrightpage.com/
Dunn ‘The New Perspective on Paul’
http://markgoodacre.org/PaulPage/New.html
Garlington - Galatians commentary
Against NPP
Moo/Schreiner
Mp3s and Weblinks for online material and a copy of this
powerpoint go to www.ordinand.wordpress.com or e-mail
jonswales@hotmail.co.uk