Lostification

Two textbooks were listed as required for the “Justification in the Pauline Corpus” classes I am currently taking.


Stephen Westerholm, Perspectives Old and New on Paul (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2004)


John Piper, The Future of Justification: A Response to N. T. Wright (Wheaton: Crossway, 2007)

They are not easily located and finally I had to fork out RM108 to get Westerholm’s book from Canaanland that had them flown in. I started reading it before classes and before long found myself more scanning than reading.

I just got hold of Piper’s book yesterday (also from Canaanland), and read about 40 pages of it this morning. It is a good book. For someone who has not spent much on this topic of justification and who is quite new to the New Perspective on Paul (NPP), I feel that Piper would be a good start.

He gives a good introduction and also lists out a few NPP issues that he deals with in the book:

• The Gospel is not about how to get saved?
• Justification is not how you become a Christian?
• Justification is not the Gospel?
• We are not justified by believing in justification?
• The imputation of God’s righteousness makes no sense at all?
• Future justification is on the basis of the complete life lived?
• First-century Judaism had nothing of the alleged self-righteous and boastful legalism?
• God’s righteousness is the same as His covenant faithfulness?

To me, at this point at least, the Gospel is about how we get saved, justification by faith is how I become a Christian, but that is about all I can attest to in the list above for now. I do not agree that justification is the Gospel per se, or that we are justified by believing in justification. I would have to read Piper to see why he asked those questions.

I do not have an answer to the question on imputation because as much as I believe that Christ’s righteousness is imputed on us, I need to study it deeper. As far as the other questions are concerned, I have no idea what they refer to. I will have to read on to find out. And just like the last book I actually finished reading, I must do the same for this one and kick myself if I end up having it half read like the ones piled on top of my table now. Hit me if I do.

pearlie