Galatians - Wright, Piper, and the New Perspective

Paul was dealing with pivotal controversies in his day, much later Galatians was crucial in inspiring Luther. Today there are still controversies around issues in Galatians (and related matters elsewhere, such as in Romans). They do not seem to be of the same magnitude nor importance (the issues are, the differences are not), but they are relevant none the less. This is the "old" versus "new" perspective. Now the only "new perspective" writer I have read is N T Wright (or Tom Wright), so any comments I make are based only on his writings, and I no doubt there are some less reliable or balanced exponents of the new perspective. I have also read some of John Piper's response to this. I also need to read more of what they say, and to read again what I have already read. So please do not take what I say here as full and guaranteed summaries of their views, it is only my current perception of what they are saying, which needs to develop a lot more. Best of all, go and read it yourself! I will give a couple of references at the end. Let me also say that I enjoy reading and listening to both of them.

So what is the "new" and "old"? The "old" is what might be called the traditional evangelical or reformed view of justification and righteousness, namely that Christ's righteousness is imputed to us, or that God looks on us as if we are morally righteous because of Jesus. Now it is important to point out that Wright is not saying that sin is not the basic problem, nor that Christ needed to die on the cross for our sins. What he does say include the following:

• Being righteous in the context of Galatians means being part of God's family and being justified means being counted as part of God's family. This status is acquired through faith. Conversely, the "old perspective" focuses on the individual.
• Wright sees the "righteousness of God" as referring primarily to God's covenant faithfulness. Ie God made promises, and God will keep them. Piper defines it as God's concern for God's glory.
  

• Piper also says that Wright views justification as the prospect that we will become righteous.

On the first of these it seems that Wright is looking at the big picture, whereas Piper is focusing on the individual, and there is value in looking at things from both angles. This is not by any means the whole of the argument, but is part of it.

On the second point there is a lot to be said for it. If we look at the Bible God has got a big problem. He chose man, and man sinned; then He chose Israel, and Israel became a basket case, (and the church is often not the best advertisement for God). How on earth is God going to succeed, or has He got things hopelessly wrong? God's plans will work, Israel will become the faithful people of God, the whole world will be blessed through Israel, and all this is achieved through Christ. It is interesting in Ezekiel 20:44 says "you will know that I deal with you for my name's sake, not according to your evil ways", and in other parts of Ezekiel God says that He will do His saving acts for "his name's sake". So when our lives are transformed by God, it is proof that He is right.

On the last point I am not sure if Wright is actually saying this, but it is not a point that should be dismissed out of hand. What can we agree on? Before we were saved we were sinners. After Jesus comes back God will have completed the work He started in us, we will be transformed to be just like Jesus, we will then be perfect. In between times we are being transformed from one degree of glory to the next, ie we are continually changing, becoming more Christlike. So if Wright is saying this, then maybe he has a point.

Anyway, enough of this. Go and read the stuff yourself. Read both Piper and Wright, they are both excellent. Here are two good books, and two good websites:

Tom Wright, "Justification: God's Plan and Paul's Vision", SPCK, 2009
John Piper, "The Future of Justification: A Response to N T Wright",IVP, 2007

Web pages can be found by following the links below.
Tom Wright
John Piper