Romans and Galatians, which speak about Law and Grace more fully than any of Paul’s other letters both have an underlying issue. Who is going to be in the people of God and how does that happen. In Galatians the Judaizers were saying that the Gentiles must be circumcised to be part of the New Covenant. In Romans the historical context is involved, but there was a lot of anti-Semitism in the time, and it is entirely possible that the Gentile Christians in Rome were looking down on the Christian Jews. Either way, Paul is looking at the Gospel as a reconciliation of all people to God and each other, and the “signs” or “badges” of covenant membership have changed. Is it possible that given the theological context of the Law and the covenant, and the fact that Paul was dealing with a situation in which Gentiles were being admitted on equal standing with the Jews in the New Covenant, that when Paul defines justification as being “reckoned to be within the people of God”?
N. T. Wright explains his view from Romans:
Looking back to 3:21-31 (i.e., not merely echoing a randomly chosen pre-Pauline formula), Paul states that Jesus was given up “for our sins” and raised “for our justification.” Sin has been dealt with on the cross (3:24-26); the resurrection of Jesus is the vindication for which Israel, the people of Abraham, had been waiting on the basis of the covenant promises; and now all those who belong to Jesus’ people, who are characterized by faith in the god who raised him from the dead, are assured that the same divine verdict is pronounced over them, too.
Wright goes on to explain that justification has three tenses.
Future – There will come a day when the righteous Creator will put the world to rights, and on that day some will be declared to be in the right. (Rom. 2:1-16)
Past – Justification is the verdict pronounced over Jesus in his resurrection. The resurrection declared that Jesus was indeed God’s Son, so it declares in principle that He is the “true Israel”, the vindicated people of the creator. (Rom. 1:4)
Present – “Justification by faith,” as articulated in Rom. 3:26-30 and undirgirded in 4:1-25 the past verdict over Jesus is brought forward and applied to those who have faith in the god who raised Jesus, and in which the future verdict is brought backwards with the same application and result (cf. 8:1: there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus).
This assumes a few things. First, there will be a “final judgment”. Personally, after studying Rom. 2 again, I don’t know how people can say that there will not be some type of a future, final “setting to rights” of creation. It is plainly in the text and is assumed through Paul's arguements. I think we tend to look at judgment as negative, but essentially it is making the world right again. Second, the present tense of justification brings out the fact that there is a “boundary” for the New Covenant: faith. I am sure this will make some people uncomfortable, but in studying Rom. 1-4 again (I haven't gotten past that yet) I cannot deny it.
What do you think?
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