{"id":6381,"date":"2010-06-11T05:32:46","date_gmt":"2010-06-11T05:32:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/jesuscreed\/2010\/06\/deliverance-of-god-5-matt-edwa.html"},"modified":"2010-06-11T05:32:46","modified_gmt":"2010-06-11T05:32:46","slug":"deliverance-of-god-5-matt-edwa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/jesuscreed\/2010\/06\/deliverance-of-god-5-matt-edwa.html","title":{"rendered":"Deliverance of God 5 (Matt Edwards)"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is an incredible series being offered to us by Matt Edwards: a nine part summary and response to Douglas Campbell’s mega-book, The Deliverance of God: An Apocalyptic Rereading of Justification in Paul<\/a>\"\"
\n<\/strong><\/em>. Thanks to Matt Edwards.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Deliverance of God<\/span><\/i><\/b> 5–The
\nInjustice of God in Justification Theory<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

We are evaluating Douglas
\nCampbell’s rereading of Romans 1-4 as presented in The Deliverance of God: An Apocalyptic Rereading of Justification in
\nPaul<\/i>. In the book, Campbell rejects “justification theory” (JT), the
\ntraditional way of understanding Romans 1-4. He describes JT as having two
\nphases–“the rigorous contract” (in which God’s ethical demands are made clear
\nto all people, all people are found to have fallen short of these demands, and
\nall people are declared worthy of God’s retributive justice) and “the
\nappropriation of salvation” (in which God, in his grace, offers a more
\nmanageable criterion for salvation, “faith”). Most western Christians interpret
\nRomans 1-4 according to JT.<\/p>\n

Campbell has suggested three steps
\nthat JT advocates need to take in response to his rereading: (1) demonstrate
\nthat JT is a valid option for Paul, (2) answer his critique, and (3) show how
\nJT is a better interpretive option than his rereading. We have undertaken step
\n(1) in a previous post, and over the next few posts we will be undertaking step
\n(2). When we are finished, I will suggest an approach to step (3).<\/p>\n

Campbell argues that JT turns God
\ninto an unjust God with impossible demands. He summarizes, “Justification
\ntheory posits a God of strict justice who holds all people accountable to a
\nstandard they are intrinsically unable to attain, and this seems unjust.” (45)<\/p>\n

JT requires that no one be able to
\nobey God’s commands and merit salvation. When the justice of the theory is
\nquestioned, its defenders respond one of three ways, (1) pointing out an
\nespecially sinful group’s deserving of condemnation, (2) insisting on a deeper
\nsense of our sinfulness, or (3) pointing out that the Gospel is an easy way
\nout.<\/p>\n

With regard to the first argument,
\nCampbell says that there may be groups out there that deserve condemnation, but
\nthat JT does not rely on the existence of these groups. He writes, “The
\ntheory’s vestibule targets ‘all,’ ‘without exception,’ and so must apply as
\nwell to the very inverse of this category of justly damned reprobates! Humble
\nor saintly people will be included within its indictment, at which point the
\ntheory’s actual ground becomes plainly apparent. Indeed, it is only when we
\nfocus this calculus on good people that we comprehend its real dynamic. Truly
\nhumble saints, who have devoted their lives to the service of others–perhaps at
\ngreat personal risk–and who disclaim any
\npretense of perfect virtue<\/i>, will also be condemned at the end of the age as
\ninsufficiently righteous.” (46)  <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

The second attempt at theodicy is
\nto insist upon recognition of our depravity. Gad may seem<\/i> unjust, but that is only because we don’t understand the depth
\nof our depravity. Campbell agrees that we don’t understand our depravity and
\nthat it is legitimate for Christians<\/i>
\nto reflect on their sinfulness, but he points out that it is incoherent to
\ninsert this defense in a non-Christian<\/i>
\nphase of salvation. He writes, “The darker the depraved non-Christian mind, the
\nmore incoherent the divine expectation that important conclusions will be drawn
\nrationally from the construction of the cosmos.” (47)<\/p>\n

The third attempt at theodicy is to
\npresent the Gospel. However, this defense is only valid for those people who
\nare fortunate enough to hear it.<\/p>\n

Campbell concludes, “This stringent
\nethical demand by God for ethical perfection from essentially flawed human
\nbeings does not seem reasonable or just. Judgment is not pending merely for
\nwicked and hypocritical people but also for kind, despairing, and even saintly
\nfolk, and this seems fundamentally unjust
\nin terms of proportionality<\/i>.” (47)<\/p>\n

What do you think? Does God demand a type of obedience that we are
\nunable to perform? Is this just? <\/b><\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is an incredible series being offered to us by Matt Edwards: a nine part summary and response to Douglas Campbell’s mega-book, The Deliverance of God: An Apocalyptic Rereading of Justification in Paul . Thanks to Matt Edwards. The Deliverance of God 5–The Injustice of God in Justification Theory We are evaluating Douglas Campbell’s rereading…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":70,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6381","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gospel"],"yoast_head":"\nDeliverance of God 5 (Matt Edwards) - Jesus Creed<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/jesuscreed\/2010\/06\/deliverance-of-god-5-matt-edwa.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Deliverance of God 5 (Matt Edwards) - Jesus Creed\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This is an incredible series being offered to us by Matt Edwards: a nine part summary and response to Douglas Campbell’s mega-book, The Deliverance of God: An Apocalyptic Rereading of Justification in Paul . 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The Deliverance of God 5–The Injustice of God in Justification Theory We are evaluating Douglas Campbell’s rereading…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/jesuscreed\/2010\/06\/deliverance-of-god-5-matt-edwa.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Jesus Creed\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2010-06-11T05:32:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.assoc-amazon.com\/e\/ir?t=jescre-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0802831265\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Scot McKnight\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Deliverance of God 5 (Matt Edwards) - Jesus Creed","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/jesuscreed\/2010\/06\/deliverance-of-god-5-matt-edwa.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Deliverance of God 5 (Matt Edwards) - Jesus Creed","og_description":"This is an incredible series being offered to us by Matt Edwards: a nine part summary and response to Douglas Campbell’s mega-book, The Deliverance of God: An Apocalyptic Rereading of Justification in Paul . 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