I downloaded an excerpt from Wright's book on Justification, which is a response to Piper's earlier book that deals and critics the latter's reading of Pauline letters and especially on the issue of justification.
Although, I disagree with Piper, I must agree on the fact that when it comes to Pauline theology, you really need to pay extra attention to what Wright is talking about if you want to understand his position correctly. Even this popular reply to Piper needs time to digest judging by the excerpt which I have downloaded. Nevertheless, I think Wright is more right than Piper is.
My impression on the book of Romans currently and on the issue of justification is something like this.
- Paul is addressing a division between Jewish and non-Jewish Christians in Rome.
- The division is caused by the argument whether one needs to keep the Jewish law in order to be called God's chosen.
- Paul sees that the problem is caused by the lack of understanding towards how one is justified or declared righteous, which is the prerequisite in order to enter into the covenant with God and enjoy its commonwealth.
- Paul argues that all have sinned and no one can be justified by merely having the law as part of a tradition or by striving to keep the law in totality which no one can because of the nature of sin in us all.
- Paul points to fact that the law actually makes us aware of the nature and the controlling power of sin in our lives that constantly bend us away from doing what is right, even when we know what we are doing is wrong.
- Paul explains that ultimately, we are declared righteous because of our belief in the Lord Jesus Christ and what he has done.
- Thus, both Jewish and non-Jewish believers are ultimately declared as God's chosen based on their belief in the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Paul anguishes at the fact that some of his Jewish brethren have chosen to reject this choice of faith made available through the gospel of Jesus Christ, the story of who Jesus is.
- But he warns the non-Jewish Christians lest they become proud and persecute their non-believing Jews who are originally the people that God has established a covenant with.
- Hoping that both the Jewish, and non-Jewish Christians would understand what he is writing about, Paul ends with a list of practical things that they can do in order to live harmoniously as a united community of believers of Christ Jesus.
- He also hints to them that they better get their act together because he needs them to continue his mission to Spain and reminds them that other communities of believers elsewhere in the Mediterranean are watching and observing their response.
This is how I view Paul's use of the concept of justification in his letter to the Romans. Thus, in general, justification is about how one is declared righteous, but in the context of Romans, it is a theological solution to clear the misunderstanding of Jewish believers on the status of non-Jewish believers who have the liberty of not keeping the Jewish law and customs because their faith in Jesus Christ is sufficient for them to be declared righteous and counted as God's chosen people and enjoy the commonwealth of God's covenant which is the mystery that Paul explains in his letter to the Ephesians. My two cents.
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