New Perspective on Paul
After the Reformation, this perspective was known as sola fide; this was traditionally understood as Paul arguing that Christians' good works would not factor into their salvation – only their faith would count.
Scholars affiliated with The Context Group[12][13][14] have called for various reinterpretations of biblical texts based on studies of the ancient world.
By contrast, new-perspective scholars see Paul as talking about "badges of covenant membership" or criticizing Gentile believers who had begun to rely on the Torah to reckon Jewish kinship.
Paul is interpreted as being critical of a common Jewish view that following traditional Israelite customs makes a person better off before God, pointing out that Abraham was righteous before the Torah was given.
[21] Due to their interpretation of the phrase "works of the law," theologians of the historic Protestant perspectives see Paul's rhetoric as being against human effort to earn righteousness.
This is often cited by Protestant and Reformed theologians as a central feature of the Christian religion, and the concepts of grace alone and faith alone are of great importance within the creeds of these denominations.
Wright, however, does not hold the view that good works contribute to one's salvation, but rather that the final judgment is something Christians can look forward to as a future vindication of God's present declaration of their righteousness.
[23] Others tend to place a higher value on the importance of good works than the historic Protestant perspectives do, taking the view that they causally contribute to the salvation of the individual.
[citation needed] Advocates of the historic Protestant perspectives often see this as being "salvation by works", and as a bad thing, contradicting fundamental tenets of Christianity.
[25][26][27][28] As such, the word could be almost synonymous with "obedience" when the people in the relationship held different status levels (e.g. a slave being faithful to his master).
[30][non-primary source needed] Writers with a more historic Protestant perspective have generally translated the Greek word charis as "grace" and understood it to refer to the idea that there is a lack of human effort in salvation because God is the controlling factor.
Some argue that this view then undermines the initial "favor"—of sending Jesus—by saying that, despite his life, death and resurrection, Christians still have, as before, to earn their way to heaven.
[33] To writers of the historic Protestant perspectives the penal substitution atonement theory and the belief in the "finished work" of Christ have been central.
The following is a broad sample of different views advocated by various scholars: The new perspective has been a controversial subject and has drawn strong arguments and recriminations from both sides of the debate.
[39] In 2003 Steve Chalke, after being influenced by new-perspective writers, published a book targeted at a popular audience which made comments that were interpreted as being highly critical of the penal substitution theory of the atonement.
[40] This caused an extensive and ongoing controversy among Evangelicals in Britain, with a strong backlash from laypeople and advocates of the historic Protestant traditions.
[41] Chalke's views drew much support as well as criticism, with numerous articles, blogs and books being written on both sides of the debate.
[citation needed] The new perspective has been heavily criticized by many scholars in the Reformed and Protestant tradition, arguing that it undermines the classical, individualistic, Augustinian interpretation of election and does not faithfully reflect the teachings of the Scriptures.
Barry D. Smith has claimed that the New Perspective's challenge to the traditional view of Jewish faith practice as legalistic is misplaced.
Many Catholic and Eastern Orthodox writers have responded favorably to new-perspective ideas,[61] seeing a greater commonality with certain strands of their own traditions.
[clarification needed] But for those who follow the exegesis of doctors and saints like Clement, John Chrysostom, Ambrose, Augustine, and Thomas Aquinas, the so-called "new perspective" is not welcomed as an accurate reading of the Pauline texts.
The increased importance new-perspective writers have given to good works in salvation has created strong common ground with many within the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.
