Monday, December 9, 2019

Neil Richardson on Paul's Understanding of δικαιοσυνη (righteousness/justification)


In a discussion of Paul’s use of, and understanding of, δικαιοσυνη (righteousness/justification), Neil Richardson noted that:

 . . .it is an important word for Paul. It is introduced into Galatians in the context of a discussion about justification (2.21; cf. 2.15-17), and consequently n Paul’s exegesis of Gen. 15.6 (Ἀβραὰμ ἐπίστευσεν τῷ θεῷ, καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην) at Gal 3.6-29 and Rom. 4.3-25. It is also used in ch. 6, where Paul responds to the question επιμενωμεν τη αμαρτια ινα η χαρις πλεοναση by using δικαιοσυνη in antithetical parallelism with αμαρτια (vv. 13-23). It is clear from these and other passages, notably 2 Cor. 5.21, that in Pauline thought δικαιοσυνη του θεου leads to δικαιοσυνη in the believer, Christ himself being the embodiment or focus of this δικαιοσυνη απο θεου (1Cor. 1.30). (Neil Richardson, Paul's Language About God [Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement Series 99; Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1994], 69, emphasis added)

Notice here that the believer is said, within a text (2 Cor 5:19-21) that speaks of justification, not sanctification, having δικαιοσυνη in him. This is the language of transformational, not merely declarative, justification. Indeed, what is further interesting is that this is a text Protestants often abuse to support their concept of imputed righteousness and forensic justification. For a full exegesis of this and other texts, see:

Response to a Recent Attempt to Defend Imputed Righteousness (this is a review of John Kauer, “Are You Considered as Good as Jesus? The Imputation Approach” in Eric Johnson and Sean McDowell, eds. Sharing the Good News with Mormons [Eugene, Oreg.: Harvest House Publishers, 2018], 273-81, 339).