Scriptural Mormonism: Thomas Wayment on δικαιοω being Transformative, not merely Declarative

Friday, December 21, 2018

Thomas Wayment on δικαιοω being Transformative, not merely Declarative

My copy of Thomas Wayment’s The New Testament: A Translation for Latter-day Saints arrived yesterday. There were a number of things I enjoyed about it, including how Wayment correctly understands δικαιοω not being declarative merely, but also transformational, contra Protestant theologies on justification. For instance:

Therefore, just as one man’s sin led to the condemnation of all people even so through one man’s righteousness came righteousness in their life. For just as through the disobedience of one man many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of one man many will be made righteous. (Rom 5:18-19)

Do you not understand that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor sodomites, nor robbers nor the greedy nor drunks nor verbal abusers nor thieves will inherit the kingdom of God. Some of you were these things. But you were washed, you were made holy, and you were made righteous. (1 Cor 6:9-11)

We are ethnically Jews and not sinful Gentiles, yet we know that a person is not made righteous by works of the Law but through the faith of Jesus Christ, and we have believed in Christ Jesus so that we might be made righteous by faith in Christ and not by works of the Law, because by works of the Law no person is made righteous. (Gal 2:15-16)

But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is a God, you do well. Even the demons believe and are struck with fear. Do you want to know, you empty person, that faith without works is useless? Was our father Abraham not made righteous by works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar? You see that faith was working in tandem with his works, and his faith was made perfect y works. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God. You see a person is made righteous by works and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the prostitute also made righteous by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, even so faith without works is dead. (Jas 2:18-26)

This is something I have discussed a number of times on my blog, including:

Does LDS Theology Confuse the Relationship Between Justification and Sanctification?

Christ's Baptism is NOT Imputed to the Believer

Refuting Jeff Durbin on Mormonism and the Atonement

Can our works save us? Refuting sola fide

Dave Bartosiewicz vs. Transformative Justification and Refutation of Dave Bartosiewicz on justification and the atonement being forensic

King David Refutes Reformed Soteriology

Does the Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14) Support Sola Fide?

Jeff Durbin on Luke 7:35, James 2, and Justification