.
. . Melanchthon went after Osiander’s understanding of eternity, an especially
important aspect of his (Osiander’s) Platonizing tendencies. Daniel talked
about an eternal righteousness [in Daniel 9:24]; only God was eternal;
therefore, only God was righteousness. Or, alternatively, Daniel called
righteousness eternal; forgiveness was not eternal; therefore, forgiveness was
not righteousness. In both instances, Melanchthon called into question Osiander’s
assumption about the meaning of the word “eternal.” Rather than always being
something without beginning or end, which would have forced Melanchthon to
concede the argument, “eternal” could also designate a righteousness given to
human beings that had a beginning (in imputation) but would be brought to its
true consummation in eternity. That is, it would never fail. (Timothy J.
Wengert, Defending Faith: Lutheran Responses to Andreas Osiander’s Doctrine
of Justification, 1551-1559 [Spätmittelalter, Humanismus, Reformation 65;
Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2012], 146)
