When OT Scholars Do Historical Theology

It comes out about as accurate as Historical Theologians doing serious OT work. I say this because I recently asked whence folk (FVists among them) get the idea that Martin Bucer’s soteriology marked a substantial break from Martin Luther’s. I don’t think . . . Continue reading →

Romans 2:13—Justified Through Our Faithfulness? (3)

In part 2 we considered Romans 2:13 in its own context (Romans 1:18–3:20) and the impulse to distinguish between an initial stage of justification sola gratia, sola fide, on the basis of Christ’s righteousness imputed, and a final stage of justification in . . . Continue reading →

Regensburg and Regensburg II: Trying to Reconcile Irreconcilable Differences on Justification

Introduction When in 1618 the Reformed theologian J. H. Alsted (1588–1638) declared that the Protestant doctrine of justification is that “article of faith by which the church stands or falls” (articulus stantis et candentis ecclesiae), he was only repeating what all Protestants . . . Continue reading →

James Does Not Contradict Paul And Vindication Is Distinct From Justification

And There Is Plenty Of Courtroom Language In The New Testament

Why did James say “justify” if he did not mean to indicate that there is either a second way of justification (e.g., by works) or if he did not mean to signal that works somehow play some role other that fruit and evidence. Continue reading →