Discuss Theology

N.T. Wright states on pages 147 and 148, of Paul in Fresh Perspective,

“This is why Christian ethics is so much more than keeping a new law. It is living in the new age. In particular, that is why, in 1 Corinthians 13, Paul expounds the life of love not so much as a new duty but as the Christian’s new destiny: faith, hope and supremely love are the things that will last, the qualities which, as fruits of the Spirit, are the bridges into the new world, and by learning to cross those bridges we are already living by the rule, as Paul can still sometimes call it, of God’s new creation. This is why, too, though Paul does not always mention the Spirit when he says such things, he can claim that the one who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of the Messiah.”

I know I touched on this yesterday, but Wrights words are probably a lot more eloquent than mine will ever be. Today I would like to point out the continuity/discontinuity aspect to the covenant. On this side of the Atlantic we usually over-emphasis the discontinuity of the covenant. There once were Jews, with their book and culture, living in the Promised Land and making sacrifices in the temple. Jesus died on the cross. And now there are Gentiles, with their book and culture, living in the western nations, who worship in small churches and take communion. The God of the Jews is, as I have heard over and over again from evangelicals, “not the God I know”.

There are things that did change at the death of Jesus, not the least of which is temple worship, sacrificial system, dietary laws and the rules of membership in the community (baptism instead of circumcision for instance). We could discuss many changes, which occurred between the crucifixion and 70 AD, but time would not allow such a discussion.

Yet how radical was the change? We still have the Lamb of God as our sacrifice. The temple has been moved, but worship still continues. Membership has alwasy been open to non-Jewish believers. Our scriptures are exactly the same as during Jesus life, with the exclusion of the New Testament writtings. There is no great break in the covenant community that I can see, other than a growth in beauty and fullness.

It is the continuity of the covenant that is important to us in Wright’s writings. By and large, the basics of biblical faith have never changed, in spite of Jewish faithfulness or unfaithfulness. Much of the history, and promises, of God’s people was an unfolding of God’s plan of salvation and redemption. The early people of God did not fully understand this plan when they too were Gentiles (was Abraham a gentile? Or Noah?). But the mystery of God was finally revealed in all its fullness through Jesus. This is part of the continuity of the scriptures and community of God. Trust in God, through Jesus, has been and always will be the path to salvation.

As to the law, little essentially has changed, though it may have been redefined through the Spirit. The outward expression of our faith has been, and will continue to be, whether you were of the Jewish people, or the new community of Christ, to love the Lord your God and love your neighbor. Steve