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Where Wrath and Mercy MeetA classic on the CrossWHERE WRATH AND MERCY MEET George Whitefield wrote in his diary for 1735 that justification by faith is 'the good old doctrine of the Church of England'. With so many doctrines and practices being re-interpreted by professing evangelicals, it was inevitable that this bulwark of Protestant evangelicalism would come under scrutiny. We are now confronted with a 'New Perspective' on the doctrine of justification. According to J.D.G. Dunn, N.T. Wright and others, evangelicals have persistently misunderstood the theology of the apostle Paul on this subject from the time of Luther to the present day. Apparently it is not, after all, primarily about penal substitution and a legal declaration of righteousness. Following on from Philip Eveson's excellent restatement of Justification and rebuttal of Tom Wright (The Great Exchange - Day One Publications 1996) David Peterson and his team from Oak Hill Theological College have provided a careful biblical discussion of the subject. David Peterson contributes the first three chapters by helpfully introducing the subject and outlining the doctrine of the atonement in the Old and New Testaments. Among many significant insights, David draws our attention to the unhelpfuness of 'at-one-ment' as an explanation of the word 'atonement', which has far more to do with deliverance from divine judgement on payment of a penalty than simply with reconciliation. Similarly, we are reminded that the doctrine of justification began not with Paul (still less with Luther), but with the Old Testament sacrificial system; and it is from there that we will understand its meaning. Gary Williams deals with 'The Cross and the Punishment of Sin' and Michael Ovey follows with 'The Cross, Creation and the Human Predicament' - perhaps the hardest chapter to grasp. The final chapter by Paul Weston reflects on John's Gospel from the perspective of preaching and this brings the whole subject into a vital evangelistic focus. An Appendix provides a re-run of a message on the subject by Alan Stibbs over 40 years ago. Valuable questions at the close of each chapter make the book suitable for study group discussion. Much of the debate centres upon the proper interpretation of Isaiah 53 and this chapter is well handled in the book. The only criticism is directed to the publisher who must paste the single but significant erratum into the foreword page, and must price his books more realistically. Come on Paternoster, when you have vital truths defended by high calibre evangelicals, please make it possible for pastors to purchase. There can be few subjects more important than this one. But let one of the contributors have the last word: 'It is the teaching of the Scriptures, shown sufficiently by a single but long strand of evidence, that Jesus did bear the punishment for sin, that in bearing it he made atonement, and that he bore it from the hand of God himself' (p.97). Brian H. Edwards© Evangelicals Now - October 2001 |