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Paul for everyone: Galatians and ThessaloniansThe Wrighteousness of God?PAUL FOR EVERYONE: Tom Wright is set to become a second William Barclay. His aim is to provide guides to all the books of the New Testament with his own original translation of each verse. The guides are meant to bring the message of the New Testament books to everyone's attention. Wright has already produced 'Mark for Everyone' and 'Luke for Everyone'. This latest volume in the series, under the general heading of 'Paul for Everyone', covers what many scholars consider to be the earliest of Paul's letters. The Canon Theologian of Westminster Abbey and SPCK Research Fellow not only produces works of great learning that are read with interest by the academic world but is able to convey the results of his scholarship in down-to-earth language that can be read by ordinary people. That someone from an evangelical, Reformed background should be in this influential and important position, writing such biblical guides, has been welcomed warmly in a number of evangelical circles. Wright takes us through Galatians and the two letters to the Thessalonians, section by section, conveying the main point of the passage with homely illustrations and up-to-date applications. The portions are just right as personal daily study guides. It is the wish of the publishers that groups studying the Bible will also find them useful. Made meaningfulIn many respects this is a fine production. The book is slim and easy to handle. A clear distinction is made between the biblical text and the comment that follows. Wright's translation keeps as close to the original as possible but conveys the sense in everyday English speech. 'There is' and 'it is', for instance, become 'there's' and 'it's'. He always translates 'Christ' as 'Messiah' and 'brothers' as 'family', but he is not always consistent in translating 'church' as 'community'. Wright has the ability to make difficult concepts meaningful to the uninformed. He seeks to convey the message of the text in a fresh, clear and readable way without being too simplistic. The book avoids technical jargon. Important theological terms or key words are placed in bold type to indicate that an explanation of their meaning is given in the glossary at the back. A map at the beginning presents the Eastern Mediterranean in New Testament times, showing the boundary of the Roman Empire and place names associated with the apostle Paul. Half the book is given over to Galatians and half to the two Thessalonian letters. Wright seeks to convey the overall message of these books and to expound those parts that are difficult or important. Those looking for a detailed explanation of every word and phrase will be disappointed. Nevertheless, it is surprising what Wright is able to include and where there is no comment his translation of the text is often a sufficient help. There are no formal introductions to these Pauline letters, no footnotes or endnotes. Background information concerning Paul, the people he is writing to and the circumstances which led to the letters are all included in the course of the commentary. With his expert knowledge of New Testament times, Wright brings these letters to life in his own engaging style and at the same time seeks to apply their messages to today's world. With so much to commend the book, it may seem churlish to introduce negative comments. However, there are some disturbing features that cannot be ignored. No penal substitutionWright's views on the gospel and justification are popularised in this book, particularly in his treatment of Galatians. The gospel, for Wright, is the announcement of Christ's lordship and people are called to change their allegiance to him. Occasionally Wright uses the word 'saviour', but nowhere is this spelt out. You will look in vain for a clear statement on how sinners can be right with God and in what way Christ's death is important for our salvation. In fact, readers could be forgiven for thinking that Christ's death was God's second plan because of Israel's failure to bring God's promises to the nations. Galatians.3.13, which has to generations of commentators expressed the penal substitutionary nature of the atonement, is reinterpreted by Wright to refer to Messiah's experiencing the curse of Israel's exile. It is hard to understand in what way the cross benefits sinners generally. While he quite rightly emphasises the justice of God in the final judgement, he is not happy with the subject of vengeance or punishment. This will naturally affect his understanding of the atonement. Justification is described as God's declaration that someone is in the right. On the other hand, present justification is made to mean that a person is a full member of the family that God promised Abraham. This, however, is not what justification means. Faith as self-despairing trust in Christ alone for acceptance before God is completely absent from this study guide to Galatians. As the book is 'for Everybody', it should not take for granted that everyone reading it is a Christian. Some of his examples and applications seem deliberately aimed to appeal to Roman Catholics and the ecumenical world of denominations. At the same time there is a move away from what traditional evangelical Protestants have considered to be important concerning church unity. When the Reformers' understanding of the gospel and justification has been neatly set aside the way is open for all kinds of unholy alliances. Wright's decision not to use capitals when referring to the Third Person of the Trinity seems arbitrary (see p.115ff). Another concern is Wright's opinion that the devil ('the satan') is 'a force'. He comments, 'it may be going too far to see it as 'personal'. (p.105). Here then is a book that preachers and teachers should read for its apt illustrations and as an example of how some of Paul's complex theological arguments can be explained simply and directly. The reservations are serious enough to make it difficult to recommend the book to the people it is meant to serve. This reviewer would be reticent to give it to 'everybody'. Philip H. Eveson,
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