| dc.description.abstract | What attitude was Paul opposing when he said that “a man is justified by faith apart from works
of the law” (Romans 3:28)? The traditional view has been that Paul was opposing works righteousness,
the idea that says, “I can earn God’s favor by keeping the law.” There is, however,
a group of scholars promoting a New Perspective: E.P. Sanders, James D.G. Dunn, and N.T.
Wright. They deny that it was works righteousness which Paul was opposing in his letters.
Instead, Paul was opposing ethnic exclusivism. This thesis attempts to demonstrate that Paul was
indeed opposing works righteousness by bringing forward evidence from the Pauline passages at
the center of the debate. Interaction is also made with the exegesis of these passages put forward
by the advocates of the New Perspective. This paper will argue for a Pauline polemic against
works righteousness from Paul’s usage of Psalm 143:2 in Galatians 2:16 and Romans 3:20, from
Paul’s consistent contrast between “doing” and “believing” (Romans 9:32; Galatians 3:11-12),
and from Paul’s warning to the Christians in Philippi against “putting confidence in the flesh”
(Philippians 3:3). | en_US |
