Pauline Understanding of Salvation | U5

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Pauline understanding of salvation (sin, justification, grace, sanctification)

The Greek word “Soteria” means “Salvation”. The term Soteriology is defined as ‘Doctrine of Salvation’. ‘According to C. A, Anderson Scott, “Christianity according to Paul is Salvation” It is difficult to define salvation. Salvation is the experience of becoming an authentic being and to find the meaning of existence. In Romans I: l6, Paul says that the Gospel is the power of salvation to everyone who has faith.¹ Thus, Salvation covers three tenses,

1. Salvation as an act or event of the past (God’s redemptive act in Christ).

2. The salvific experience (the Christ event becoming effective) now and in the present,
3. Salvation to be perfected or consummated in future.²

In this paper we are going to discuss of Salvation in which, the paper discusses about Sin, Justification, Grace and Sanctification.

1. Salvation:

In Christianity, salvation (also called deliverance or redemption) is the “saving \[of\] human beings from sin and its consequences, which include death and separation from God” by Christ’s death and resurrection, and the justification following this salvation.³

1.1. Salvation as Act of God in Past:

Paul explains the Salvation as an act of God in past in the following Ways;

Firstly, Salvation as a Redemption or liberation from sin, guilt, death and the Law (Torah). For Paul, evil is an objective reality. Christ has struck the fatal blow on evil through the final Victory 1s yet to come. Death is the last enemy to be destroyed (I Cor. 15:26). Thus, Christ’s death is primarily an emancipation from the forces of evil and God’s victory over the spiritual powers (Gal. 4:3, 8, Rom. 6:6, 14-15, 20; Rom. 7:5-6 and Ephesians2:1-10).⁴

Secondly, Salvation is emancipation from Law (Torah). Paul considers the time until the coming of Jesus Christ as the time of the Law (reign of Law) as it is mentioned in Gal. 3:23-24 and Gal. 4:4-5. Paul recognizes that the law keeps man in bondage, awakens sinful passions in him. Thus, it makes him to self-justification before God and makes him a slave who must serve the worldly elements or evil forces (Gal. 3.23; 4:3-5, Rom. 6:14-15; 7:4-6:9:31-32 and Rom. 10:3). The law which was originally given to man as a blessing, but it changed to a burden for him. But Christ redeemed man from the curse of law by Himself becoming a curse on cross (Gal.3:13; 4:4-5; Rom. 8:13). This shows the vicarious act of Christ. Thus, redemption from the law signifies the freedom.⁵

Thirdly, Salvation is liberation from sin and guilt. Sin is the common enemy tor all humankind. Human beings are the slaves of sin (Rom. 5:21, 6:20). Sin is not merely the Sinful state, but is a power which subdues man from outside and for achieving this purpose it uses the human flesh or man’s physical constitution as is instrument. For Paul, there is a usual connection between sin and death (Rom. 5:21, 6.22). Paul sees Christ as the “Last Adam” who removed the sin of first Adam.

There is also a connection between sin and law (Rom. 6:14; 7:5, 9-10). In Romans 8:2 says that, “The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made you free from the law of sin and death”. Thus, Christ broke the power of sin by assuming Sinful flesh and there by committed Himself to the sphere of sin’s power (Rom. 8:3). Christ died for sin once for all, but Christ did not die as a slave to sin (Rom. 6:16). Paul uses different metaphors to describe God’s salvific act in Christ, hi Romans 3:24-26.⁶

1.2 Paul uses metaphors

1.2.1 Forgiveness:

“Forgiveness” (avfesiw) of sins became central to the teaching of the synoptic Gospels and Acts. The notion “to forgive” is confined to Romans 4:7, Psalm 31:1–2 is cited. In Greek the verb avfi,hmi means to release from legal obligation. Paul quoted the translation Psalm 31:1 unaltered: “Blessed are those whose lawlessness was remitted.” The translation suited his view of God who remitted the lawlessness of those who, in a legal sense, were justified through faith. It seems that in letters normally attributed to Paul, “forgiveness” is confined to passages drawing on pre-Pauline tradition. This is clearly the case in Romans 4:7–8, Psalm 30:1–2 is cited. In Romans 3:25b and 2 Corinthians 5:19, the only other cases where Paul mentions that sins will not be accounted for, he most likely alludes to formulas expressing early Christian beliefs on the saving function of Christ.⁷

1.2.2 Redemption

(apolutrosis) is a metaphor taken from slave trade. If some kind person pays the price money or ransom (lutron), buys a slave and sets him free. It is an act of redemption because the slave has been redeemed from the slave owner. From the mastery of sin and law, we have been redeemed by Christ who has become our new master. Under this new master, there is no more bondage but put perfect freedom to all (1 Peter 1:18-19).⁸

D. Francois Tolmie indicates a possible place for the “origin” of Paul’s redemption metaphors in the social setting within which Paul used these metaphors. In a world where more or less a third of all people were slaves, and where people were bought and sold in the same way as we nowadays buy and sell motor cars, the notion of buying, selling or liberating people seems to fit naturally into that of slavery. Tolmie states that the following two aspects are the most important as he explicates the different redemption metaphors of Paul:

i) Paul uses redemption metaphors to convey his firm conviction that Christ brought about a radical status reversal for humankind. This is not merely an improvement in spiritual status, but a totally opposite kind of situation from the one that they experienced until then.

ii) It has become clear that Paul is convinced that this status reversal leads to new obligations. The mere use of metaphors from the context of slavery/redemption would have suggested to Paul and his listeners the notion of belonging to a particular oikos or moving from one oikos to another. Paul usually employs these metaphors in the sense of a movement from one form of “slavery” to sonship or to another form of “slavery.”⁹

1.2.3 Reconciliation:

According to Herman Ridderbos, Paul’s use of Reconciliation originates from the social- societal sphere and speaks in general of the restoration of the right relationship between two parties. It is the work of redemption going out from God in Christ to the world, for the removal of enmity, for the restoration of peace. Above all, reconciliation is a gift that man receives by grace (Rom 5:11). In this restoration of fellowship, the ‘word of reconciliation’ goes out to them that they should let themselves be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:20), that is, from their side too, they should enter into that reconciled relationship.¹⁰

In 2 Cor. 5:18-19, “God hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ,” i.e. restored us to His favour by satisfying the claims of justice against us. According to Smith, in the process of reconciliation, Paul does not speak of sin in general, but of enmity in particular, and he does not say that Christ ‘Christ condemned it to death,’ but that He ‘slew’ it. This reconciliation Christ is effective as He came ‘in flesh’- that is, He submitted in the incarnation to be ‘tempted as we are’ and it was ‘through the cross’ that His work was perfected. There, Himself slain, He ‘slew the enmity.’ Hence, the Christian experience of ‘access in one Spirit unto the Father’ comes to pass. ¹¹

1.2.4 Ransom:

When Paul qualifies salvation in Christ as ransom he may thereby be said to think of the so-called sacral redemption of slaves, a familiar practice in the Hellenistic world. But here, according to Ridderbos, one must not think of a kind of business transaction between Christ and God, of which believers would then be the stake. It is nowhere said to whom the price is paid nor did that Christ pay the price to God. In the process of the ransom, Christ represents God with men (1 Tim 2:6)- as the One sent of God, He takes the curse upon Himself and He dies, burdened with it, in place of men on the cross. He pays the price for them; He therein unites in Himself God’s saving will toward the world and His wrath against the sin of the world.¹²

1.2.5 Adoption:

Ridderbos holds that this term stems from the Hellenistic world of law; its content, however, must not be inferred from the various Roman or Greek legal systems, nor from the adoption ritual of the Hellenistic mystery cults, but must rather be considered against the Old Testament redemptive-historical background of the adoption of Israel as son of God.

T. Rees holds that the adoption is the recognition and affirmation by man of his sonship toward God. It follows upon faith in Christ, by which man becomes so united with Christ that His filial spirit enters into him, and takes possession of his consciousness, so that he knows and greets God as Christ does. The redemption is a precondition of adoption, which follows upon faith, and is accompanied by the sending of “the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father,” and then all bondage is done away (Gal 4:5-7). In Romans 8:17, the phrase, ‘joint heirs with Christ’ makes it evident that Christ as the Son of God is the one in communion with whom the inheritance is received. Thus, one is able to qualify this inheritance as consummation of sonship.¹³

1.2.6 Justification

is a forensic (the Law – court) metaphor. The prisoner is justified means his innocence is vindicated and he is acquitted or set free. In the case of human beings, there is no one innocent. But Christ becomes instrumental in our acquittal. Christ stands on the side of sinners through His death on the cross. Thus, justification goes along with reconciliation (1I Cor. 5:19).¹⁴

1.2.7 Expiation

(hilasterion) is a sacrificial metaphor and is reminiscent of the sacrificial system in the Old Testament which shows the picture of sacrificial lamb being killed and its blood poured on the altar of the Temple (Leviticus 16). In Paul’s writing Christ is mentioned as of Passover lamb who has been sacrificed for us (I Cor. 5:7). Paul does not view Christ’s death as a propitiation of God or as a compensation offered to God. The emphasis is on Gods initiative and sacrificial love which made our salvation possible.¹⁵

1.3. Salvation as a Present experience

The salvation become effective in the present by the new life that Christ gives comes through faith. Faith is created by the proclamation of the saving event through preaching (Rom. 10:1). The now of salvation 1S an important part in Paul’s Doctrine of Salvation (1Cor. 6:2). God’s part in this process of making the event of saving is through His Grace. It is the Spirit of god which was at work in creation, which worked in Christ and now works in each person which makes a person respond to God’s act in Christ (1 Cor. 1:17). Paul’s theology of Grace is an expression or Gods nature, goodness and 1ove was in the reconciling work through Christ (Rom. 5:8).¹⁶

1.4 Salvation is a progressive experience:

Salvation experience grows in faith as union with Christ (Gal. 2:20; Ephesians 2:1). New life can be experienced fully when the body of flesh 1s replaced by the Spiritual body (I Cor. 15:44) and the new life is lived “in Christ. 1he sacraments such as baptism and Lord’s Supper become the means or experiencing his union with Christ. The consummation of Salvation is in future. The life beyond death was recognized by Paul as a continuation under new conditions of that eternal life which had already began here and its chief trait is perfect and unrestricted fellowship with Christ (Rom. 7:21-24).¹⁷

2. Background of Pauline Soteriology

According to Cilliers Breytenbach, Paul stands in a twofold tradition- He is a Jew who received his education through the Greek language but within the community of the Diaspora Synagogue. He stems from “Hellenistic Judaism”. Even if Acts 22:3 should be interpreted in such a way that Paul was partly educated in Jerusalem, this still implies he was part of the Greek speaking community in Jerusalem. He then probably was part of the Jewish community from Cilicia (Acts 6:9). We thus have to seek for the sources of the metaphors used by Paul in depicting soteriology, the death of Christ, and the effects thereof, within the canopy of Jewish Soteriology as well as the Greek language.¹⁸

The result of striking a compromise between God as righteous judge and as merciful by Second-Temple Judaism was a de facto synergistic soteriology. Obedience to the Law is required of all Jews, and represents their contribution to achieving the goal of eschatological salvation. God as righteous judge will declare those who have obeyed the Law to be worthy of the ultimate reward, some form of eternal life. Nevertheless, perfect obedience is not required as a condition of eschatological salvation, because God as merciful will remove the guilt of those who have transgressed the Law. The removal of guilt is God’s contribution to the obtaining of eschatological salvation. This is the religious-historical context against which one must interpret Paul’s soteriology.¹⁹

2.1 Qumran light on Pauline Soteriology:

Paul Garnet, in his studies deduces that from Qumran we have the expression Qumran light on Pauline Soteriology: Paul Garnet, in his studies deduces that from Qumran we have the expression Qumran light on Pauline Soteriology: Paul Garnet, in his studies deduces that from Qumran we have the expression “covenantal nornism” that only gives a partial picture of Jewish Soteriology and in any case does not succeed in ex excluding salvation by law observance. This enabled us to perceive that Paul is indeed expressing in Galatians 21: 15-21 the futility of Judaism’s seeking salvation by Law observance. Garnet argues that it is not Corrects to say that tor Paul this solution (Christ) precedes the problem (the impossibility or Salvation through the Law). Rather, the solution vindicates the analysis of the problem which originally drove him to this particular solution. There was concern for the salvation of the community as well as tor the individual at Qumran: Israel herself needed to be saved from the exile of Gentile oppression and there was a desire to fulfil the conditions laid down in Scripture tor her restoration.²⁰

This exilic Soteriology” was understood by Paul in a way radically different from that of contemporary Judaism: Both Paul and Judaism agree that a pre-condition of salvation is that sin must be dealt with through atonement. For Judaism this ransom was the gentiles and the wicked in Israel, For Paul it is Christ who had to be surrendered, and who had surrendered himself voluntarily. The present evil age” recalls the expression “the age of wrath, or the region of Belial by which Qumran designated Israel’s exilic condition. Whereas in Judaism this connoted gentile oppression, for Paul slavery to sin and to the Law is in view.²¹

The exilic Soteriology looked forward to the reunion of the Israelite tribes in the Promised Land. Contemporary Judaism understood this in terms of a return of the Diaspora, but Paul thought of a new entity, whose unity was paramount in God’s plans: the church. We noticed that Paul uses incorporation language metaphorically to express a relational reality. Probably purpose in doing this so often is to express the importance of the post-exilic unity or Christians in Christ according to God’s plan.²²

3. Salvation: Past-Present-Future Aspect

T. Wright holds that in Paul’s law-court verdict, the implementation God’s covenant plan in the past, and all based on Jesus Christ himself, is announced both in the present, with the verdict issued on the basis of faith and faith alone, and also in the future, on the day when God raises from the dead all those who are already indwelt by the Spirit. The present verdict gives the assurance that the future verdict will match it; the Spirit gives the power through which that future verdict, when given, will be seen to be in accordance with the life that the believer has then lived.²³

3.1 Past:

Salvation is past when Paul says “By grace you have been saved through faith” where the perfect tense points to a salvation already accomplished (Eph. 2:5, 8). We also find aorist of an event in the past in verses like Titus 3:5; Colossians 1:13…. 3.2 Present: On the other hand, Paul emphasizes that salvation is here and now. The gospel is “the power of God for salvation” and God’s righteousness is being revealed in it (Rom 1:16-17). The tenor of the apostle’s writings and the manner of his living show that this is a reference to a present happening. A present salvation is meant when Paul speaks of the gospel as “the power of God to us who are being saved” (1 Cor. 1:18), and when he refers to “those being saved” (2 Cor. 2:15). Likewise, we see other instances in other Paul’s writings like Romans 7, 10; 2 Corinthians 7; Ephesians 6 etc.

3.3 Future: Paul is certain that salvation is a present reality and that it is a life-changing experience. But he is equally certain that the best we know of it now does not exhaust the subject. He looks for a future salvation when “all Israel will be saved” (Rom 11:26). This is very clear also in the apostle’s reference to our citizenship\* as being in heaven, “from where we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil 3:20). The idea that salvation is nearer than when we first believed (Rom 13:11) also points to a future happening. It is also important to note that Paul does not see this future salvation as coming to all, and that there are passages in which, for example, he sets those who are saved over against “those who are perishing” (1 Cor. 1:18; 2 Cor. 2:15; 2 Thess. 2:10).²⁴

4. Salvation: Individual-Corporal and Cosmic

4.1 Individual:

Paul, while talking about individual salvation, states that when any individual person believes Jesus as Lord and confesses with his/her lips that Jesus is the Lord who can forgive sins, she/he receives the gift of salvation (Rom. 10: 9-13).

4.2 Corporal:

Paul talks of corporate salvation for all Israel in Rom 11: 25b, 26, “a hardening has come upon part of Israel until the full members of the Gentiles come in, and so all Israel will be saved.” While talking about corporate salvation Paul mentions past, present and future salvation. Rom. 8:24, “For in this hope we were saved (past) I Cor. 1: 18b, “… but to us who are being saved…” (Present). I Tim. 2:3, 4, “this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our saviour, who desires all men (people) to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (future).²⁵

4.3 Cosmic:

In Rom 8:19-24 Paul analyses the whole dynamics of the created universe and the children of God engaged in a mutual encouragement to have both of them eschatologically liberated and transformed. It is the whole man, body-soul, and the material universe together with him that will be finally saved and transformed from their tendency to death, decay and corruption. In Ephesians 1:19-10 Paul tells us how the whole plan of salvation is an ongoing process which will have its perfect realization only in the fullness of time. Here we see the total, integral and cosmic dimension of salvation as an ongoing process having its final end in Christ, the Omega. God the Father guides the whole process in and through Christ, but at the same time in and through the process of history.²⁶

5. The Ultimate Goal of Salvation

5.1 The Newness of Life:

In Romans 6, Paul deals with one of the criticisms made against his gospel of salvation by grace through faith. He argues that in identifying by faith with Christ in his death and resurrection, the Christian has been set free from the bondage of his past. Newness of life is now a glorious possibility. This newness of life is God’s answer to man’s bondage to sin and death. In his exposition of the new life in Christ, Paul emphasizes its characteristic freedom. The Christian has been set free from all that once held him in bondage (Rom. 8: 1-2). “‘For freedom Christ has set us free” (Gal.5:1).²⁷

5.2 Peace:

One of the first blessings of salvation that Paul mentions in Romans 5:1 is “peace” with God. Man in Christ has been reconciled to God. He is no longer hostile and rebellious. But in being reconciled to God, man is also reconciled to his fellow-man. In Ephesians 2:14 Paul says, “Christ is our peace”. He has reconciled man to God through his death and thereby created in himself a one new humanity. The barriers of race, sex, social distinction have been superseded in Christ (Gal.3:28; Col.3:11).²⁸

5.3 Power and Security:

Also the power of God that was demonstrated in the resurrection and exaltation of Christ is now at work in believers (Eph.1:9). This power is available to those who live “according to the Spirit” (Rom.8:13). Moreover, the believer in Christ is secure in the love of God. In Romans 8:34ff. Paul closes his exposition of the theme, “He who is righteous through faith shall live” with a glorious passage on the security of the Christian believer. Nothing, says Paul, can separate the men in Christ from his Lord.

5.4 Glory:

The end of salvation is often described by Paul as sharing in the glory of God in Christ. This is the Christian hope (Rom. 5:2). In the Old Testament the glory of Yahweh denotes the revelation of God’s being, nature and presence to mankind. Sharing his glory connotes becoming like Him in character. This is made quite clear in Rom 8:29-30 where the consummation of God’s saving purpose which began with his predestining men to be conformed to the likeness of Christ is described as “glorification.” “Glory,” therefore, is strictly speaking, an eschatological reality; however, the present ministry of the Spirit results in the believer being changed from glory in to glory (2 Cor. 3:18).²⁹

6. Pauline understanding of Sin:

The Sin (hamartia) occurs about 59 times in the main letters of Paul. Of these. 48 are found in Letter to Romans. The concept of sin expressed as iniquity (Rom. 6:19). Trespass (Rom. 5:15), Wickedness (Rom. 6: 13), Evil (Rom. 3:8) etc. the sin mentioned in our context refers to Adam’s sin (Gen. 3). His sin consists in the misbehaviour of God’s command. Sin is a personified malevolent power, hostile to God and alienating men from him, which strode upon the stage of human history at the time of Adam’s misbehaviour. Thus, this power has come in to the world. It entered to human life and with it in to the whole of creation (Rom. 8:19-21). Sin dwells in people (Rom. 7:17-20). He offers them the reward of hostility to God and division from him (Rom.5:10). The final outcome of his rule is nothing other than bondage to Satan (Rom. 7:23; 8:2; Eph. 2:2).³⁰

In Rom. 1:18-3:20 Paul argues that all men are sinners. But more than that, Paul insists that the can no longer help being sinners. Paul speaks of men as “slaves to sin” (Rom. 6: 17, 20) and as sold under sin” (Rom 7.14). Moreover, they are implicated not only in their own sins, but in the sin of fallen humanity as a whole. So then, in Pauline thought, Sin is understood in two important ways: firstly, it represents rebellion against God and results in a beach of relationship; secondly it also constitutes a power that keeps man in helpless slavery.

Rom. 5:12 states that sin came in to the world through one man. Through his Sin, death appeared on the scene and it spread to all men, because all men are sinned. Rom.5:12-21 is known as “Locus classius” of the “Doctrine of anginal Sin”. Sin and death are closely related to each other. Like sin, death (thanatos) too is personified by Paul (1Cor. 7:39; 11:30; 15:6) death has its theological significance. It then touches upon man’s situation before God and places him in relationship with the sin of Adam.³¹

6.1. Sin as the Superpower

… The first ever trace of the mention of sin in the entire bible is in the etiological notion of how sin began in Gen 2:3 explaining how sin penetrated into the world. It began with man not with God. The initial state of human beings was much of bliss and grace as they lived in paradise at the divine presence and were evidently free from all intrinsic and social vulnerabilities. This throws light to the possible of the third possibility. As metaphysical principles assert God can’t be the source of evil as he is infinitely perfect and common logic suggests that man devoid of internal affinities towards sin cannot either be the cause of sin necessitating a third source viz. devil. “The world is therefore in its unity and totality the domain of demonic powers, which he denotes as “angels, principalities, powers” (Rom 8:38; 1Cor. 15:24; Col 2:14). Sin and all forms of the same including suffering, oppression, anxiety etc. belong to the dominion of Satan (1Cor. 5:5, 20; Cor. 12:17, 1Tim. 1:20). Though Pau posits a sort of opposition between spiritual and demonic powers, his philosophical wisdom is so keen not to end up in an original dualism between God and the world or even God and the powers. He puts that everything be it power, throne, dominion etc. is created in Christ (Col. 1:16).³²

6.2. Sarx: The Inherited Sinful Nature as ‘from Within’

God the fullness of goodness can’t be the cause of evil. Indeed, evil is the privation of good and not a positive entity. Moral evil is called sin. Hence God cannot be, as the metaphysical principles Confirm, the cause of sin. How sin and humanity is connected was a tough question faced by the philosophers. Paul answers the same in a quite brilliant manner when he use the term sarx; literally translated as flesh. However, the term is not limited to its literal sense which may lead to the principle of body-soul dualism. The term flesh in the Pauline writings (Rom: 7:5 etc.) means the sinful nature inherited from Adam.³³

7. Pauline understanding of Justification:

The noun Justification’ appears in Romans 4:5 and 5:18 and the verbs to justify, acquit or reckon or make occur about fifteen times in Romans and Galatians. This language is forensic, belonging to the court: a legal process culminating in a verdict of acquittal, and was developed in opposition to the Jewish doctrine of works. Daniel Patteholds that the word ‘being justified’ in Pauline corpus is not primarily opposed to being condemned. It rather refers to a relationship. It refers to the ‘right relationship with God’ which is established/re-established once and for all through the Overcoming of what prevents this relationship. Hence, Justification means approximately forgiveness of sins although the emphasis is on reconciliation of humankind to God. Seyoon Kim construes two assumptions on what Paul implies by his justification through faith as, Justification is on the basis of Christ’s work and through the Holy Spirit, rather than through keeping the religious and ethical commandments of the law, i.e., ‘works of the law.

The justified’ remain ‘righteous’ unto the consummation of salvation by walking according to the Spirit, rather than by observance of the law.³⁴

7.1 Paul’s Justification by Faith

James D. G. Dunn and Alan M. Suggatetrace it (Paul’s Justification by faith) back to his Conversion and deduce that it was out of his conversion experience that the Pauline teaching on justification gained its individual character. But that individual character centered on the affirmation that the unconditional grace of God had Gentiles in view as much as Jews. The doctrine of justification by faith came to expression in these key letters of Paul (Galatians and Romans) as his attempt to show that God’s covenant blessings were tor Gentiles as well as for Jews, that God was ready to accept Gentiles as Gentiles, without needful them first to become Jews. The Christian doctrine of Justification by faith begins as Paul’s protest not as an individual sinner against a Jewish legalism, but as Paul’s protest on behalf of gentiles against Jewish exclusivism. On the other hand. When Paul says, “God justifies (accepts) people through faith and not by virtue of works of the law,” he was not hitting at people who thought they could earn God’s goodwill by their achievements, or merit God’s final acquittal on the basis of all their good deeds. His point was rather that God accepts Gentiles in the same way that he accepts any person – by grace through faith, through their openness to receive what God wishes to give them. That is to say, God accepts Gentiles as Gentiles, without requiring them to take on, a Jewish life-styleor change their nationality or race.³⁵ Justification is a manifestation of the righteousness of God. It implies a declaration that sinful persons are upright before God. Before Christ, human relationship with God based on three principles as,… The Will of God is perfectly known to the chosen people. They could fulfil God’s will as manifested in the Law. Reward or punishment depends on the observance of the Law and consequently the stress on human merit.³⁶

8. Pauline understanding of Grace;

According to Paul, the first thing and necessary for justification is faith in Jesus Christ. For Paul, faith in Jesus Christ is nothing more or less than repose in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Paul stresses that it is a gift of God (Eph. 2:8; Rom. 1:16-17). Apart from the Law, through the righteousness of God a person is justified (Rom. 3:21-25; 4:3-5, 22-23). The Sinful man falls short of the Glory of God (Rom. 3:23) and he cannot achieve righteousness by the work of law. He can do only to commit to the Grace of god and respond the redemptive work of God in Jesus Christ.³⁷

When Paul used justification, he means that human beings are justified through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The righteousness is the declaration of God’s free gift to the believers (Rom. 5:17, 21). And this gift is the results from God’s Grace, not achieved by the obedience to the Law, otherwise the death of Christ would be in vain (Gal. 3:21).

Grace is God’s condescending to man (Titus 2:11), who is not worthy of it but stands in need of it (Rom. 4:25; 9:12). Jesus Christ is God’s bestowing hand, God’s acquitting word, God’s saving arm, in Jesus Christ God’s eye beholds us mercifully and graciously. He is the Grace of God in person. The thought of grace is always that of judicial verdict. Grace is pardon acquittal form that punishment which we deserved by right and which would be to our eternal ruin (Rom. 3:24). Therefore, grace is also exemption from merited condemnation (Rom.5:16).³⁸

8.1 Grace:

According to Stephan J. Joubert, Paul, in his letters, reflects on the Christ-event from various theological angles of incidence, as required by the contingent situations that he addresses. He also applies various traditions and concepts from his Graeco-Roman, as well as traditional Jewish and early Christian material, to give expression to the nature and content of the new life in Christ.³⁹

8.2 Grace and Faith:

C. Ryder Smith assumes that for Paul, the terms ‘grace’ and ‘faith’ were correlative and describe the two sides of one phenomenon, the fellowship of Christ and Christians. In ‘grace’ Christ gives Himself to the Christian and in ‘faith’ the Christian gives himself to Christ. The former is to be interpreted in terms of love and the latter in terms of trust, though love involves trust and trust involves love. Thus, for Paul, the union is so close that we can speak either of ‘Christ’ in you or of the believer’s being ‘in Christ.’⁴⁰

8.3 Grace and Righteousness:

C. K. Barrett holds that for Paul, God’s grace is entirely for the ‘undeserving.’ His righteousness is used in threefold- His judgment is righteous judgment; He is righteous in Himself; He has found in Christ, a way of converting His judgment into saving, righteousness bestowed not on those who deserve but those who will receive/believe it. Thus, God’s righteousness is not to be manifested only in the last day, but here and now.⁴¹

8.4 Paul’s View of Grace (Justification) By Faith:

… In Romans, Paul develops justification by first speaking of God’s just wrath at sin (Romans1:8-:2). Justification is then presented as the solution to God’s wrath. One is said to be justified by faith apart from works of the law (Romans 3:28). Furthermore, Paul seems to strongly suggest that justification is by faith and not by works. Paul writes of sin and justification in terms of two men; Adam and Christ. Through Adam, sin came into the world; through Christ, righteousness came into the world bringing justification. He believes that the death and resurrection of Christ are both the fulfilment of the Old Testament and therefore, the basis and anticipation of a final glory (8:17) with Christ at the climax of history. According to V.P. furnish, “justification by faith is ultimately a determinative salvation historical Scheme. Therefore, the person who lives after Christ’s resurrection who has not appropriated the benefits of those events of the new era of faith in the old era, is enslaved to sin in the flesh, and doomed to eternal death. In relation to the church wester Holm rightly suggests that justification by faith is central to Romans us theology because it expresses a crucial element in Paul’s understanding of God’s work in Christ and by extension the church. There is a clear eschatological sense implied in Paul’s usage of the term justification.” In chapter 8, Paul connects justification with predestination and glorification (Rom. 8:30). He further states that those who are justified cannot be separated from Christ (8:33-39). The idea of justification or of a judicial act is not only applied on to the present process of the religious life, but also reserved for the last judgment; the divine justification which was accomplished at the cross, is expected to be Consummated on the last day, when there will be definitive acquittal.⁴²

9. Pauline understanding of Sanctification:

Sanctification is at the heart of Christian counselling. The believer, having been reckoned position ally righteous by the work of Christ, is now exhorted to “walk in the newness of life (Romans 6:4) by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. In Romans the sixth, seventh, and eighth chapters, God gives His full thought about sanctification. Chapter Six shows on what ground we may expect deliverance from the sin, and what attitude we must hold Chapter seven develops the power of the sin in us, and our utter helplessness in trying to it down. Seeing the folly of self-effort on the one hand and our glorious victory in Christ on the other and reckoning on God’s faithfulness, we are actually brought into a life of victorious over sin by the indwelling Holy Spirit. This victorious life, the eighth chapter unfolds scripturally stated, sanctification includes the anointing with the Spirit. This is typically taught in Exodus 29:21, 36, 43, 44 and in Leviticus 8:12.⁴³

9.1 Traditionally, sanctification is categorized into three aspects.

9.1.1 Positional sanctification

is that state of holiness imputed to the Christian at the moment of their conversion to Christ. It denotes not so much one’s spiritual condition as his spiritual position. The Corinthian believers could thus be called “saints” even though they were in a carnal state (1 Corinthians 1:2).⁴⁴

9.1.2 Progressive sanctification

refers to the process in our daily lives by which we are being conformed to the image of Christ. It is the process of becoming what we are in Christ. This involves the putting off of the old habits of lying, stealing, backbiting, etc., and putting on the Christ-like qualities of honesty, mercy, and love (Colossians 3:1-10).⁴⁵

9.1.3 Ultimate sanctification

is that state of holiness that we will not attain to in this life, but will realize when we are finally in the presence of God: “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is” (1 John 3:2). Sanctification, the putting off of the old man, and the putting on of the righteousness of Christ, is three dimensional: positional, progressive, and ultimate. The argument of the apostle Paul in Romans 6 is that we are obligated to experience progressive sanctification because of our positional sanctification accomplished on the cross of Calvary.⁴⁶

Reflection and Conclusion:

Pauline understanding of Salvation is deeply rooted on the unique plan of God about Jesus of Nazareth and the distinctive Christian experience. He saw the gospel as a part or a plan and that the history of Salvation had all been the perfect plan of God. Through the writings of Paul, the redemptive work is done and initiated by God. God justifies the unremitting sinner, forgives their sins through His righteousness. This was done through His son Jesus Christ and through Him Grace was given to mankind. Justification by faith, the concept that humans are saved from sin by believing in Jesus. Paul created a theological framework for understanding that Jesus’ death and resurrection triggered a fundamental change in humanity’s relationship with God, a relationship in which faith, rather than behaviour, was the central element. He saw the gospel as a part of a plan and that the history of Salvation had all been the perfect plan of God where God is the author and Christ is the mediator. We have also learnt that Paul tactfully contextualizes his choice of metaphors and terms to his churches depending on their situations as we find in his forensic and cultic metaphors which invite deeper studies as sometimes it is difficult to decide whether a specific utterance is still used literally or not. Pauline soteriology is also greatly predominated by at least two major factors- the social setting as well as the theological setting- namely the Graeco-Roman slavery and the works of law and covenantal nomism respectively. At times, Paul may sound to be totally nullifying the works of law, but as mentioned earlier, it was in the context of covenantal nomism where he argued that the Gentiles were indeed part of God’s salvation-plan. The uniqueness of Paul’s soteriology also lies in his ‘then-now-there’ salvation which means Christ, through His sacrifice in the past, had justified us which demands our reciprocal response in obedience faith in the present, and awaiting for the final salvation. Just as death entered the world through one man, Christ’s redemption covers not only humans but the whole cosmos….

Bibliography

Abraham, M. V. Theology of St. Paul-An Introduction. Thiruvalla: CSS, 2008.
Burner, Emil. The Letter to the Romans A Commentary. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1952.
Dunn, James D. G. and Alan M. Suggate, The Justice of God: A Fresh Look at the Old Doctrine of Justification by Faith. Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1994.
Kim, Seyoon. Paul and the New Perspective: Second Thoughts on the Origin of Pauls Gospels. Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2002.
Moo, Douglas. The Epistle of the Romans. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing, 1996. Paul Garnet, Qumran Light on Pauline Soteriology in Pauline Studies, edited by Donald A. Hagner& Murray J. Harris. Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1980.
Ridderbos, Herman. Paul: An Outline of His Theology. London: Max Publishers, 1975.
Thekkekara, Mathew. The Face of Early Christianity A Study of Pauline Letters. Bangalore: KJC Publications, 1988.
Tunchapbo. Jesus Tradition in Paul and Pauline Circle. Kolkata: SCEPTRE, 2015.
Velanickal, Mathew. Salvation in the Pauline Letters in Bible bhashyam. Edited by Mathew Velanickal (Kottayam: St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary 14, 1988) 05, 164.

Internet source

Footnotes

Tunchapbo, Jesus Tradition in Paul and Pauline Circle (Kolkatta: SCEPTRE, 2015), 100.
Tunchapbo, Jesus Tradition in Paul and Pauline Circle, 101.
https://www.google.com/search?q=salvation+paul+definition&sxsrf Accessed on 20^th March 2021.
M.V. Abraham, Theology of St. Paul- An Introduction (Thiruvalla: CSS, 2008), 29.
M.V. Abraham, Theology of St. Paul- An Introduction, 30.
M.V. Abraham, Theology of St. Paul- An Introduction, 31.
https://matlana.wordpress.com/2015/10/01/pauls-understanding-of-salvation/ Accessed on 22nd March 2021.
M.V. Abraham, Theology of St. Paul- An Introduction, 32.
M.V. Abraham, Theology of St. Paul- An Introduction, 33.
https://matlana.wordpress.com/2015/10/01/pauls-understanding-of-salvation/ Accessed on 22^nd March 2021.
https://matlana.wordpress.com/2015/10/01/pauls-understanding-of-salvation/ Accessed on 24^th March 2021.
https://matlana.wordpress.com/2015/10/01/pauls-understanding-of-salvation Accessed on 24^th March 2021.
https://matlana.wordpress.com/2015/10/01/pauls-understanding-of-salvation/ Accessed on 24^th March 2021.
M.V. Abraham, Theology of St. Paul- An Introduction, 34.
M.V. Abraham, Theology of St. Paul- An Introduction, 33, 34.
M.V. Abraham, Theology of St. Paul- An Introduction, 35.
M.V. Abraham, Theology of St. Paul- An Introduction, 35, 36.
https://matlana.wordpress.com/2015/10/01/pauls-understanding-of-salvation/ Accessed on 26^th March 2021.
https://matlana.wordpress.com/2015/10/01/pauls-understanding-of-salvation/ Accessed on 26^th March 2021.
Paul Garnet, Qumran Light on Pauline Soteriology in Pauline studies edited by Donald A. Hagner and Murray J. Harris (Michigan: Wm.B. Eerdmans Publishing co.,1980), 19.
Paul Garnet, Qumran Light on Pauline Soteriology in Pauline studies, edited by Donald A. Hagner and Murray J. Harris, 30.
Paul Garnet, Qumran Light on Pauline Soteriology in Pauline studies, edited by Donald A. Hagner and Murray J. Harris, 31.
https://matlana.wordpress.com/2015/10/01/pauls-understanding-of-salvation/ Accessed on 30^th March 2021.
https://matlana.wordpress.com/2015/10/01/pauls-understanding-of-salvation/ Accessed on 2^nd April 2021.
https://matlana.wordpress.com/2015/10/01/pauls-understanding-of-salvation/ Accessed on 2^nd April 2021.
https://matlana.wordpress.com/2015/10/01/pauls-understanding-of-salvation/ Accessed on 2^nd April 2021.
Tunchapbo, Jesus Tradition in Paul and Pauline Circle, 85.
Tunchapbo, Jesus Tradition in Paul and Pauline Circle, 86.
Tunchapbo, Jesus Tradition in Paul and Pauline Circle, 87.
Paul Garnet, Qumran Light on Pauline Soteriology in Pauline studies edited by Donald A. Hagner and Murray J. Harris, 31,32
Mathew Thekkekara, The face of early Christianity — A study of Pauline letters (Bangalore: KJC Publications, 1988), 210.
Herman Ridderbos, Paul: An Outline of His Theology (London: Max Publishers, 1975), 91.
Herman Ridderbos, Paul: An Outline of His Theology, 95.
Seyoon Kim, Paul and The New Perspective: Second thoughts on the Origin of Paul’s Gospels (Michigan: Wra. B. Eeerdmans, 2002), 68.
James D. G. Dunn and Alan M. Suggate, The Justice of God: A fresh Look at the Old Doctrine of Justification by Faith (Michigan: Wra. B. Eeerdmans publishing co., 1994), 26, 27.
Mathew Thekkekara, The face of early Christianity — A study of Pauline letters (Bangalore: KJC Publications, 1988), 200.
Tunchapbo, Jesus Tradition in Paul and Pauline Circle, 105,106.
Emil Burner, The letter to Romans: A Commentary (Philadelphia: The West minster Press, 1952), 144.
https://matlana.wordpress.com/2015/10/01/pauls-understanding-of-salvation/ Accessed on 5^th April 2021.
Douglas Moo, The Epistle of the Romans (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans publishing, 1996), 22.
Douglas Moo, The Epistle of the Romans, 24.
Douglas Moo, The Epistle of the Romans, 29.
https:// www. Gracegod.com/pamphlet-and-articles/pamplets/Pauline%20sactification.pdf Accessed on 16^th April 2021.
https://bible.org/8-necessity-sactification-romans-6 Accessed on 20^th April 2021.
https://bible.org/8-necessity-sactification-romans-6 Accessed on 20^th April 2021.
https://bible.org/8-necessity-sactification-romans-6 Accessed on 20^th April 2021.

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