Leading Proponents; Major Tenets; Growing Influence

The point: Use catechisms as a basis for sermon series on particular doctrines, as their succinct statements can form helpful outlines.

Martin suggests using the Westminster Larger Catechism's statement on justification as an outline for a sermon series, demonstrating the practical utility of catechisms for doctrinal exposition.

But if you look over, I comment that in the next century the great Reformed confessions and catechisms, we have the great Reformed catechisms and confessions in which the Reformed Doctrine of Justification is set forth most clearly, and there's possibly no better statement of it than that which is found in the Western Bible, which is found in the Western Bible, which is found in the Western Bible, which is found in the Westminster Larger Catechism, and it states the Reformed Doctrine very clearly and succinctly. Justification is an act of God's free grace unto sinners in which he pardons all t...

1:38 - 3:01 Read in full sermon

The point: Read the footnotes in the lecture notes, as there will be quiz questions derived from them.

Ligon Duncan's quote, 'trying to nail jello to the wall,' is used to describe the difficulty of defining the New Perspective due to its shifting opinions and lack of unified consensus among its proponents.

Also opinions on certain details seem to be constantly changing. Sometimes it feels like trying to nail jello to the wall. As Jay, Ligon Duncan puts it, there is no such thing as the new perspective, the new perspective on Paul. If you mean a unified, uniform, comprehensive theory or mode of interpretation about which there has come to be broad consensus agreement, there's a sense instead in which we could refer to new perspectives on Paul rather than to the new perspective on Paul.

5:24 - 5:56 Read in full sermon

The point: Acquire and read the recommended books for further study on the New Perspective on Paul.

Martin references Guy Waters' 212-page book, 'Justification and the New Perspectives on Paul,' which was revised from 20 hours of lectures, to illustrate the extensive nature of the subject and the impossibility of exhaustive coverage in his own lectures.

You'll also notice that I've included a lot of material again in the footnotes that you can read, and will give you more information that I'm able to give in these lectures. Note down at footnote number 10, I say, to illustrate the difficulty, I feel Guy Waters' 212-page book, Justification and the New Perspectives on Paul, is one of the best and most thorough overviews and responses to the New Perspectives, from a Reformed position that I've read. But his book is revised from 20 hours of lectures that he gave on the subject, and still one could argue that it's only an overview. My goal is to ...

7:38 - 8:35 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Stendhal's article, like a cloud no bigger than a man's hand, gave the promise of a coming storm.

A commentator's remark that Stendhal's article was 'like a cloud no bigger than a man's hand, gave the promise of a coming storm,' metaphorically conveys the significant, disruptive impact Stendhal's essay had on Pauline studies.

Where Paul was concerned about the possibility for Gentiles to be included in the messianic community, his statements are now read as answers to the quest of assurance about man's salvation and the possibility of the fulfillment of the promises to Abraham. Out of a common human predicament, we should venture to suggest that the West for centuries has wrongly surmised that the biblical writers were grappling with problems which no doubt are ours, but which never entered their consciousness. As one man has commented, Stendhal's article, like a cloud no bigger than a man's hand, gave the promise ...

12:24 - 13:07 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: N.T. Wright is presented as the most influential NPP advocate among evangelicals. Wright agrees with Sanders and Dunn, defining 'righteousness of God' as God's covenant…

Martin mentions that N.T. Wright's first published work was a chapter in a Banner of Truth book, confirming his early association with evangelical publishers and explaining his influence among evangelicals.

He is a prolific writer, and without question, he is the most, in my opinion, most influential advocate of the new perspective among evangelicals, and there are at least two reasons for that, it seems. One is that Wright styles himself as an evangelical and associates with evangelicals. He has also been highly acclaimed among some evangelicals for his defending, of the historicity of Christ against rank liberalism. And I quote down there in footnote 38 that I believe his first published work was a chapter in a book published by Banner of Truth.

31:14 - 31:48 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: N.T. Wright is presented as the most influential NPP advocate among evangelicals. Wright agrees with Sanders and Dunn, defining 'righteousness of God' as God's covenant…

Martin refers to Greg Strawbridge's 'almost giddy, enamored reception' of N.T. Wright at a conference, illustrating the popular appeal and influence Wright has among some professedly Reformed evangelicals.

See, for example, Greg Strawbridge on the 2005 Auburn Avenue Pastors' Conference. This is a good example of the almost giddy, enamored reception Wright receives from some professedly Reformed evangelicals. Yes? I've heard Wright speak.

32:53 - 33:11 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon concludes by highlighting the growing influence of the NPP, citing examples like N.T. Wright's authorship in the 'New Dictionary of Theology' and James D.G. Dunn's…

Martin cites the 'New Dictionary of Theology,' edited by Sinclair Ferguson and J.I. Packer, as an example of NPP concepts creeping into mainstream evangelical literature, specifically noting N.T. Wright's authorship of articles on justification and righteousness.

In the theological and evangelical world in general. Let me give an example or two. I have a copy at home of the New Dictionary of Theology. It's published by InterVarsity Press and edited by Sinclair Ferguson, David F. Wright, and J.I. Packer. In some ways, it is a very, very helpful dictionary.

54:06 - 54:25 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon concludes by highlighting the growing influence of the NPP, citing examples like N.T. Wright's authorship in the 'New Dictionary of Theology' and James D.G. Dunn's…

The 'Word Biblical Commentary Series' is given as another example of NPP influence, with James D.G. Dunn writing the two volumes on Romans from a New Perspective viewpoint, demonstrating its penetration into scholarly evangelical resources.

One other example. I already mentioned. The Word Biblical Commentary Series, which promotes itself as evangelical. In fact, some of the commentaries in that are excellent.

56:23 - 56:33 Read in full sermon