Tim’s Blog

Abraham’s Faith Revisited

June 26, 2017

When we correlate Genesis 15, Genesis 22, Romans 4, and James 2, we will come to understand that there is no tension whatsoever between Paul’s view of faith and works over against that of James. Both appeal to how Abraham’s faith in Genesis 15 is accounted for righteousness, but both in fact go beyond that.

Like Paul, James affirms that Abraham’s faith in Yahweh’s promise was counted as righteousness (i.e. in Genesis 15, when God made the initial promise of seed). He affirms that within the framework of stating that Abraham was justified by works when he offered up Isaac on the altar (Gen 22, frequently referred to as the akedah). The point he makes is that the faith of Abraham (which Yahweh counted as righteousness) was active, and that it was completed by action. The offering of Isaac, says James, fulfilled the Genesis 15 statement that Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.read more »

Judges Judges Justifying

May 22, 2013

God sent the judges in Judges to justify Israel.

Hopefully, that is sufficiently pithy to help us get beyond our anachronistic view of justification. When we talk about it, we tend to think exclusively of a modern judge in a courtroom whose sole task is to make pronouncements. But when God sent judges in the flesh, they were not known for courtroom activity so much as deliverance activity.

Justification is vindication, including deliverance against enemies. This is one primary reason why the term justification is associated with salvation in Scripture.

It is necessary to understand that justification is a forensic (legal) term. It is also necessary to understand that the forensic character is not determined by modern settings, but by Scripture.

There is in Scripture a throne of judgment, but vindicating activities surrounding the throne are all equally aspects of God’s legal action. God does what He says.

This is why Peter Leithart speaks of biblical justification as a “deliverdict.”

Contrary to what some imply, justification is not fiction, but re-creation.