Photo taken at River Jordan, Israel, 2015.
Abstract:
This essay evaluates how well Gorman’s account of Paul’s spirituality in the book “Cruciformity” sum up the main
themes and emphases of Paul’s vision of the Christian life, as it is reflected
in Romans and Galatians. Regarding the debate on the centre of Paul’s theology, I agree with
Gorman’s usage of the term “cruciform” to describe the core of Christian
spirituality, and this narrative spirituality involves both a personal and
corporate encounter of the Trinity. However, he can become overly
“cross-focused” at times. Regarding whether Paul experienced “nothing but the exalted, living, crucified Christ”, we
cannot be certain that Paul never met the earthly Christ. Gorman’s account of
Paul’s spirituality has summed up Paul’s vision of the Christian life as it is
reflected in Romans and Galatians well, especially on faith, love, power, hope and community.
However, some areas are open to debate. For example, Gorman’s way of reading the
genitives of pistis blurs the
distinction between justification and sanctification. His interpretation of the
power of the flesh as an internal conflict in Romans7 has implications on how
one views Christian hope. There can be more discussions about the importance of
prayer, thanksgiving and missions in Paul’s spirituality.
‘The debate about the center of Paul’s theology rages on in academic
circles. There is no doubt, however, about the integrating, narrative
experience of his life, his spirituality. For Paul experienced nothing but the
exalted, living, crucified Christ.’ This essay evaluates Gorman’s account of Paul’s spirituality in his book “Cruciformity”,
by looking at the debate on the centre of Paul’s theology, whether Paul
experienced “nothing but the exalted, living, crucified
Christ”, and how well Gorman’s account summed up the main themes and emphases
of Paul’s vision of the Christian life, as it is reflected in Romans and
Galatians.
Scholars debate about the
centre of Paul’s theology. Bultmann take the traditional Protestant paradigm of
justification by faith.[1] Schreiner[2] thinks a search for the centre
is unattainable, but if forced to choose, he would liken Pauline theology to a
house with God as the foundation, and see a theocentric “God’s glory in
Christ”. Others[3],[4],[5],[6] take a
Christocentric view. Schweitzer[7]
describes his views as Paul’s “in-Christ mysticism”, which is “the mystical
doctrine of redemption through being-in-Christ.” Moo[8]
takes a missional view, with Paul addressing how Gentiles can be “incorporated
with Jews into God’s people without jeopardizing the continuity of salvation
history.” Beker[9] takes an eschatological view that
‘for Paul, the coherence of the gospel… consists of the apocalyptic
interpretation of the death and resurrection of Christ.’
Contemporary scholars, including Gorman[10],
found the above approaches limiting, and some despair of ever finding a genuine
centre. Räisänen[11] argues that Paul is
fundamentally unsystematic and inconsistent. Fee[12] believes the centre is what Paul
simply called “the gospel”.[13] Plevnik[14]
believes the centre is thus not any single aspect of Christ, or of God's action
through Christ, but rather the whole mystery of Christ and of the Father's saving
purpose through his Son. Gorman thinks “justification by faith”, “participation
in Christ” and “dying and rising with Christ” are not mutually exclusive
options but complementary realities. Gorman has chosen not to speak of Paul’s
theology but of his spirituality.[15] If forced to pick a centre for Paul’s spirituality, it would the
notion of being “in” Christ.[16]
Although the “imitation of Christ” motif has
been a central part of Christian spirituality[17], Gorman
does not like this term because “imitation” sounds like human effort.[18]
Therefore, he coined the term “cruciformity”, which is “a cross-shaped
existence in Christ”[19], to
describe the centre of Christian spirituality.[20]
Unlike “in-Christ mysticism”,
cruciformity is not a doctrine[21] but a narrative spirituality.[22]
Narratives have
plots and patterns and midpoints, but not centres, therefore the metaphor of a
“centre” is weak.[23] The
believer’s life is life with Christ, corresponding to all the key moments of
Christ’s story.[24] Paul did not just conceptualise
about cruciformity but he lived it.[25] Cruciformity is an “integrative
narrative experience” of Paul’s life and thought.[26] In the
remainder of his life, Paul experienced Christ as a living presence: “For Paul experienced nothing
but the exalted, living, crucified Christ” whom he called “Lord”.[27] The cross is a kind of power in that it effects a
right relationship with God when met with faith.[28] For
Paul, to be in Christ is to be a living exegesis of this narrative of Christ.[29]
I agree that “cruciformity” is a better term for Christian
spirituality than “imitation”, and to view spirituality as a narrative rather
than being limited to a “centre”. However, Gorman can be too “cross-focused”. He described God as cruciform[30],
because if Christ’s act on the cross demonstrates “family resemblance”, it
reveals a Father whose character is self-sacrificing and self-giving.[31] The
Spirit is also cruciform because it is the Spirit of the Son and the One who
raised Jesus from the dead.[32]
However, in his attempt to convince readers in why the Spirit and God is
cruciform, he over-extended his exegesis into passages which are not talking
about the cross.[33] I think there is a lot more to God and
the Spirit than just cruciformity, much of which we cannot even comprehend.
I believe
Gorman’s statement “Paul experienced nothing but the resurrected Christ” is too
absolute. Although Paul’s conversion had been through
an encounter with the risen Christ and not the earthy Jesus[34],
there is real continuity between Jesus’ teaching centred around the kingdom of
God and Paul’s theology as a whole. Both taught about the grace of God, had
similar views about the law[35] and grace[36], and brought good news to the poor[37]. The close similarities indicate Paul’s intimate knowledge of
Jesus’ teaching and attitude.[38]
Although most acknowledge that Paul’s contact with the immediate disciples of
Jesus in the Palestinian churches was not extensive[39],
it is incorrect to claim that Paul was wholly ignorant of the earthly Jesus.[40]
While it cannot be demonstrated beyond doubt that Paul never saw or heard
Jesus during his ministry, it is most probable that Paul’s first encounter with
Jesus was on the Damascus Road.[41]
Therefore, we see that Jesus and Paul were teaching the
same things viewed from different perspectives: before vs after the
resurrection. The relationship between them was more like that between an
architect and a builder.[42]
Gorman identified the various
cruciform dimensions of Paul’s spirituality as experiencing the Father, Christ,
and the Spirit both “individually” and “corporately”, as well as faith, love,
power, hope and community.[43] To further explore how
adequately Gorman sums up the main themes and emphases of Paul’s vision of the
Christian life, I will compare the cruciform dimensions Gorman has identified
with what Paul says about Christian life in Romans and Galatians. First, Gorman
describes cruciform faith as a dynamic initial
and ongoing narrative posture of complete trust in God. It is a life of obedience,
which is “a life story that is unflinchingly orientated toward God… similar to
the way in which Christ was totally focused on God and God’s will”.[44]
In Paul’s letters, we see the use of pistis followed by a
genitive of Jesus’ name, and people debate about whether this is to be
translated as an objective genitive “faith in Christ” or subjective genitive
“faithfulness of Christ”.[45]
This has traditionally been translated as “faith in Christ”. Gorman thinks it
means the “faith of Christ” because it is the most natural translation of the
Greek phrase, makes God the consistent object of faith for Paul, and is an
emphasis on the inseparability of faith and love in the one faithful and loving
act of Christ on the cross.[46]
This is the faith that costed Jesus his life, yields relentless suffering and persecution for
the apostle, and frequently brings affliction to believing communities.[47]
How one translates
pistis Christou has important implications because this will impact on
how on interprets the pistis in Romans1:17, which functions as the
programmatic statement of Romans. In fact, the interpretation can steer the centre of the book of Romans
in different directions, which in turn impacts on what we see as the focus of
Christian spirituality in Romans. Older Protestant scholars emphasise the
judicial pronouncement of the “justification by faith”, while more recent
scholars place more emphasis about the place of Jews and Gentiles within the
purposes of God, with Stendahl proposing a missional focus.[48]
Gorman’s interpretation “faith of Christ” seem to turn justification into moral
transformation rather than judicial pronouncement, and some scholars believe
this confuses justification and sanctification.[49],[50] Like Dunn[51], I believe there is an
intentional ambiguity to the genitives of pistis, and Gorman is being too restrictive in forcing
it into a subjective genitive.
Faith is in important theme in Galatians as the word pistis occurs 22xs in Galatians.[52]
Meanwhile, in
Galatians, Paul rebukes a perverted gospel
(Galatians1:6-9) that required the Gentiles to be circumcised (Galatians2:12).
Traditionally, the opponent against whom Paul defended himself was thought to
be the Judaizers.[53]
In fact, instead of knowing by faith that they are already in the circle of
blessing (Galatians3:9), they are lured to rely on the works of the law (Galatians3:10).
Although Gorman clearly expressed that faith is not a “work”, but I think the
term “faith of Christ” itself can be misleading because some would
instinctively read it as having to “imitate” the “faithfulness of Christ”
instead of simply just believing in Christ.
Gorman points out that
cruciform faith expresses itself in cruciform love[54], where one relates properly to
God and to others.[55] And indeed, Gorman sees Paul’s
fundamental understanding of cruciform love as a denial of self-interest and regard
for others’ edification. In giving up the “I”, it is others-centred and
community-driven.[56] It is grounded in the love of
the crucified Christ[57], which is an enduring[58] and
inclusive[59] love.
This love is formative, not informative[60], and thereby attends to
people’s emotional and physical needs as well as their spiritual needs.[61] It is a pursuit of mercy,
justice and liberation for the oppressed.[62] It motivates people with
status, privilege, power and/or money to be downwardly mobile.[63] For Paul, an educated Roman
citizen, the decision to work as a tent maker was an act of self-enslavement,
as tent making was normally done by slaves or freedmen recently released from
slavery.[64]
In
Galatians, “faith
expressing itself through love” is a crucial point (Galatians5:6). Paul is motivated by the sacrificial love of Christ
(Galatians2:20).[65] In fact, we see love emanating from
Paul himself throughout the letter. There is a mixture of passion, sarcasm,
anger, frustration (Galatians3:1 “my dear idiots”) and tenderness
(Galatians4:19 “dear children”) of a distraught mother who must endure the
pains of childbirth again because her children were “in danger of committing
spiritual suicide”.[66] Romans also cover the
sacrificial love of Christ (Romans5:7-8).
Closely related to cruciform
love is what Gorman calls communities of cruciformity. To be “in Christ” is to
live in a community that is shaped by his story.[67] Paul uses the term ekklesia
for “the church” to designate the assembly of believers who affirm Jesus as
Lord.[68] Gorman
points out that the characterisation of Paul’s
communities as “colonies” can create the impression that Paul’s experience and
vision of the ekklesiai are
ghetto-like or “sectarian”, communities withdrawn from their world. This form of
corporate spirituality is rejected by Paul. The apostle envisions himself and
his communities as embodying Israel’s mission as a light to the nations
(Gentiles).[69] However,
Gorman’s coverage of the missional spirituality of Paul was brief[70],[71] not
mentioning how missional Paul was, in proclaiming the gospel without shame,
planting churches, discipling the churches through his letters (like a
“distraught mother” in Galatians), and asking the churches to support his
missions (eg. Romans15:24).
Gorman
believes Romans12-15 describes the paradigm of the
Christian
community as consisting of a genuine (Romans12:9 anypokritos)[72], nonretaliatory,
hospitable, cruciform love.[73] There are exhortations
to “extend hospitality to strangers” (Romans12:13) and “love your neighbours as
yourself” (Romans13:8-10). Romans 14:1-15:13 reflects tension divided roughly
between Gentiles and Jews (there are also sympathetic people from the “other”
ethnic group)[74]
and how Paul is essentially saying “Jesus was willing to die for these people,
and you aren’t even willing to modify your diet?”[75]
Moo takes a broader view and sees Romans 12-15 as living a life of obedience. The Christian conduct involves
the need for transformation by renewing the mind (Romans12:1-2), the unity of
the body of Christ (Romans12:3-8), the central demand of love (Romans12:9-21),
the need for spiritual wakefulness (Romans13:11-14, clothed with Christ, living
sacrifices), and the reconciliation between “weak” and “strong”
(Romans14:1-15:13).[76]
In fact, “love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans13:10). I believe Gorman
has covered the area of love well but only scratched the surface of Paul’s
missional spirituality.
Gorman observes
that the Spirit of God is usually associated with power: the power of creation,
transformation, and new creation.[77]
Faith transfers the believer into the realm
of God’s power, and the result of this transfer is transformation (Romans6-8).[78] Gorman
points out that “cruciform power is measured by the standards of the gospel of
Christ crucified and resurrected”.[79] It is not imperial, domineering or violent[80], but requires disarmament. In
addition to a positive transformation of the self, it is influence at work for the good of others and is therefore an act of
love.[81] It is available to all
believers, especially to the weak, for it is power in weakness.[82]
Romans3:9 tells us that all humanity is
“under the power of sin”[83] and the
Spirit, which is “poured out” (Romans5:5) into the hearts of those who respond
to the gospel in faith[84], has
the power to save,
releasing people from the bondage of death, sin, flesh and law (Romans5-8).[85]
Another words, “what was impossible for the Law in the face of the power of sin
and death and the weakness of human flesh, God has accomplished in Christ.[86] Romans8 tells us the Spirit’s role or
“ministry” in the believer and the believing community.[87] It focuses on the situation of the
tension experienced by the Christians in this life.[88] Romans8:5-8 describes conflict between two distinct groups of
people, one that lives kata sarka (according to the flesh, still under
the power of sin and death) and kata pneuma (according to the Spirit).[89]
Scholars debate on the topic of the
power of the flesh on the Christian life, especially the interpretation of “I” in Romans7.
Luther believes the “I” struggling with the flesh is referring to Paul and
Christians in general.[90]
Dunn[91] takes a
similar view and believes Romans7&8 need to be taken together, with the
‘groaning’ in Romans8:23 and ‘struggle’ in Galatians5:16-17 being parallels to
Romans7:14-25.[92] Gorman[93]
also believes Romans7 portrays the Christian’s inner struggle between flesh and
the Spirit. Engebretson[94]
points out the “I” of the “nothing good dwells in me” in Romans7:18 is very
personal and must mean a personal conflict. Other scholars do not see Romans7
as a personal conflict. Wright[95]
believes the ‘I’ is “Israel according to the flesh”, and Chang[96]
believes it is Jews and Judaizers who seek justification by observing the
Torah. Fee[97] contends that Paul uses the term sarx in the extended sense as
referring to our humanity. Longenecker[98]
describes the approach of dividing Romans7 into two parts, with vv7-13
referring to himself as a Jewish Pharisee prior to his conversion, and vv14-25
a soliloquy about the “tragic plight of people who attempt to live their lives
apart from God”.
Chang[99]
believes Galatians5 is talking about victory through the power of the Spirit,
which is opposite to what Romans7 is saying, and the ‘groaning’ in Romans8:23 is
referring to the believer’s struggles living in a sinful world, where he/she
encounters trials, tribulations, the impact of people’s sins, etc as he/she
waits for the “already-but-not-yet”.[100]
Fee[101] contends that the strong
contrasts in Romans8:5-8 describes the two kinds of existence and their
incompatibility, but also points out that life in the Spirit is “not a stroll
in the park.” Therefore, by the Spirit, believers must continue to kill that to
which they had already died (Romans8:12-13). I agree with the position that the Spirit-flesh conflict is not an
internal conflict in one’s soul, but the struggles of the people of God living
in a sinful world.[102] How one interprets the power of the flesh and the power of the Spirit in Christian
life ultimately impacts on one’s view of Christian hope, and I prefer erring
towards a Christian life of hope over a life of defeatism.
Similarly, the Spirit is in important theme in Galatians as the word pneuma occurs 14xs in Galatians3-5.[103]
“Stoicheia of the world” (Galatians4:3),
commonly understood as the elements of matter out of which the world was
constructed, is used by Paul in a different way, as forces that create the
opposite of what we see in the loving unification people “in Christ”
(Galatians3:26-29).[104]
Gorman[105]
and George[106]
believes it is referring to the “elemental spirits”. God has “sent” (Galatians4:6) the Spirt into the hearts of those who
respond to the gospel in faith.[107] The fruit of the Spirit and the
gifts of the Spirit are two important aspects of Paul’s description of the
practice of the Spirit.[108]
Gorman[109] describes cruciform hope as a
confidence in the triumph of God because of God’s victory, on the cross and in
resurrection. The content
of hope is expressed in various ways: “eternal life, righteousness, salvation,
escaping the coming wrath, resurrection, the redemption of our bodies, being in
the presence of the Lord, being heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, and
glory”.[110]
However, it
expects and accepts suffering for the gospel. It “relates all suffering to the
death of Christ and to the “groaning” of the entire creation, thus making it
possible to experience the presence of God in the midst of the suffering.”[111]
Hope is a recurrent theme in
Romans5&8. For Paul, to share the faith of Abraham is to believe that God
can bring life out of death to fulfil a promise (Romans4:16-22).[112] Romans 5-8 talks about the
theme of the “hope of sharing in God’s glory” (Romans5:2).[113],[114] Suffering does not merely produce character, it
ultimately produces hope (Romans5:1-5). Having known God’s love in Christ,
believers are confident of God’s love in the future.[115] Paul mentions the hope of future resurrection
(Romans6): resurrection to new life in Christ and resurrection to eternal life
in Christ.[116] Another words, life beyond death (Romans8:13)[117] and
life as the children of God, who is “Abba” (Romans8:15).[118] The
Christian life for Paul consists of a paradox, of outer decline coinciding with
inner empowering, transformation, and hope that will culminate in a glorious
resurrected body (Romans8:29) within a renewed creation (Romans8:18-25).[119]
Heil[120]
believes that the theme of Romans is hope. Hope is also important in Galatians, which closes in hope about
the cross marking the beginning of a “new creation” (Galatians6:14-15).[121]
I believe there are some
important aspects of Christian spirituality which Gorman did not cover enough
on. One is prayer. Paul opens and closes with prayer in both Romans and
Galatians. Arnold[122] believes prayer is the most prominent of
the weapons against the devil. The other is thanksgiving. Most Pauline epistles
opens with a thanksgiving section.[123] Meye[124]
points out that according to Romans1:21, a lack of gratitude is a primary
sin against God. Thirdly, there should be more discussions about Paul’s
missional spirituality. I agree with Gorman’s usage of the term “cruciform” to
describe the core of Christian spirituality and the encounter with the Trinity
both personally and corporately. However, we cannot be absolutely certain that Paul never met the earthly Christ and “experienced
nothing but the resurrected Christ”. In fact, the
close similarities between
the teachings of two indicate Paul had an intimate
knowledge of Jesus’ teaching and attitude.
Otherwise, Gorman’s account of Paul’s spirituality has summed up Paul’s vision
of the Christian life as it is reflected in Romans and Galatians quite well,
especially on the personal and corporate encounter of the Trinity, and the
experience of faith,
love, power, hope and community. Some topics Gorman
raised are open to further discussion. Gorman seems overly “cross-focused” at times and sees the cross even in passages that are not talking about the
cross. Regarding faith, in restricting pistis to a subjective genitive, it can make the
Christian spirituality sound merit-based rather than a judicial change in
status. I think there is room for ambiguity in the genitives. Regarding power,
there is heavy scholarly debate on the interpretation of Romans7 and how the power of the flesh impacts the
Christian life, but
Gorman only briefly mentions he sees Romans7 as a Christian’s inner conflict. Rather
than Paul’s inner conflict, I take the view that
it is talking about the believer’s struggle living in a sinful world as I
prefer erring towards a Christian life of hope over a life of defeatism.
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[9]
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[10] Michael J. Gorman, Cruciformity: Paul’s Narrative Spirituality
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[12] Gordon D. Fee, Paul, the
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[13] Fee, Paul, the Spirit, and
the People of God, 6. Lord and Son of God. Fee describes the gospel as encompassing
of: “The church as an eschatological community made up
of the new covenant people of God. An eschatological framework of this new
people’s existence and thinking. The formation of this new people by the
eschatological salvation accomplished through the death and resurrection of
Christ. And the focus of this people on Jesus as Messiah.”
[14] Joseph Plevnik, “The Center of Pauline theology,” The Catholic
Biblical Quarterly, 51 (1989): 478.
[15] Gorman, Cruciformity, 369.
[16] Gorman, Cruciformity, 35-36. In fact, the “in Christ/the
Lord” phraseology occurs almost 100 times in Paul’s letters.
[17] Gorman, Cruciformity, 16.
[18] Gorman, Cruciformity, 48. Furthermore, although there are
passages that asks us to imitate Christ (1Peter2:21), to imitate God
(Ephesians5:1), and imitate Paul (1Corinthians11:1), there are no passages with
directly uses the term “imitators of Christ”.
[19] Michael J. Gorman, Reading Paul (Milton Keynes: Paternoster,
2008), 146. Obviously, this term is also not found in the Scriptures because
Gorman coined it.
[20] Gorman, Cruciformity, 370.
[21] James C. Miller, “Cruciformity: Paul's narrative spirituality of
the cross,” The Catholic Biblical 64
(2002): 574.
[22] Gorman, Cruciformity, 30.
[23] Gorman, Cruciformity, 370.
[24] Gorman, Cruciformity, 46.
[25] Gorman, Cruciformity, 370.
[26] Gorman, Cruciformity, 371.
[27] Gorman, Cruciformity, 29.
[28] Gorman, Cruciformity, 87.
[29] Gorman, Cruciformity, 92.
[30] Gorman, Cruciformity, 18.
[31] Gorman, Cruciformity, 16.
[32] Gorman, Reading Paul, 147.
[33] Paul W. Barnett, “Cruciformity: Paul's narrative spirituality of
the cross,” The Reformed Theological
63 (2004): 164. For
example, in Paul’s passages about his ‘experience of the Spirit’ (pp. 50-62)
and his experience of the ‘triune God of cruciform love’ (pp. 63-74).
[34] John M. G. Barclay, “Jesus and Paul,” in Dictionary of
Paul and His Letters, ed. Gerald F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin and Daniel
G. Reid (Downer’s Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 493.
[35] Stephen Westerholm, “Law and Gospel in Jesus and Paul,” in Jesus and Paul Reconnected: Fresh Pathways
into an Old Debate, ed. Todd D (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans
Publishing Co, 2007), 17.
[36] John M. G. Barclay, ““Offensive and Uncanny”: Jesus and Paul on the
Caustic Grace of God,” in Jesus and Paul
Reconnected: Fresh Pathways into an Old Debate, ed. Todd D (Grand Rapids:
William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co, 2007), 17.
[37] Bruce W. Longenecker, “Good News to the Poor: Jesus, Paul and
Jerusalem,” in Jesus and Paul
Reconnected: Fresh Pathways into an Old Debate, ed. Todd D (Grand Rapids:
William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co, 2007), 63.
[38] S. Kim, “Jesus, Sayings of,” in Dictionary of Paul and
His Letters, ed. Gerald F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin and Daniel G. Reid
(Downer’s Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 490.
[41] J. F. Maile, “Exaltation and Enthronement,” in Dictionary of Paul and His Letters,
ed. Gerald F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin and Daniel G. Reid (Downer’s Grove:
InterVarsity Press, 1993), 275.
[42] N. T. Wright, Paul: In Fresh Perspective (Minneapolis:
Fortress Press, 2005), 155.
[43] Gorman, Cruciformity, 371.
[44] Gorman, Cruciformity, 387.
[45] Walter D. Zorn, “The Messianic Use of Habbakuk 2:4a in Romans,” Stone-Campbell
Journal, 1 (1998): 213.
[46] Gorman, Cruciformity, 110-111.
[47] Gorman, Cruciformity, 152.
[48] Plevnik, “The Center of Pauline theology,” 470.
[49] David W. Kuck, “Cruciformity: Paul's narrative spirituality of the
cross,” Currents in Theology and Mission
29 (2002): 290.
[50] Gorman, Cruciformity, 142.
[51] James D. G. Dunn, Roman 1-8
(Dallas: Word Books, 1988), 48.
[52] James D. G. Dunn, “The Christian Life from the Perspective of
Paul’s Letter to the Galatians,” in The Apostle Paul and the Christian Life,
ed. Scot McKnight and Joseph B. Modica (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2016), 2.
[53] Timothy George, Galatians: The New American Commentary
(Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994), 50.
[54] Gorman, Cruciformity, 388.
[55] Gorman, Cruciformity, 105.
[57] Gorman, Cruciformity, 177.
[59] Gorman, Cruciformity, 391.
[60] Gorman, Cruciformity, 177.
[61] Gorman, Cruciformity, 390.
[62] Gorman, Cruciformity, 392-393.
[64] Gorman, Cruciformity, 183.
[65] G. W.
Hansen, “Galatians, Letter to the,” in Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, ed.
Gerald F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin and Daniel G. Reid (Downer’s Grove:
InterVarsity Press, 1993), 331.
[66] George, Galatians, 22.
[67] Gorman, Cruciformity, 350.
[69] Gorman, Cruciformity, 363.
[70] Gorman, Cruciformity, 363-366. Gorman only wrote four pages
on “the missionary character” of the cruciform community.
[71] Gorman, Reading Paul, 134. Interestingly,
Gorman’s later books began steering more in the direction of missions. In “Reading
Paul”, he described that the Christian community is a “countercultural and
multicultural community reflects the character of God revealed in Christ and is
not produced by human effort. It is a process of divine activity and communal
and personal transformation.” In 2015, he wrote a book on Paul and missions
called “Becoming the gospel: Paul, participation, and mission.”
[72] Richard N. Longenecker. The Epistle to
the Romans: The New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids:
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co, 2016), 937. anypokritos means “without hypocrisy”
[73] Gorman, Cruciformity, 246.
[74] Gorman, Cruciformity, 250.
[75] Richard B. Hays, The Moral
Vision of the New Testament: A Contemporary Introduction to New Testament
Ethics (San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1996), 28.
[77] Gorman, Cruciformity, 50.
[78] Gorman, Cruciformity, 298.
[79] Gorman, Cruciformity, 394.
[80] Gorman, Cruciformity, 395.
[82] Gorman, Cruciformity, 302
[83] Bruce W. Longenecker, “Faith, Works and Worship: Torah Observance
in Paul’s Theological Perspective,” in The Apostle Paul and the Christian
Life, ed. Scot McKnight and Joseph B. Modica (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic,
2016), 56.
[84] Gorman, Cruciformity, 52.
[85] C. E. Arnold, “Power,” in Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, ed.
Gerald F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin and Daniel G. Reid (Downer’s Grove:
InterVarsity Press, 1993), 723.
[87] Gorman, Cruciformity, 53.
[89] Patrick Mitchel, “The New Perspective and the Christian Life: Solus
Spiritus,” in The Apostle Paul and the Christian Life, ed. Scot
McKnight and Joseph B. Modica (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2016), 95.
[90] Donald
V. Engebretson, “Romans 7: personal struggle, defense of the law, or Israel's
struggle?” Logia, 20 (2011): 26.
[91] James D. G. Dunn, Jesus and the Spirit (London: SCM Press
Ltd, 1975), 308-318.
[92] Hae-Kyung Chang, “The Christian Life in a Dialectical Tension?
Romans 7:7-25 Reconsidered,” Novum Testamentum 49 (2007): 275.
[95] N. T. Wright, “The Letter to the Romans: Introduction, Commentary,
and Reflections,” in The New Interpreter’s Bible: A Commentary in Twelve
Volumes, Vol. 10, ed. Leander E. Keck (Nashville: Abingdon, 2002), 567.
[97] Fee, Paul, the Spirit, and
the People of God, 112, 132. Fee sees believers as having been “invaded” by
the Spirit, whose goal is to “infect” us thoroughly with God’s own likeness
[98] Longenecker. The Epistle to the Romans, 659. Past tenses are
used in vv7-13. Present tenses in vv14-25, with Greco-Roman tragic soliloquies and
“Speech in Character” type of rhetorical technique.
[100] Thomas R. Schreiner, Romans: Baker Exegetical Commentary on the
New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998), 439.
[103] Dunn, “The Christian Life,” 2.
[104] Longenecker, “Faith, Works and Worship,” 59.
[107] Gorman, Cruciformity, 52.
[108] R. P. Meye,
“Spirituality,” in Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, ed. Gerald F.
Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin and Daniel G. Reid (Downer’s Grove: InterVarsity
Press, 1993), 913.
[109] Gorman, Cruciformity, 397.
[110] Gorman, Cruciformity, 304.
[111] Gorman, Cruciformity, 398.
[112] Gorman, Cruciformity, 140.
[113] Gorman, Cruciformity, 322.
[115] Gorman, Cruciformity, 342.
[116] Gorman, Cruciformity, 322.
[117] Dunn, Jesus and the Spirit, 337-338.
[118] Gorman, Cruciformity, 68.
[119] Mitchel, “The New Perspective,” 96.
[120] John Paul Heil, Romans:
Paul’s Letter of Hope (Rome: Biblical Institute Press, 1987).
[121] Gorman, Cruciformity, 107.
[122] C. E. Arnold, “Power,” in Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, ed.
Gerald F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin and Daniel G. Reid (Downer’s Grove:
InterVarsity Press, 1993), 724.
[123] George, Galatians, 428. With Galatians being an exception.
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