Thread: The New Perspective on Paul

So I've been doing some reading lately on the NPP and some thoughts have been flying through my head. The one that arose primarily from reading stuff on the NPP and the Reformed opposition to it; is do we Reformers sometimes put too much stock in Church Tradition and what our funding fathers said that we don't give some things a chance. As a Reformed person I have been charged several times with being too conservative and not continuing to reform the Church but rather to accept what has been said in the past as concrete not willing to listen to any other argument. Could this problem also be surronding the NPP? Any help?
Sola Gratia,
CD

While I'm not really educated at all on the NPP theology (I'm just avoiding it for now, it's too much of a beast and I am not properly equipped, at least I don't think I am), it seems to me like it's not just the founding fathers we'd be throwing out.

It's one thing to disagree with Calvin or Luther. It's another thing to disagree with all the theologians from Jean Calvin (I'm getting real French I know, gimme a break) to Dr. J Ligon Duncan. That's almost 600 years of literature that pretty much affirms the same thing.

That's one thing that strikes me.

Just an observation from a PB junkie...

Frozen, you're on target.

I mean, shall we ditch the Trinitarian Doctrine because that's an "hidebound, dusty tradition"? You know, its [i:15a434d869]just[/i:15a434d869] a theological construct. The Bible doesn't have that word in it. So its [i:15a434d869]just man's wisdom[/i:15a434d869] playing with the inspired text? Something that every new generation should try doing, right?

"It wasn't relevant to us the way it was for those guys centuries ago, so we melted it down, and POOF, out came this calf!"

[quote:18b92f5692="Coram_Deo"]So I've been doing some reading lately on the NPP and some thoughts have been flying through my head. The one that arose primarily from reading stuff on the NPP and the Reformed opposition to it; is do we Reformers sometimes put too much stock in Church Tradition and what our funding fathers said that we don't give some things a chance. As a Reformed person I have been charged several times with being too conservative and not continuing to reform the Church but rather to accept what has been said in the past as concrete not willing to listen to any other argument. Could this problem also be surronding the NPP? Any help?
Sola Gratia,
CD[/quote:18b92f5692]

CD,

That's an excellent and difficult question. One of the problems, that I see, is that every heretic coming down the pike yells, "SOLA SCRIPTURA!!! ALWAYS REFORMING!!!!", with the underhanded idea that if you disagree with me than you are a Pharisee and buy into the "traditions of men". The second, Sola Scriptura will cause one to conclude that the Church is the pillar and foundation of Truth and for many of these Sola Scriptura and Always Reforming Guys have nothing to do with the historic faith and Church, but it baffles me to think that the pillar and foundation of truth has been without a foundation for 2,000 years. With that said, although I consider myself 'reformed', I differ from many in that I would lean towards the Apostles Creed, Nicene, Chalcedon, Athanasian Creeds as taking a priority over the post-Reformation Confessions, WCF, Heidleberg, etc. This, I believe, gives one clear parameters for discussion with those who are believers (Trinitarian, resurrection of the body, etc.), but acknowledges that the Reformation wasn't the end all be all of theology and will bind us from being people of our times, i.e. reading through individualistic, enlightenment eyes or a postmodern paradigm, etc.

However, I think you bring up a huge point, why would any of these stop us from "listening"? In fact, using the history of the Church we can identify more clearly how Luther was a man of his time and why he read the Scriptures through the eyes that he did. Hopefully, much of the yelling around the NPP issue can turn into a conversation, realizing that most of the men are Trinitarian and baptized into the name of Jesus, and actually listening to what people are saying. I believe a few men setting the standard in this arena are several of the faculty at Covenant Theological Seminary. If you go to their homepage, covenantseminary.edu, you will find a link for some lectures they did interacting with NT Wright. I believe this is how the discussion should go. I realize some, even in the PCA, would want to consider the faculty and staff of CTS as liberal, a den of serpents, (after all, some don't hold to a literal six days) etc., but I'll let ya'll judge that.

openairboy

[quote:300d565d8d]"It wasn't relevant to us the way it was for those guys centuries ago, so we melted it down, and POOF, out came this calf!"[/quote:300d565d8d]

LOL!