Contra the New Perspective on Paul, Origen interprets the Pauline lexeme “the righteousness of God” as having reference not to God’s faithfulness to the covenant but to Christ himself and the status of being cleansed from sin, justified, and qualified for eschatological glory on the basis of Christ’s atonement. “The righteousness of God” is thus a soteriological status that sinful humans receive by believing in Christ. And it makes believers fit for glory, “not by their merits, nor for their works, but freely (gratis) offers glory to those who believe.”Read the whole thing.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Origen on the Righteousness of God
Lee Irons has a good post on how the Church Father Origen (c. 185–c. 254) understood the Pauline expression, "the righteousness of God." Here's an excerpt:
