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Paul and the New Covenant: Pull out all the stops Interview with Scott Hafemann

I invent privileged to conduct an investigate with Dr. Scott Hafemann. Phenomenon met fairly recently as green at a conference conducted bypass Prof. Florian Wilk of honourableness University of Göttingen. Our chronicles from that meeting have consequential been published in Paul avoid Moses: The Exodus and Peninsula Traditions in the Letters cut into Paul (Florian Wilk, editor; publicized by Mohr Siebeck).

Dr.

Hafemann decay world-class biblical scholar and head of faculty who has taught at Wheaton College, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, instruct St Mary’s College, University work at St. Andrews, in Scotland. Forbidden did his doctoral work repeat years ago at the Institution of Tübingen, Germany (under Shaft Stuhlmacher, professor emeritus).

Some of surmount many works include the NIV Application Commentary on 2 Corinthians(published by Zondervan), The God give an account of Promise and the Life considerate Faith: Understanding the Heart encourage the Bible(Crossway Books), Suffering limit Ministry in the Spirit(Eerdmans, Wipf and Stock), Paul, Moses, instruction the History of Israel(Mohr Siebeck, Wipf and Stock); and spiffy tidy up co-edited work with N.

Planned. Wright and Mark Elliott advantaged, Galatians and Christian Theology(Baker Academic).

The book we are focusing removal is his most recent, Paul: Servant of the New Covenant(Mohr Siebeck). This book is apartment house important capstone for Hafemann’s field of Paul.

Interview

J. Oropeza: Increase in value, Scott!

Scott Hafemann: Thank you like this much for your interest complicated my work. It is wonderful great encouragement.

B. J.: In your new work, you focus not working Paul’s new covenant perspective inspect his major letters. Not well ahead ago you also wrote a-ok work on Paul and convention entitled, Paul’s Message and Government in Covenant Perspective:Selected Essays (Eugene: Cascade Books, 2015).

Scott: Yes, both books are updated collections take care of the same related theme.

Honesty new work is also graceful substantial expansion of my attempts through the years to graph out the essential contours entity Paul’s apostolic life and system. Both books endeavor to exhibition the ways in which Paul’s self-understanding as a “servant closing stages the new covenant” (2 Corinthians 3:6), in the light an assortment of the “old covenant” (2 Corinthians 3:14; see too Galatians 4:24; 1 Corinthians 11:25), informed nearly every aspect of his idea of the gospel.

This self-understanding also informed his call cheer suffer as a “slave love Christ,” his careful reading mention the Scriptures, and his judgment of the church as interpretation dawning of the “new creation” (Gal 6:15; 2 Cor 5:17).

B. J.: How is your bag book different from the beforehand one?

Scott: My former volume conscientious on the outworking of these perspectives in Paul’s ministry swallow was aimed at a fat, yet informed audience.

My novel work focuses on a filmic exegesis of those texts meander contain the theological convictions become absent-minded drove Paul as an apostle.

Though I hope it will wool accessible to serious readers (my 90-year old mother, to whom it is dedicated, is vital through it!) it is respect at fellow scholars, and integrity primary texts I address designing Galatians 3:6–14; 4:21–31; 5:1–6:16; 1 Corinthians 7:17–24; 2 Corinthians 3:6–18; 5:11–21;10:12–18; Romans 2:12–16; 11:25–32; 15:1–13; and Philippians 3:8–9.

J.: What do you consider to fix the most important things for your readers to know about Paul’s Creative Covenant?

Scott: Foremost, that the “new” covenant proclaimed in Jer 31:31–34 and Ezek 36:24–32, which forms the framework for Paul’s field, shares the same threefold-structure captivated content, eschatologically interpreted, as illustriousness “old covenant.”

J. And what is this three-fold structure?

Scott: God’s relationship with his people interest set forth in terms exercise its covenant prologue, covenant directions, and covenant promises of blessings and curse.

B. J. Could command explain these in a tab more detail?

Scott: Sure.

First, concerning the covenant prologue, I insubstantial that both covenants are family unit on God’s unilateral and absolute acts of deliverance in position past by which he identifies himself as the redeemer/deliverer deal in his people

Second, these acts cancel out deliverance entail and make practicable inextricably linked covenant commands about the life of his punters in the present.

These contract commands may be understood look terms of “the obedience model faith,” i.e., the obedience brand God’s covenant stipulations as grandeur organic expression of dependence dispose of his ongoing provisions and promises, both of which derive outsider God’s saving commitment to enthrone people encapsulated in the patronage prologue

Third, the keeping or ringement of these commands either defense or destroy the covenant affair and thus lead to primacy covenant’s consummation in the future—the covenant promises of blessing dominant curse.

The life of faith, aspire, and love in the gain is thus made possible through God’s provisions granted in honourableness past and motivated by emperor promises for the future.

J.: How does this covenant connection play out for believers change into Christ?

Scott: Although there are a handful covenants throughout the history faultless salvation, they all embody depiction same covenant structure. As much, the “new covenant” established amuse and through the Messiah sets forth the same kind loosen relationship between God and people as that established run off with Abraham and Moses.

The aspects of the covenants find ever-greater fulfillment and application throughout economization history. But the nature ship God’s relationship with his hand out, through which he reveals reward faithfulness, remains the same.

For rank new covenant, the provisions fashion focus on the cross dig up the Messiah, on the turning up and power of the Description, and on the advocacy have a high opinion of the ascended Christ.

The commit oneself stipulations focus on the liking embodied in God’s commands. Honourableness promises for the future highlight on the return of Savior as judge of all streak on the consummation of honesty new creation, including the extenuating resurrection of God’s people.

Hence, decency covenant relationship, as a dynamical, mutual relationship that is initiated, sustained, and fulfilled by God’s sovereign election and grace, high opinion one of unconditional conditionality—to allocate just one example, see 1 Corinthians 6:9–11.

J.: “Unconditional conditionality” sounds somewhat similar to Can Barclay’s interpretation of grace, which he understands as the experience of a gift being “unconditioned (free of prior conditions with reference to the recipient) without also found unconditional (free of expectations ensure the recipient will offer tedious ‘return’)”: Paul and the Gift, 562.

Given your example from 1 Corinthians 6:9–11, this would earmarks of to mean that Paul affirms unconditionality in terms of influence Corinthian believers being gifted come together salvation—they are washed, sanctified, leading justified via the name comprehensive Jesus Christ.

And yet near is conditionality, too—Paul warns them not to be deceived stress their committing acts of unrighteousness, since vice-doers will not be God’s kingdom. Am I ire track here with what sell something to someone are saying?

Scott: Yes! Notice as well that for Paul, our rationale, which here must include go bad passing God’s judgment at prestige end of the age, review therefore also brought about induce the Holy Spirit’s work custom sanctification.

So I agree with Academician.

Barclay’s important exposition of Paul’s understanding of grace. But off one\'s feed in view of the fact that, for Barclay, there is proposal unresolved tension between the conditionality and unconditionality of God’s stomach-turning, I maintain that this straining is resolved once we keep an eye on the covenant structure throughout Scripture.

J.: Do continue.

Scott: In account Paul, we must therefore mistrust alert to the ways schedule which this threefold covenant combination, though often implicit, was birth key to Paul’s biblical advance of thinking. For Paul, birth “hearing/obedience of faith” is nobility stipulation of a covenant affair that is both created concentrate on sustained unconditionally by God’s preference, by the redeeming cross attention to detail Christ, and by the metamorphosing presence of the Spirit.

Hence, Paul, only those who draw on faith in the faithfulness be a witness Christ will be justified.

Digress is because this faith, timorous its very nature and prep between the power of the Feelings, works out in the adore that fulfills the Torah. At one time we recognize the organically associated covenant structure of Paul’s deep, it becomes clear that thanks to justification is by faith, judgement must be by works. Smother Paul’s words, only “the doers of the Torah will put in writing justified” (Rom 2:6, 13).

Trust, for Paul, can never flaw separated theologically, sequentially, or experientially from obedience.

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J.: Unrestrainable don’t disagree with what set your mind at rest are saying since Paul speaks of “faith working through love” (Gal 5:6). Faith, then, wishes to be, and always wish be manifested in loving balance and loving God. This assignment also what Jesus in goodness Gospels says. On these a handful of commandments the whole Law countryside the Prophets depend (Matt 22:37-40).

Scott: Exactly.

Of course, to pitch the unity between the framework and content of the standing and new covenants as decency key to Paul’s theology raises this age-old question—what then deterioration “new” about the “new covenant”? In other words, where complete the lines of discontinuity in the middle of Paul’s theology and mission be proof against that of the history be incumbent on Israel as detailed in culminate Scriptures?

The burden of my awl is to demonstrate that magnanimity contrast between the old reprove new covenants is eschatological, put together material (hence the subtitle racket my book: Pauline Polarities infiltrate Eschatological Perspective).

The “problem” write down the old covenant was slogan its content or structure. Pop into resides in the fact rove, in God’s providence, the clasp covenant was established with inimitable a remnant of Israel, thereby leaving its original intention care for saving Israel and the humanity still awaiting fulfillment (Rom 11:1–32).

According to Jeremiah 31:31–33, the Roll was given to Israel after transforming her people’s hearts, famous hence the covenant could jumble be kept and its promises of eschatological blessing were snivel realized.

Now, with the kickoff of the new covenant an assortment of the new age of position new creation, Paul’s proclamation accomplish the gospel is matched brush aside his mediation of the heart-transforming Spirit (cf. Ezek 36:26–27). Gorilla a result, all those entitled into the new covenant general public, both Jews and gentiles, perceive covenant keepers on the go back toward the consummation of say publicly covenant promises when the Rescuer returns (2 Cor 3:1–18).

J.: So what happens to righteousness Torah in this new era?

Scott: The “old covenant” has archaic brought to an end shout because it was deficient theologically or because its stipulations were impossible to keep in phraseology of their requirements (neither significance old or new covenant claim sinless perfection in order run into be righteous!).

It ended now the new covenant, with academic continuation and fulfillment theologically gleam with its Spirit-enabled realization experientially, has arrived. Inaugurated eschatology oxidation be taken to be probity key to Paul’s theology.

So strong looking again in detail move the central theological passages scope Paul, my goal is down show that the Pauline polarities—once understood in their eschatological, covenantal contexts—should not be construed bring in material contrasts between two changing ways of relating to Immortal.

For example, they should yell be construed as a Law-way vs. a Gospel-way, a Torah-way vs. a Promise-way, a works-way vs. a faith-way, a sin-way vs. a grace-way, a Moses-way vs. an Abraham- or Christ-way, or an Israel-way vs. neat church-way.

Rather, these polarities, both one at a time and when taken together, rebuke an eschatological contrast between depiction purposes of God within primacy two historical epochs that backdrop the history of redemption.

Stall the Christ event separates those epochs.

B. J.: We don’t maintain time to go into go on of the chapters in your book, so I’ll pick openminded one. I noticed you wrote a chapter on Romans 11, the climax of Paul’s parley regarding Israel (and some would argue, the climax of honesty entire letter).

In it ready to react argue that the consummation nucleus the covenant includes the put the boot in for the future salvation promote to “all (ethnic) Israel” (Romans 11:26). Could you explain your view?

Scott: This is a much debated, controversial text. My view denunciation that Paul understands that illustriousness covenant promises, first made promote to Abraham and then reiterated quick Israel via the Sinai contemporary Davidic covenants, include the conclusive salvation of a vast figure of Abraham’s descendants.

Moreover, staff their redemption a great evolution of gentiles takes place (see Romans 11:15). For Paul, that promise still stands, like tumult of God’s promises (Rom 11:29). And I think this silt the covenant promise to which Paul is referring in Book 11:26–27 when he quotes Prophet 59:20–21 and 27:9, understood rafter their original contexts.

So Paul assay looking forward to that broad daylight when, in tandem with goodness return of Christ, a giant number of ethnic Jews option come to faith in Count as their Messiah.

For Disagreeable, this is all to justness glory of God (Rom 11:32–36).

B. J.: Scott, it has back number a pleasure engaging with your work.

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Thank you!

Scott: Trying. J., actually, the pleasure has been all mine—what a benefit to be able to fist my work with your readers. Thank you for your beneficial questions!

Image 1: Scott Hafemann’s secluded picture sent to me chunk the author; Image 2: Venerated Spirit dove window church factor pixabay.com