The Deliverance of God: an Apocalyptic Rereading of Justification in Paul

Chapter Twenty-One: Rereading the Heartland - Philippians and Beyond

S.1. Preamble (p896)

S.2. Philippians 3

The jewel in the revisionist crown.

2.1 Preliminary Issues: Represents Paul's later eschatological view of the dead indirectly to Christ, not sleeping until his re-resurrection (p897).

2.2 Substantive Points of Interest: 1.11 contra threatening opponents who class themselves  as Jewish Christians (Philippians 1.14-16) (p0898); the opponents in R same in Philippians 3, and similar (if not the same) as those in G; cites his irreproachable covenant nomism; his change in Christ (899); he gloried in his Jewish piety and did not despair (p900); his "righteous' activity under the law was blameless; JT would demand this to be negative; faith does not take place at the transitional point (p901); there is no negative prior experience of Judaism as JT demands (p902). "Converts are ... shifted into the new Christian state in an event of grace - the apocalyptic moment of revelation and so look back on the problems from which they have been rescued, reaching new definitions of them" (p903). The pneumatological dimension (p904); to know Christ's death is to know his resurrection (p905); the focus on the act of God in Christ (p907). Philippians 3.9: The reading could go either way but the context is apocalyptic (-908). Paul's negativity on Judaism comparative from a Christian posture (p909); different meanings of 'righteousness' (p910-11).

S.3 Loose Ends

3.1 1 Corinthians 1.30 and 2 Corinthians 5.21: Earlier reference to the 'righteousness of God' being: "... a singular, saving, liberating, life-giving, and eschatological event, in which being is inseparable from action. ... the subtle evocation of the ancient discourse of kingship, by way of Psalm 98 in Romans 1.16-17, suggest(s) nuancing this sense further in terms of 'the right act' of God, the divine monarch, on behalf of his appointed royal representative, Jesus. And this took place concretely in God's resurrection, heavenly enthronement, and glorification of Jesus as the Christ

" and these texts confirm the integrated monarchical position (p912).

3.2 2. Corinthians 4.13: Does not play a major role in the debate (p413); unpacking the syntax (p914-15); Psalm 115 (p916-17) as the prophetic anticipation of Christ, his ministry, fidelity, suffering, death, subsequent resurrection, and his testimony to his community assembled in  Jerusalem; only the rich Christology and vigorous pneumatology rather than a mimetic approach can solve the problem (p918); contextual analysis (p919-21); can only be understood in participatory, ie apocalyptic, terms (p922). Faith is a post-Christian phenomenon facilitated by participation in the faithful Christ's journey (p923).

3.3 1 Thessalonians 1.9b-10: A difficult reading (p924) but the verses represent the behaviour of the Thessalonians and not Paul's teaching (p925); JT embarrassments (p326).

3.4 Belief in Christ: Apocalyptic: the revealed nature of Christian knowledge; this participation brings them into a divine community: "information is not separable from relationality ... their incorporation into Christ by the Spirit" (p927); the obviousness of belief and the imitation of Christ in paul's churches and those of his tradents (p928).

3.5 The Wrath of God: Paul's belief in wrath is not foundational (p929); a reaction to situations (p930).