The Highway Forums General Discussion Open Forum What Heresy is the Most Dangerous?

The New Perspective on Paul (or the New Perspective on Justification) is a trend or movement primarily within academic scholarship (though it is moving into evangelical pulpits) that significantly modifies or undermines the traditional Protestant/Reformed understanding of Pauline soteriology, especially justification by faith. Phil Johnson summarizes the following points: The New Perspective 1) Claims that the Judaism prevalent in Paul and Jesus' time was not legalistic and focused on outward obedience or conformity to the Law, 2) Claims that Paul's primary theological emphasis was upon racial reconciliation between Jews and Gentiles rather than individual salvation, 3) Claims that the atonement should primarily be understood in terms of Christ's victory over powers and principalities rather than in terms of substitution or propitiation, 4) Claims that justification by faith primarily concerns membership in the covenant community rather than personal salvation or standing before God. The most well known evangelical associated with this movement is N.T. Wright.