Jackson Wu > Quotes

“a correlation between image and glory in Genesis 1:26-28 and Psalm 8:5-8.8 The psalmist writes about humanity: Yet you have made him a little”
― Jackson Wu, Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes: Honor and Shame in Paul's Message and Mission

“under his feet, all sheep and oxen, ​and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, ​whatever passes along the paths of the seas. In Romans 1, humanity forsakes its vocation to rule over creation as God’s image bearers. Instead, they”
― Jackson Wu, Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes: Honor and Shame in Paul's Message and Mission

“Following Paul’s example, our teaching about God should be rooted foremost in biblical theology, not simply systematic theology. Although these two disciplines are never fully separated, their approaches have important”
― Jackson Wu, Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes: Honor and Shame in Paul's Message and Mission

“highlight people’s faith, God’s faithfulness and/or Christ’s faithfulness? Later chapters will touch on these topics further. Without diving deep into them here, I suggest a possible way forward. In honor-shame contexts, the practice of patronage and a stress on reciprocity are frequently present. Scores of books and articles have noted the importance of patronage in the ancient world and its potential influence on the Bible, including Romans.11 Within patron-client relationships, a basic obligation”
― Jackson Wu, Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes: Honor and Shame in Paul's Message and Mission

“Although the word “contextualization” is recent, coming into popular usage over the past three or four decades, its practice and reality have always been present as essential to the Christian faith. Unlike the Qur’an, which sees truth as timeless divine oracles, or the Western Enlightenment tradition that believes truth to be found in unchanging and eternal ideas, the Bible understands truth to be the mighty acts of God in history, authoritatively narrated and interpreted in Scripture, as the true story of the whole world in which all people are invited to find their place. The mightiest act of God and fullest revelation of himself and his purpose for the creation has been disclosed in the person and work of Jesus the Christ, especially in his death and resurrection. Truth is a person along with the historical events surrounding him that have irreversibly changed the course of universal history. Sin and evil, death and demonic power, sickness and injustice, poverty and pain—in fact all that corrupts the very good creation of God—have been defeated at the cross”
― Jackson Wu, One Gospel for All Nations: A Practical Approach to Biblical Contextualization

“The shame of Christ vindicates God’s honor. In this sense, Christ’s sacrifice saves”
― Jackson Wu, Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes: Honor and Shame in Paul's Message and Mission

“states that “it is important to note that acquittal here means that one is shown to be in the right, not that one is forgiven or absolved of guilt.”7 Therefore, being justified entails “being considered a worthy recipient of salvation” or a”
― Jackson Wu, Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes: Honor and Shame in Paul's Message and Mission

“Some people recoil and reply, “God cannot lose face!” The objection misunderstands the nature of “face,” which is an Eastern way of talking about honor and shame. “Face” has both objective and subjective connotations.11 “Face” can even have a moral dimension. For instance, in Chinese culture, the phrase “ni bu yao lian” (“You do not want face”) is an insult because it conveys a person’s immoral lack of regard for others. It can indicate one’s shameful behavior, ill repute, or psychological state.12 In saying God “loses face,” we simply mean that sin publicly dishonors God. How can “face” have both an absolute and relativistic standard? God ultimately decides what is honorable and shameful. I once heard a conference speaker state it this way: “All truth is relative . . . relative to God.” In other words, when Christians say something is “absolutely” true or good, we mean it is true or good relative to God. Before knowing Christ, sinners do not share God’s perspective on glory. We treat God as if he were not infinitely precious, wonderful, and praiseworthy. At best, we treat him as ordinary. At worst, we publicly express contempt for him. The sins listed in Romans 1:29-32 simply express humanity’s shameful disregard for God. The non-Christian is ashamed of the”
― Jackson Wu, Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes: Honor and Shame in Paul's Message and Mission

“address the concerns of a contemporary audience, which are not necessarily the same as the biblical authors’. Both approaches are valid and helpful, yet systematic theology should be grounded in biblical theology. Otherwise, modern readers are more prone to commit eisegesis, inserting their own meaning into the text. In that case, reader’s assumptions guide the study and systemization of the Bible’s teaching.20”
― Jackson Wu, Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes: Honor and Shame in Paul's Message and Mission

“salvation.18 In fact, salvation is possible because God is righteous. Nehemiah plainly states why God rescues his people: “You have kept your promise, for you are righteous” (Nehemiah 9:8).”
― Jackson Wu, Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes: Honor and Shame in Paul's Message and Mission

“Paul interweaves Adam and Israel’s story in Romans 1. Jacob observes that Israel is described as becoming subject to the nations (Jer 2:14-16; Ps 105:41-42, 46 LXX) because of their “exchange of glory” (i.e., worship of idols). . . . Israel’s glory was their honorable position as rulers over the land they were to possess (Lev 20:24; Num 33:53; Deut 5:31-33; see esp. Deut 28:63-64; 30:5, 16-18; Josh 23:5). Israel forsook that created purpose by submitting themselves to idols and thus to other nations (see”
― Jackson Wu, Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes: Honor and Shame in Paul's Message and Mission

“God of unrighteousness (compare Romans 9:14). Therefore, Paul clarifies collective identity in Romans 9 just as he does in Romans 2–4. To defend God’s honor, Paul rebuffs Jewish presumption. God’s election of Israel doesn’t imply that he is partial to Jews based on ancestral birth. The Pentateuch itself undermines that assumption. Although Abraham already had Ishmael, God chose Isaac (Romans 9:7). Likewise, God elects the younger Jacob over Esau despite social convention (Romans 9:12). To clarify who are God’s people, Paul engages in what appears to be doublespeak. He previously argued that both Jews and Gentiles are reckoned as “Abraham’s offspring.” Similarly, Paul challenges typical notions of the term Israel in Romans 9:6-8. Christ redefines Paul’s understanding of Israel. What’s at stake? In Romans 9:14, Paul asks, “What shall we say then? Is there injustice [adikia] on God’s part?” He replies, “By no means!” Verses 15-18 offer support: For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then [ara oun] he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. God’s covenant promises depend on grace, not nationality or social position. This is Paul’s point in Romans 4:16 when speaking of justification: “That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.” God is not bound by external measures of justice/righteousness. Cultural norms do not constrain God either to save or condemn. Nor should we think God is only concerned for one expression of righteousness, whether “punitive,” “restorative,” or “covenantal” righteousness. The Creator does all things for his name’s sake. This includes raising up oppressive rulers like Pharaoh (Romans 9:17). Paul reinforces the point in Romans 9:22-24: What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for”
― Jackson Wu, Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes: Honor and Shame in Paul's Message and Mission