Justification: An Introduction

Short Studies in Systematic Theology

by Thomas R. Schreiner, Graham A. Cole (Editor), Oren R. Martin (Editor)

A Clear and Concise Exploration of the Doctrine of Justification from Thomas R. Schreiner

When we see the fallenness of the world, it is often challenging to understand how sinners can stand before a holy God, but the gospel gives hope―justification that comes through Jesus Christ. This doctrine is essential to the gospel but has sparked countless academic and theological disagreements throughout church history, even contributing to the Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century. 

In this addition to the Short Studies in Systematic Theology series, Thomas R. Schreiner examines the biblical and historical background of the doctrine of justification. Schreiner explores it throughout church history and analyzes both the Old and New Testament teachings. By examining the relationship between justification and other doctrines of salvation―such as redemption, reconciliation, adoption, and sanctification―Schreiner shows how it gives peace, assurance, and joy to sinners through Jesus and hope for life today.

 Designed to be short and approachable, this text is an ideal resource for college students, pastors, and thoughtful laypeople Part of the Short Studies in Systematic Theology  Other titles include The Person of Christ; Glorification; and The Doctrine of Scripture Written by Thomas R.  A renowned biblical scholar and professor who has authored or edited numerous books, including Run to Win the Prize; The Joy of Hearing; and Covenant and God’s Purpose for the World

Genres: Theology, Christian

176 pages, Paperback

Published June 6, 2023

About the author

Thomas R. Schreiner (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He is the author or editor of numerous books, including New Testament Theology; Magnifying God in Christ; Apostle of God's Glory in Christ; and Romans in the Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament.

Reviews

[Ben Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again I find myself thanking the Lord for Dr. Schreiner! Clarity and charity combine in this wonderfully edifying little volume.

May we all be so careful and biblical with one of the most important doctrines of the Christian faith.

[Andrew Gates · Rating 3 out of 5]

Schreiner's work is an introduction to justification. He helpfully shows how justification is a prevalent concept throughout the whole Bible (chs 2-5 walk through different parts of the Bible). It is pretty introductory, but I got several nuggets out of the book. It can serve as a good reference book and be helpful for church members looking for a clear presentation of the subject. He had some helpful thoughts on the Old Testament and the Gospels.

[Cory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great biblical introduction. Also discusses historical and contemporary issues. Cannot imagine ANYONE giving this three stars…

…certainly not one of my best friends.

[Riley Carpenter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was pretty good. Despite its efforts at being both clear and introductory, it helped clear up my thinking on how the doctrine works exegetically. The only issue with this work is that more than a few sections were so broad that they were certainly unhelpful, maybe even unnecessary. Notwithstanding, it’s pretty good.

[Joshua Chatman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear, concise and faithful! It’s a rich book! Read it and marvel at the grace of God, that through faith in Christ, sinners are declared righteous.

[Brandon Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good introduction. Schreiner interacts with the biblical texts and also with contemporary and historical issues/views, which is also great to have in there.

[Amos Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Nothing is hidden from [God] about us - our worst thoughts, our cruelest words, our most despicable actions - and yet he loves us and has pronounced the verdict that sends our souls soaring: justified!”

[Brandon Sickling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great short study.

[Steven Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
I will allow Schreiner's own words to define this work: "In this book, I have defended the classic Reformed view that justification is by faith alone, that justification is forensic, that sinners are declared to be in the right on the basis of the penal substitutionary death of Christ, that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us, and that works are a necessary evidence of justification. We have seen from the Old Testament, the teaching of Jesus, the epistles of Paul, and the rest of the New Testament that vindication, acquittal, and forgiveness are a gift of God. Salvation - including justification - is of the Lord!"

This is a helpful and instructive book written by a pastor-theologian who has devoted decades of his life to studying God's word. With the skill expected of anyone familiar with his work, Dr. Schreiner discusses the doctrine of justification with theological depth and academic rigor while communicating in a clear and compelling manner that is accessible to both lay church members and pastor-theologians.

This work aligns with the entire series, Short Studies in Systematic Theology. Dr. Schreiner does not aim to overturn every stone of Scripture or engage every debated topic regarding the doctrine of justification. He maintains a focused purpose: to provide a clear overview of the doctrine through history, Scripture, and the challenges it has faced. In this endeavor, Dr. Schreiner has excelled.

This is a well-written book that establishes a solid foundation for a Reformed biblical understanding of the doctrine of justification and its implications for the Christian life. Dr. Schreiner provides an extensive bibliography for those looking to delve deeper into the study and debate on the topic. For anyone seeking a strong biblical understanding of the doctrine of justification, this is an excellent resource.

The greatest strength of this work is Dr. Schreiner's approach to the study. This book is not merely a word study on the use of the Greek word and its variants for justification throughout Scripture. Instead, Dr. Schreiner defines the principle of justification and then surveys the Old Testament, the teachings of Jesus, Paul's writings, and the rest of the New Testament to demonstrate that justification is not solely a Pauline idea or theology, but a necessary reality in God's salvific economy. He also offers a brief rebuttal to a few contemporary challenges to the doctrine of justification, including those in the New Perspective on Paul camp. Dr. Schreiner's writing and argumentation are fair, balanced, clear, and compelling, making this an excellent resource for all.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Justification" searches throughout the whole Bible to explore what is said about justification. This is somewhat more academic in tone, but it's not difficult to follow his points. His basic premise is that we shouldn't limit ourselves to a word study on "justification" but should also look for where the concept is discussed, both in the Old and New Testament. This book isn't intended to show every example but simply shows that the concept is present throughout and what is meant by "justification." He also talked about how various Christians talked about justification during the early church period. I felt that the author clearly made his points and convinced me of his points. Overall, I'd recommend this book to Christians who want a better understanding of what justification means.

The author shows that "justification through faith alone by grace alone is not restricted to Paul, nor did it begin with Paul" (from page 41). He also demonstrated that "...it has to do with the law court, that it means that God as the judge declares sinners to be not guilty. The word 'justify' doesn't mean 'make righteous' but 'declare righteous'" (from page 73).

Also, from page 71, "All [people] sin, and thus no one can put God in their debt. No one faithfully serves God by their labor. Thus, the only hope is for God to justify the ungodly, and he does so for those who put their faith in Christ Jesus, and Jesus's atoning death satisfies God's justice and holiness. Justification is a gift, but it is based on Christ's sacrifice where he takes the wrath of God on himself for our sake and our salvation (Rom. 3:25-26)....If righteousness is obtained through keeping the law, then salvation is no longer based on God's promise and faith is emptied of its significance and distinctiveness....Works call attention to what human beings achieve, but faith looks to what God in Christ has done....Righteousness doesn't come by achieving but believing, not by doing but by resting in God's promises, not by performing but by trusting in Christ."

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

[Randy Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book tracing and defending the Reformed view of justification as a forensic reality, given to the believer by faith alone. A subject which is undoubtedly the most important theological subject one could ever consider since what could be more important than how we achieve a right standing before a holy God? The book is a virtual survey of Justification through the entire Bible and also includes chapters on church history and contemporary challenges to the Reformed view. Schreiner does a fair and balanced view of all the opposing sides. Particularly good is the chapter that delves into the apparent contradiction between Paul and James on justification by faith alone. Also his dissecting of contemporary challenges like NT Wright and the “new perspective” on Paul. But, as the title suggests, this is only an introduction to these things but in this case brief does equate to shallow. I’ve reading several books on this subject (including one solely on the James and Paul question) and I found much here which was enlightening and greatly clarifying. This is a book I will keep with me and reference often. Here’s a quote which would hopefully wet the appetite for any perspective reader, (page 122). “As a result of God imputing to Christ something extrinsic to him, namely sin, believers have something imputed to them that was extrinsic to them, namely righteousness.” Or (page 138) “Those who are right with God by faith and not by their works demonstrate their new life since the Spirit who is granted to them by faith transforms them.”

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tom Schreiner is a solid as it gets on a topic like justification, and he delivers the basics more than ably in this volume. He defends the standard Reformed view of justification, giving plenty of focus to Paul but not ignoring the rest of Scripture. I give the book four stars because it was not quite as in-depth as others in this SSST series, and because it was poorly copyedited (I think someone's keyboard had a sporadically nonfunctioning comma key).

What is interesting to me is that, when you get right down to it, there actually aren't that many texts "about" justification. And yet, it is always very close to the surface of the economy of salvation through the Old and New Testaments. Schreiner highlights places where it bubbles up without resorting to special pleading.

[Jess Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Une bonne introduction au sujet et une bonne définition de la position protestante classique mais qui reste en surface de beaucoup d'aspects, ce n'est qu'une introduction après tout.

Ps: ce n'est pas spécialement contre ce livre mais ça m'a particulièrement sauté aux yeux ici, pourquoi quand des auteurs historiques sont cités (Augustin, Thomas d'Aquin, Luther, Calvin) ils ne le sont pas directement mais à travers des livres qui les citent ? Pourquoi des citations de citations et non quelques choses venant de la source ?

[Pig Rieke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I only listened to this one on Hoopla.

Justification is that doctrine so central to the gospel that to lose it, is to lose the gospel itself. For in it, unrighteous sinners are counted as righteous through faith in Christ. It is no wonder then that the world, the flesh, and the Devil so rages against it. What better doctrine then to consider than justification and who better to do it than the preeminently fair and biblical Tom Schreiner.

In the brief work, Schreiner provides a biblical theology of justification, exegetes countless texts, summarizes church history on the subject, and battles against heretical attacks on the doctrine. The result is a fantastic yet brief overview on the doctrine that God has used to shake the world many times over.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I particularly enjoyed the chapters that addressed justification as taught (or as present) in the Old Testament and gospels. The sections demonstrating there is no conflict between Paul and James are very persuasive. The chapter addressing the so-called new(er) perspectives on justification, imputation, and Paul is not compelling, mainly because I don’t think the nature of book permitted a robust explanation of what those new(er) perspectives are. Throughout, the book proclaims why justification, and especially its forensic nature, is a sweet source of comfort and assurance.

[Jerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Schreiner's book was really engaging and insightful. His explanations are easy to follow. He breaks down his thoughts on the subject making them easy to understand.
Justification is by faith alone and forensic,sinners are declared to be right by Jesus' death, His righteousness is imputed into us, and that works are necessary evidence of justification

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here, Schreiner, well-known NT scholar, offers a solid articulation of justification from a Reformed perspective. Though there are quite a few works on this subject from a Reformed perspective, the clarity and brevity of this work will prove useful for someone desiring an introductory and accessible treatment.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid introduction to justification. I appreciated how he framed justification within the context of union with Christ and found his explanation of the necessity of good works for final justification very helpful.

[Lucas Bradburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Typical Schreiner: biblical, clear, concise.

[John Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tom is clear and concise. He covered a ton of ground.

The epilogue set my heart on fire! Thankful for this essential doctrine.

[John Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author clearly defines and explains the forensic view of justification and defends it against other popular views like the Catholic view and New Perspectives of Paul.

[Valerie Romero · Rating 5 out of 5]

schreiner teaches so well on the subject..... just like in 5 solas series :)