By Faith, Not by Sight: Paul and the Order of Salvation

by Richard B. Gaffin Jr.

Proponents of the “New Perspective” on Paul generally reject or minimize the concept of an ordo salutis (“order of salvation”) in his writings. Building on the biblical-theological groundwork of the Reformed tradition, Richard B. Gaffin Jr. explores Paul’s understanding of how individuals receive salvation.

Even Peter acknowledged that Paul wrote some things that are hard to understand, yet the central elements of Paul’s teaching are clearly explained by Gaffin as he unfolds Paul’s focus on Christ’s death and resurrection and the essence of his ordo salutis.

"This is a very good book—one of the best books on soteriology I've read. . . . masterfully shows the centrality of union with Christ in his death and resurrection and the eschatological impact of those key gospel events on the believer's salvation.”
—Brian Hedges, Author, Christ Formed in You

“Richard Gaffin brings together a lifetime of reflection on Paul’s letters with his expertise in the field of systematic theology to produce this encouraging study.”
—David Peterson, Former Principal, Oak Hill College, London

Richard B. Gaffin Jr. (ThM and ThD, Westminster Theological Seminary) is Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology, Emeritus, at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He is also the author of Resurrection and Redemption: A Study in Paul’s Soteriology.

Genres: Theology, Biblical Studies, Christianity, Faith, Christian, Nonfiction, New Testament

162 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2006

About the author

Richard B. Gaffin, Jr. is a Calvinist theologian, Presbyterian minister, and was the Charles Krahe Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1999 to 2008. He became the Professor Emeritus, Biblical and Systematic Theology in 2008.

Reviews

[John Yelverton · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a decent study on Paul, particularly on his eschatology. That being said, it's not an easy read, and the paragraphs used to explain a theology then only to explain how it's incorrect don't help either.

[mpsiple · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I've read in a while. A wonderful explanation of how the already-not yet paradigm works out in the application of redemption.

[Adam T. Calvert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not for everyone. The armchair theologian will likely give up. Gaffin has a good style and writes on an important topic; but it's highly academic. And if you're not up on the "New Perspective on Paul" debate and/or the "Federal Vision" debate, you likely might get bogged down in some of the details.

However, this book has some mighty powerful insights into the theological implications of our being united with Christ. A review wouldn't do it justice to bring out the glorious truths raised in this work. But if you can get through some of the higher language in it, I highly recommend it.

As one very great and well known pastor, Brian Hedges, said about this work: "This is a very good book - one of the best books on soteriology I've read." And I would have to agree.

[Bill Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book pretty quickly and found it to be an enjoyable read, even though he delves into topics with some pretty good depth. Making sense of the order of salvation and how that fits into historical salvation which was just incredibly helpful. In many ways, Gaffin gave me a really helpful rubric for reading and understanding Paul, especially inside the real of inaugurated eschatology. While seeing Paul through that understanding of already-not yet has been good, Gaffin gave some really great speificitiy to it along with rationale for understanding why he employs different tenses and concepts in different circumsnatnces. This was especially true in showing the distinction between the flesh/Spirit and inner/outer man, which I would've seen as equivalent terms. A good read that works, I think, as a great primer, should one want further study. And just enjoyable to read, which I always appreciate when it comes to theological works.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Believers are already adopted/justified - by faith. But they are yet to be adopted/justified - by sight."
"The gospel removes an absolute law-gospel antithesis in the life of the believer... with the gospel and in Christ, united to him by faith, the law is no longer my enemy but my friend."

One of the most important books I've read in seminary so far. Dr Gaffin writes with surgical precision and his insight into the architecture of Paul's theology is thoroughly biblical.

[Laura McCarter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is encouraging and helpful in speaking of the details of salvation, particularly in its already and not yet categories. It is thoroughly based in scripture. The information is useful though the style is unclear in ways that sound academic, but are really just unnecessarily wordy. There are a few emphases that could be worded more clearly. A helpful book, but not necessarily a light theological read, though it is reasonably short.

[Joshua Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant.

As people like Beale and Gaffin are keen to show, the already-not yet tension is essential to New Testament theology. The point that Gaffin makes, that the 'already' of Sanctification and the 'not yet' of Justification are hopelessly under emphasised, is well addressed and wonderfully unpacked.

The debate over 'future justification' would be much helped if people saw the centrality of bodily resurrection as Gaffin does here.

[B. P. C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Gaffin can criticize the NPP with fairness and bring the insights of biblical scholarship in harmony with the Reformed confessions, by centering everything on union with Christ and the "inner/outer dichotomy" of 2 Corinthians 4:16. The price he pays for his carefulness and precision is that his writing does not carry as much rhetorical punch as some NPP writers do, and may sound rather technical for the general reader.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book. Gaffin demonstrates how our union with Christ is the center of Paul's theology, and central to the way in which we receive the benefits of the gospel. This book is short and packed, and well worth a read and multiple rereads.

[Ben Hartman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, but also very dense (at least for me). That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it was a book that required all of my concentration.

[George Herndon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little book. Really wish I hadn’t had to read it so fast.

[Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, succinct (but by no means exhaustive) defense of the presence of ordo salutis in Paul's theology. The arguments are non-technical and the book is short, but it's still dense.

[Scott Moonen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some favorite quotes: https://scottmoonen.com/2020/11/28/by...

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good book - one of the best books on soteriology I've read. It would be a good companion volume to John Murray's Redemption: Accomplished and Applied (Murray was also one of Gaffin's teachers), which is an in-depth study of the atonement and the application of salvation to believers from start to finish.

Gaffin's focus is slightly different, and a needed balance to Murray. After carefully defining and distinguishing the terms historia salutis (the history of salvation - salvation accomplished in history) and ordo salutis (the order of salvation - salvation applied in experience) Gaffin sets Paul's soteriological concerns within the context of his summary statements of the gospel and the gospel's nature as solution to the plight of human sin. Gaffin next tethers his comments to "union with Christ" as the center of Paul's soteriology, and then develops Paul's anthropology and eschatology, then reading Paul's soteriology in those contexts, so that salvation is viewed within an already/not yet framework. Then Gaffin starts connecting the dots between sanctification and eschatology, justification and eschatology, etc. in very helpful exegetical theological reflections.

Along the way, Gaffin occasionally interacts with the New Perspective on Paul, usually critically. His primary dialogue partner is N. T. Wright, with whom Gaffin delivered the series of lectures which eventually became this book, at Auburn Avenue Presbyterian Church a couple of years ago. I am not persuaded that Gaffin fully understands all the nuances of Wright's theology, but some of his criticisms of Wright are probably valid. Very helpful is Gaffin's defense of the imputation of Christ's righteousness as the basis for a believer's justification and his refusal to polarize the individual dimensions of salvation from corporate and cosmic dimensions.

Most helpful to me is how Gaffin masterfully shows the centrality of union with Christ in his death and resurrection and the eschatological impact of those key gospel events on the believer's salvation. Gaffin draws heavily on the work of Herman Ridderbos and has made me want to explore Ridderbos for myself. Mostly, Gaffin makes me want to read Paul more closely and discover the richness of Paul's theological perspectives on Christ's glorious accomplishment in redemption.

[Rebecca Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 157 of 2019. This book, made from a series of lectures to theological students, explores Paul’s Soteriology, specifically the eschatological elements of salvation contained in Paul’s Ordo Salutis.

This book is well-written and argued. However, I felt uncomfortable with Gaffin’s equation of the Ordo Salutis and union with Christ. I also disagree that each element of the Ordo Salutis has a future eschatological component. This would also have been a better book had he expanded the book from the lecture format to exegete the relevant scriptures that he references.

This one is for the scholar although it is possible that the well-educated and well-nuanced layman could gain some value from this text. (Also, for my friends attempting to avoid reformed theology, I would question why you would pick up a book on the Ordo Salutis, (😂) but must let you know that this is a work of reformed theology.) ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

#books #seminary #theology

[Justin Dillehay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gaffin is one of my favorite theologians. A systematician who is also a rigorous exegete. I've wanted to read this book for years but it's been out of print, and the used copies were more than $100. P&R has finally brought it back with a new forward by Mark Jones.

This book is one of the best treatments you can find on union with Christ, justification and sanctification, faith and works, etc. He gives helpful explanations of justification as both present and future, as well as the ground of justification and the role of good works at the judgment.

At only 120 or so pages, this can be read quickly, which is good because that means you can read it several times--and you'll need to. Getting the issues in this book right, as Gaffin does, will go a long way toward strengthening the church and clarifying the gospel.

[Joshua Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful and succinct.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have wanted to read something by Richard Gaffin for a while. I had become familiar with N.T. Wright through critical works of his and basic bogeyman fear mongering. I could not figure out why I didn’t like Tom Wright…I just knew I was supposed to. I was then turned on to some writers that encouraged me to look into Wright and found him and his writing very approachable. Around this time I found a video of a conversation with N.T. Wright and Richard Gaffin and was blown away by the approach Gaffin took, the respect Gaffin showed, and the critique of Wright’s position/positive argument for the traditional Protestant position on justification that he provided.

I talked myself into overpaying for Wright’s new book, Paul and the Faithfulness of God, and realized that my reading By Faith Not By Sight where Gaffin deals with Paul’s ordo salutis and historia salutis, the Protestant view of justification and salvation in general was preparing me to read Wright’s work with Reformational lenses. By Faith Not By Sight is a great primer on Pauline soteriology especially if you plan on diving into the coral reef (beautiful, entangling, and possibly dangerous) of Wright’s New Perspective on Paul.

Gaffin has a rythym to his writing that you have to, and I mean have to, get into. If you don’t you will have a very hard time reading his work. By Faith Not By Sight is only about 120 pages of reading, if that, but it is rich. The constant depth of writing reminds me of reading some of the Puritan authors who immediately took you to the depths and held you down there until the position was exhausted. Stylistically I do not know if the comparison fits, but as far as my own reading experience, this work reminded me of my reading of Owen. As with Owen, By Faith Not By Sight was hard for me to get started in and I could not give it any less than all of my attention. But, also like Owen, when I did give this book its due focus and effort, it repaid me more than I could have expected.

Gaffin made many points that were novel to me and, I have to admit, I am not at level of study to pass judgment on the veracity of much that he wrote. Three points he made, however, were extremely convincing and quite thrilling to read.

First off, maybe terms like “ordo salutis” and “historia salutis” are somewhat new to you. Gaffin distinguishes between the two for the reader as “salvation applied” and “salvation accomplished”, respectively and spends a good part of the book looking at both aspects in the total soteriology of Paul.

(T)he distinction between the application and the accomplishment of salvation may be expressed by distinguishing generically between ordo salutis(the order of salvation){“salvation applied} and historia salutis(the history of salvation){“salvation accomplished”}… as we raise the question of the ordo salutisin Paul, we need to keep in mind that his controlling focus is the historia salutis, not the ordo salutis.

Gaffin argues that Paul’s theology is centered on the whole work of Christ saying, “at the center of Paul’s theology are Christ’s death and resurrection, or, expressed more broadly, his messianic suffering and glory, his humiliation and exaltation.”

The aspect of the book that resounded most with me, and the part that will be subject of much further study, is the eschatological aspect of Paul’s soteriology. That is the “now and not yet” or, to use Gaffin’s language, the “By faith, not(yet) by sight” of Paul’s teaching on salvation.

Part of the recent consensus in Pauline scholarship that emerged over the course of the twentieth century, just noted, is that Paul’s eschatology has a dual or elliptical focus. For him, the concept of eschatology is to be defined not only in terms of Christ’s second coming, by what is still future at his return, but also by his first coming and what has already taken place in Christ, especially his death and resurrection. Paul teaches an eschatology that is, in part, already realized.

In my view, looking over the history of the interpretation of Paul as a whole, the relatively recent pervasive recognition of his realized eschatology represents the truly “new perspective” on Paul, one that is far more important, with wider-ranging implications, than the developments of the past several decades that have been given that designation. My perception is that a commensurate impact of this rediscovery is still to be had in the doctrine and life of the church, in its preaching and teaching.

Along with that, Gaffin highlights the critical role of union with Christ in the theology of Paul, something that itself is in a “now and not yet” state.

(U)nion with Christ. This, as we will have occasion to see, is the central truth of salvation for Paul, the key soteriological reality comprising all others. While the phrase “union with Christ” does not occur in Paul (or elsewhere in the New Testament), the reality is described in various ways and is particularly prominent in his use of the prepositional phrase “in Christ/the Lord” with other slight variations, particularly involving the preposition “with.” Scholarly debate about the phrase’s meaning has often focused on the force of the preposition “in” (en) and views range from a purely instrumental understanding to a local or atmospheric sense and even the notion of an actual physical union between Christ and believers…

Faith unites to Christ, so that his death and resurrection are mine, in the sense of now being savingly effective in my life. Better, faith is the work of God by his Spirit, effective in “calling” sinners—otherwise “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1, 5) and thus utterly incapable of faith in and of themselves—“into the fellowship of his Son” (1 Cor. 1:9), into union with Christ, who is what he now is as crucified and resurrected. This union with the exalted Christ is such that his death and resurrection in their saving efficacy from sin and all its consequences—that is, basically, from its guilt and power—are mine. Or, put even more elementally and integrally, by union with the exalted Christ, all that he now is and has secured for believers by virtue of having been crucified and raised is mine, whether presently or in the Future.

Union with Christ is so essential that Gaffin says it is “the central soteriological reality” in Paul’s teaching. That it is “the nub, the essence, of the way or order of salvation for Paul”. He adds that, “(u)nion with Christ by faith---that is the essence of Paul’s ordo salutis.”

After making a solidly and surfacely Reformational statement about justification in contrast to NPP (“Justification in Paul is essentially and primarily soteriological.”), Gaffin proceeds to make, what he shows to be just as solidly Reformational, a statement that on the surface is far from common Reformed vernacular. Gaffin sets out to, and seems to do a good job of, making the point that justification is “now and not yet”.

2 Corinthians 4:16 reflects the basic “now and not yet” structure that qualifies our union with Christ and our sharing in its attendant benefits…This fundamental state of affairs is given some clarification in the immediately following section (5:1–10). There Paul addresses the believer’s hope of bodily resurrection, in other words, hope for the outer man. In this context, verse 7 affirms, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” This statement, proverbial in its ring, is an assertion like 4:16. It opens a fundamental perspective on the Christian life. Particularly instructive here is the way it serves to interpret 4:16 (as well as 4:7). “By faith” correlates with “the inner self ” (“this treasure”) and what is presently true for believers; “by sight” correlates with “the outer self ” (“clay jars”) and what is still future. For the present, until Jesus comes, our union with him and our sharing in the benefits of that union are “by faith,” but not (yet) “by sight.” We have our salvation for the present, all told, in the mode of believing, but as that believing falls short of seeing. Such “sight” participation in the benefits of union with Christ is reserved for what will be openly manifest in the resurrection of the body at his return (the predominating concern of the immediate context).

In that light, it seems fair to observe, given that for believers death is inalienably penal (“because of sin”), its removal—as the judicial consequence of the reversal of judgment already effected in justification—does not take place all at once, but unfolds in two steps, one already realized and one still future. Correlatively, the open or public declaration of that judicial reversal, that manifest declaration attendant on their bodily resurrection and the final judgment, is likewise still future. In that sense, believers are already justified—by faith. But they are yet to be justified—by sight.

This alone will throw many for a loop. I found Gaffin’s arguments credible and convincing and found his writing entertaining and edifying. This is a very, very good book and, at around 1500 pages less than Wright’s new tree killer, I would encourage the reader to give this work a week or two of your life before you give Wright a month or two.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher to offer a review.

[Sean Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

In sum, this was an admirable defence of the traditional Reformed ordo salutis, bringing it into discussion with the doctrine of union with Christ and concepts of the historia salutis. Below are some initial thoughts, though I think this book will continue a rent-free tenancy in my head for the next little while.

I loved Gaffin's emphasis on union with Christ, and that the Spirit's renewal of our lives is in fact a part of what it means for God to save us. A common enough view that "the gospel" === "the basis of God's justifying declaration" tends to keep us from seeing this rich truth.

Gaffin is surely right to connect the salvation accomplished in history to the application to the individual life: at a discrete point in time, the Ephesians joined in on the resurrected life of Christ (what he calls their "existential union"). Still, the historia salutis as described here does not seem to include God's forming of the church in history. The church barely appears, except perhaps by implication as the aggregate of individuals working their way through the ordo salutis. This increasingly seems to me a weakness: in the prophetic vision of the days to come, Zion is a central part of the vision (e.g., Is. 54).

While I think that the already-not yet structure is generally sound, it does have the side effect of massively oversimplifying various parts of the biblical narrative, or at worst, shoehorning them into a construct. For one example, on Gaffin's framework, the "outer man" vindication is consequent on Christ's return. Yet for Daniel, God's people are (in some way or other) publicly vindicated in the days of the fourth beast (Dan. 7:21-22). I'd be interested to see where Gaffin would place the events of Daniel 7 in the "already/not yet" structure.

Well worth a read and very stimulating, but I really want to see this work developed in light of the fuller biblical narrative. (Perhaps his more recent book does that, to some extent?)

[Eric Yap · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gaffin posits the controlling theme of "already-not-yet" as the interpretive key to Pauline's corpus and soteriology. I first read about the notion of "final justification" from John Piper, where he was critiqued by R Scott Clark but defended by Mark Jones with a series of exchange (blog posts) that lasted close to a year (and I didn't read through it all), both claiming to be faithful to the Westminster divines and reformed confessions reading of Pauline's corpus. Gaffin has made strong exegetical cases for the "already-not-yet" as the controlling interpretation to both justification and sanctification but I can't say I have fully wrap my mind around it. Planning to perhaps pick up Gaffin's Ressurection and Redemption and Vos' Pauline Eschatology as reviewers have pointed that this book is more of a primer as Gaffin did note that he wrote this book to be accessible to the layperson. Another salient point of this compact but comprehensive book is Gaffin's exegetical presentation of the gospel being our faith union with Christ, as the centre of Paul's ordo salutis (order of salvation), with the ordo itself grounded in the historia salutis (the actual work of redemption by Christ), or putting in succinctly, redemption applied (ordo salutis) must be grounded in redemption accomplished (historia salutis), and with that, compellingly silencing NPP or social gospel advocates that attempt to decenter a forensic justification and progressive sanctification from the penalty and effect of sin.
"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

[Timothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps this book was a little bit too difficult for me and I need to spend more time really diving into the texts considered. Nevertheless, there was much to be learnt.
Gaffin addresses some issues he believes even Reformed circles have neglected or missed regarding union with Christ, justification and sancitification especially with regards to the already but not yet eschatological view of these issues.
This book definitely helps us to focus on some issues which we may have been blinded to, and miss out on the bigger picture of our salvation. It explains how we should think about our current justification and our future justification, and our inner man vs outer man in regards to an eschatological view.
This would probably be worth reading in a group and discussing. It is a short book but very deep and dense.

"For Christians, future judgment according to works does not operate according to a different principle than their already having been justified by faith. The difference is that the final judgment will be the open manifestation of that present justification, their being "openly acquitted," as we have seen. And in that future judgment, their good works will not be the ground or basis of their acquittal. Nor are they (co-)instrumental, a coordinate instrument for appropriating divine approbation as they supplment faith. Rather, they are the esential and manifest criterion of that fatih, the integral "fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith," p112

[Ethan McCarter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read on the Reformed understanding of the "historia salutis," and the "ordo salutis," from the Pauline corpus. Gaffin is a good theologian with a firm grasp on Paul's writings. He bases all of the benefits of salvation on the fact of the believer's union to Christ. Justification, sanctification, acquittal in the day of judgment, and our future glorification all flow from our union to Christ. With the major influx of Lutheran views of soteriology in the Reformed theological realm, this book is a fine resource for understanding why the Reformed focus heavily on the doctrine of union to Christ. If you've struggled with the New Perspective folks or a Lutheran understanding of salvation (primarily based on justification), then this is a great place to start.
The big caveat I have with this book is its readability. Gaffin is a pretty poor writer in numerous areas. For instance, one sentence may take an entire paragraph with four or five rabbit trails, in commas, placed throughout it. That hurts his argumentation since the reader has a tough time following a flow of thought from beginning to end. I'd recommend the book for those in seminary or looking for a deeper understanding of soteriology understood by St. Paul.

[Zach · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a lot to commend about this book. The positive things Gaffin has to say on union with Christ are mostly exegetically sound and at times uniquely insightful. Three areas of critique:
1. Gaffin wants to use 2 Corinthians 4:16 as programmatic for everything Paul believes about the application of Redemption, and therefore argues that each aspect of our redemption (justification, sanctification, Union) has an already aspect and a not yet aspect. I don’t think this text can bear this weight, and I’m unconvinced by his argument.
2. His view that “Paul’s ordo salutis” simply IS Union with Christ doesn’t seem to do justice to the biblical data (specifically Romans 8:28ff).
3. While his treatment on the final judgment stays carefully within the bounds of orthodoxy, his exegesis is unconvincing.

This book is worth reading, but should probably be accompanied by another work such as Michael Horton’s “Covenant and Salvation” to reach a balance within the Reformed tradition.

[Jack Hayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a joy to read thoughtful Reformed theology—Gaffin gets it right. By placing the ordo salutis within the broader framework of the historia salutis, he affirms both the reality of sin and the centrality of our union with Christ, all within the unfolding drama of redemptive history. This approach enables the tension between union, justification (with an emphasis on the resurrection), and sanctification to unfold within an eschatological "already/not yet" framework. It sidesteps the pitfalls of overly rigid sequences—particularly the tendency to isolate justification in a way that can drift toward legalism—by emphasizing instead the fullness of our benefits in Christ. Crucially, it affirms that Christ himself initiates union with Christ. While this still leaves open questions about how human will and salvation cohere, it removes any notion that we are the initiators of our salvation.

97% Union

[Mark Seeley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent treatment of Paul's theology. Building on the insights of Geerhardus Vos and Herman Ridderbos, Gaffin centers Paul's theological development in I Corinthians 15 with the historical death and resurrection of Christ. The history of salvation is the controlling paradigm for the appropriation of salvation for the individual -- the order of salvation. This appropriation for Gaffin is grounded in union with Christ in his death and resurrection. Gaffin balances the now and the not yet, the realized-eschatological portion of Paul's soteriology with the future, outstanding elements of Paul's eschatology. As Gaffin states it, "Believers are already justified by faith. But they are yet to be justified by sight. Gaffin's treatment of Paul's anthropology in 2 Corinthians 4:16 was especially enlightening. And I also appreciated his dialog with the Westminster standards.

[Marty Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have no issues with the substance of Dr. Gaffin’s work. The problem is the writing. It started out with a comfortable style accessible to the average layperson, but it quickly shifted into the typical over-blown style of academic writings. Multiple compound sentences, often with many clauses strung together, followed each other for paragraphs and even pages at a time.

Within about a five page span just before the halfway point of the book, I encountered three separate passages that required a repeat reading (or in one case four re-readings) because on first (or second and third) pass, they appeared to be saying the exact opposite of what Gaffin was presenting because of the syntax chosen.

[Ethan Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, Gaffin provides an excellent introduction to Paul's conception of salvation. While it is not meant to be comprehensive, it does provide a superb framework, which is thoroughly Pauline, in which to explore aspects of salvation in Paul. This book builds from the text up and makes the best use of the tools of biblical theology. Gaffin focuses on union with Christ, resurrection, and eschatology in his exploration of Paul's soteriology. It is through these categories that he provides serious critiques of some aspects of the new perspective on Paul, while also offering some correction to certain tendencies in the reformed tradition. This book is an excellent introduction to Pauline theology for anyone interested.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

A remarkable little book of theology that explains like I've never read before what it means to be united to Christ. I recommend this book for everyone who wants a clear reasoning for why the New Perspective is wrong to dismiss individual salvation as a chief concern of Paul's. It is theology, however, and readers need some familiarity with theological terminology before reading.

[WH · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wished some parts were argued more thoroughly, but can't complain about a short and concise work when it was so theologically rich. Really helped me understand the final judgment of believers and the role of works. At some point soon, I should probably write a fuller review of the book.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A warm, clear explanation of union with Christ and its relation to justification and sanctification. It probably deserves five stars but I need to read another time or two before I grasp it entirely. Recommended.