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Configurations of Grace and Merit in Paul and His Interpreters
Author(s) -
Eubank Nathan
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
international journal of systematic theology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.149
H-Index - 13
eISSN - 1468-2400
pISSN - 1463-1652
DOI - 10.1111/ijst.12396
Subject(s) - christianity , philosophy , interpretation (philosophy) , interpreter , judaism , protestantism , religious studies , theology , computer science , linguistics , programming language
One of the main findings of John Barclay’s Paul and the Gift is that divine grace was everywhere in ancient Judaism, but not everywhere the same. Though Barclay does not emphasize this point, something similar could be said about the worthiness or merit of the recipients of grace. Human worthiness is everywhere in Judaism and Christianity, but not everywhere the same. This article situates Barclay’s account of human worthiness relative to other possible configurations. According to Barclay’s Paul, the Christ‐gift is given without regard for the worth of the recipients, but this same gift remakes those to whom it is given, enabling them to become worthy of God. This account of human response places Barclay in surprisingly close proximity with non‐Protestant Augustinian streams of interpretation.