Book Review: Paul

'Abraham Did not "Doubt" in Unbelief' (rom. 4:20): Faith, Doubt, and Dispute in Paul's Letter to the Romans

“…4:18-21 (22), Paul presents the 'most powerful exposition' of what he understood by 'faith'. 25 Faith's counterpart, doubt, purportedly occurs in Paul's statement that 'Abraham did not ''doubt'' in unbelief ' (o2 diekr0qh tI 2pist0G). Irrespective of which translation of Romans one is consulting, the notion of 'doubt' or 'hesitation' or 'wavering' is unanimously present, even as early as in the Vulgate.…”

N.T. Wright's Understanding of the Nature of Jesus' Risen Body

“…"Flesh" cannot.' 122 Dunn here refers to Joachim Gnilka who explains that 'an essential difference between body (Leib) and flesh (Fleisch) consists in the fact that the human person is to continue to exist in the resurrection reality as body (Leib) whereas the flesh (Fleisch) will not continue to exist.' 123 Therefore, observes Gnilka, in the understanding of Paul, 'it would be impossible to speak of a "resurrection" of the flesh.'…”

“…But the climax of salvation is the final leaving behind of the flesh with all its inherent weakness and corruptibility.' 125 These clarifications of Dunn and Gnilka, in conjunction with E. Schweizer's denial that 'the resurrection body is fleshly in substance in continuity with the earthly body,' 126 undermine the parenthesis in the statement of Wright that 'flesh and blood' means 'the present physical humanity (as opposed to the future one), which is subject to decay and death.' 127 We noted previously (in note 77) that Wright's parenthesis (as opposed to the future one) which means (as opposed to the future physical humanity) contains an interpretation concerning the physicality of the future humanity which is not warranted by Paul's statements.…”

Matthew 7.21–23: Further Evidence of its Anti-Pauline Perspective

“…7.24, 26), including his categorical statements that the Torah is to be followed in full (5. [17][18][19]. It should be borne in mind that those Christians who profess Jesus as Lord in 7.21 are ultimately rejected in 7.23 as workers of lawlessness (aj nomiv a).…”

“…5 Earlier in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus dictated that the Torah (nov mo~) was to be obeyed in its entirety by his followers (Matt 5. [17][18][19], and now at its conclusion he spells out in graphic detail the fate of those Law-free Christians who ignore this fundamental demand (cf. Matt 13.36-43).…”