Is Paul’s concern the
salvation of individuals or is it far broader than that? New Perspective people
certainly fall into the second category and see Paul’s writings as being
concerned with far more than just the individual’s relationship with God. Tom
Wright in particular has emphasised Paul’s view on the whole of creation being
restored rather than just disembodied souls flying off to heaven for eternity.
Here, the corporate is as important as the singular.
One key insight being
brought by the NPP is Paul’s anti-imperial stance. They claim that his emphasis
on God as ‘present and coming King’ and the Lordship of Jesus is aimed first
and foremost against Roman imperial thinking which placed the emperor as lord
of all. Emperor Augustus in particular saw himself as the one who would bring
peace and prosperity to the world through the power of the Roman Empire and as
we recall from Luke 2, this was the emperor when Jesus was born.
In declaring Jesus as Lord,
therefore, and the one through whom true renewal would come to creation, Paul’s
message was anti-imperial and hence very political. It was a subversive message
that challenged the status quo.
Whether we should read Paul through
this interpretive tool is a valid debating point, but it is undoubtedly
worthwhile remembering the political context of Paul’s day when we read his
letters. Just as clarity is added to the words of Jesus by understanding the
Jewish culture of the day, so greater clarity is added to Paul by having an understanding
of the political context.
This post is part of a
series on the New Perspective on Paul by
Kent Yinger. The previous post can be found here.
