Hello Peter

Yes, thanks for the clarification. I’m not from a reformed background and, although the inputed idea is not unknown by me, I’ve had a covenantal understanding for some time, even before reading NT Wright. You are right to make the clarification though, because a Lutheran understanding of righteousness is the normal "default setting" I suppose - a point I made in the book review… did you get a chance to read after your patient anticipation?

My understanding of righteousness is therefore that being in right relationship with God is about "keeping covenant faithfulness." I wonder how you would view "keeping covenant," Peter (or others)? Is it something we can do - or are we abject sinners, incapable of anything good, except being passive recipients of supernatural grace? How do we exhibit "trusting faithfulness" to the new covenant?

Is "keeping covenant" different from the tribunal aquittal or vindication that Wright speaks of? Doesn’t he suggest that in reality this is something that will take place in the eschaton and that what we have now is a fore-telling of the vindication, a promise, a downpayment? Is that what we are somehow taking hold of with our trusting faithfulness?

I would also be grateful to know how you personally understand "covenant," Peter?

Incidentally, I thought your description of the nature of Israel’s problem as not so much a failure of faithfulness as their…

failure to see (Paul calls it lack of knowledge in Romans) how that unfaithfulness could be remedied.

… was very interesting. I will be thinking about that one some more, but if you wanted to enlarge further upon it, do go ahead.

Meanwhile, I wonder, did you not misplace the "not" in this sentence:

Our (or Israel’s) righteousness is not, as N.T.Wright insists, a moral quality which is shared with God and which he imparts to us, but something rather distinct - a state of acquittal, or vindication, at God’s tribunal.

It seems to read as though you disagree with Wright, rather than upholding him, as I think you intended to do.

shalom! - john