Paul's Works of the Law in the Perspective of Second-Century Reception - by Matthew J Thomas & Alister E McGrath (Paperback)

About the Book

When Paul wrote that we are justified by faith apart from "works of the law" what did he mean? Matthew J. Thomas examines how Paul's second-century readers understood the conflicting interpretations, how their readings relate to "old" and "new" perspectives, and what their collective witness suggests about the apostle's own meaning.

Book Synopsis

• Jesus Creed Book of the Year 2018

Biblical Foundations Book Awards Finalist

What did Paul mean by "works of the law"?

Paul writes that we are justified by faith apart from "works of the law," a disputed term that represents a fault line between "old" and "new" perspectives on Paul. Was the apostle reacting against the Jews' good works done to earn salvation, or the Mosaic law's practices that identified the Jewish people?

Matthew J. Thomas examines how Paul's second-century readers understood these points in conflict, how their readings relate to "old" and "new" perspectives, and what their collective witness suggests about the apostle's own meaning. Surprisingly, these early witnesses align closely with the "new" perspective, though their reasoning often differs from both modern viewpoints. They suggest that Paul opposes these works neither due to moralism, nor primarily for experiential or social reasons, but because the promised new law and covenant, which are transformative and universal in scope, have come in Christ.

Review Quotes

"A notable work on Pauline reception in the second century, Paul and Judaism, works of the law, Jewish and Christian relationships, and patristic theologies of the old covenant and Old Testament."

--Michael F. Bird, Euangelion, January 3, 2019

"Debates on the 'old perspective' and 'new perspective' on Paul are logjammed. Or, they were. Matthew Thomas shows that the earliest interpreters do not regard 'works (of the law)' in Paul as good deeds or inappropriate moral efforts in general. The 'new perspective' on works is shown to be not new after all, but rather to recover earliest Christian teachings. This outstanding study promises to break a major impasse in Pauline theology."

--Matthew W. Bates, Quincy University, OnScript podcast

"Dr. Thomas's work is a landmark in historical scholarship, which no interpreter of Paul should be allowed to overlook. . . . Based on Dr. Thomas's recent Oxford doctoral thesis, [it] brings readers up to date with the significant shifts in our understanding of how Paul was received and understood in the early Christian period. This major work of scholarship, happily now available in this new edition, is an invitation to rediscover what early Christian readers of Paul found in his letters. Yet it is also a powerful reminder that contemporary reflection on Paul must be informed about--and informed by--how earlier generations understood him."

--Alister E. McGrath, Oxford University, from the foreword

"The book should be in every theological library."

--Scot McKnight, Jesus Creed, January 15, 2019

"The dissertation is a stellar example of careful historical scholarship. M. J. Thomas has produced an even-handed account of the earliest patristic testimony on 'works of the law, ' and he has done so without overstating or understating his case. The volume is clearly written, its conclusions are consistently sober, and the ancient texts are allowed to speak for themselves without undue interference from the dissertator."

--Curtis J. Mitch, Nova et Vetera, Vol. 18, No. 1, 2020

"There are few must-reads in the field, and few works that will still be referenced fifty years from now. Thomas's work is a must-read and has potential for lasting value."

--Jonathan Huggins, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Vol. 62, No. 2, June 2019

"Thomas's work on second-century interpreters is a significant contribution to reception or effective-history in general and certainly will have a transformative effect on the character of contemporary interpretation of Paul's texts."

--Timothy Gombis, Bulletin for Biblical Research, Vol. 29, No. 4, 2019

About the Author

Matthew J. Thomas (DPhil, University of Oxford) is assistant professor of biblical studies at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley, California, and an instructor in theology with Regent College, Vancouver.