N. T. Wright at Helm's Deep

Paul Helm has concluded his four-part series on N. T. Wright and justification by faith alone. Check it out for an acute theological analysis of the differences between Wright's 'new perspective' stance and the classic Reformed position on the imputed righteousness of Christ.

1. Wright in General
2. Why Covenant Faithfulness is not Divine Righteousness (and cannot be).
3. Wright and Righteousness
4. Wright and the Reformation

"On the Reformed view, Christ’s imputed righteousness is ‘alien’, external, the righteousness of another, and even when imputed, it will always remain alien. God justifies the ungodly as ungodly. The widely-used illustration, that Christ’s righteousness is credited to my account, is misleading. (If I’m credited, mustn’t Christ be debited?) To repeat, in the imputation of righteousness, nothing moves. Imputation is not an electronic moral transfer. Righteousness is not transmitted, transfused, or relocated in any way. (Any more than if I receive free insurance cover I receive a transfusion of some mysterious substance called ‘insurance’.) The believer’s imputed righteousness remains inalienably Christ’s perfect righteousness. What is true is that by an act of the unspeakable mercy of God the believer is shielded by, or seen through, or covered by, the righteousness of another." (From Wright and the Reformation ).