On the 10 March I promised that I would be back in a few weeks with my review of the third chapter in Tom Wright's Virtue Reborn - so here I am, nearly nine weeks later. At this rate I should finish the book in about a years time.
[An index of all other posts relating to this book can be found by clicking here]
In the previous chapter we saw how part of what the Christian is supposed to be about, between the point at which they believe and the point they die is preparing for their place in God's new creation. In this chapter Tom Wright takes it one step further and starts to reveal what that role is to involve. Using various Bible passages including Revelation 22 and 1 Peter 2 Wright argues that the Christian's goal is worshipping and reigning - priests and kings - a royal priesthood. And if that is to be the ultimate destiny then that will be anticipated in the present time - so life here, now, will be a preparation for the future a bit at a time. And so what the Christian is to be about is 'bringing the presence of God to the wider world, carrying forward the mission of declaring God's powerful and rescuing acts and beginning the work of implementing the messianic rule of Jesus in all the world' [page 75].
Wright is quick to note the sort of behaviours that last point does not mean. It is a life that involves submission and persecution - it is not about lording it over anyone, or the abuse of power... In all the discussion so far Wright is keen to ensure that the language of reigning and ruling etc. is not misunderstood.
Wright then moves into a discussion from Romans 5-8. When someone like Tom Wright unpacks a passage of Scripture that he refers to as dense then you know you're in real trouble. So I'll just pick out a few highlights. [By which I mean the one or two sentences I could understand.]
Wright argues that Paul too, in this passage, is assuming that present behaviour is shaped by the future goal. And so in the present we should be learning habits of mind and heart that will point us in the direction of the eventual 'reign', and these are characterised by holiness and prayer. If our future goal is to involve reigning and judging the whole of creation then in the present we should be in control of...our own bodies - not being a slave to sin, but replacing slave habits of mind, heart and body with freedom habits.
This is anticipated in the present through prayer - the priestly role of groaning with the pain of the world as that pain is brought into the presence of God.
See you again in a couple of months...
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