Reading Paul Quotes

“God’s resurrection of Jesus vindicated and validated him, especially marking his death by crucifixion as redemptive and revelatory. Moreover, if Jesus’ crucifixion has been vindicated and validated by God, then clearly his cross must not ultimately be a sign of divine curse but a means of divine blessing (Gal 3:13–14).2 Furthermore, the early church’s otherwise absurd claim that the crucified Jesus is God’s appointed Messiah and Son actually makes sense. And if the crucified Jesus is the Messiah, then God’s way of saving Israel and redeeming the world is not by inflicting violence, but by absorbing it. Moreover, God’s activity in the world is characterized by exercising power through powerlessness and bringing life through death.”
― Michael J. Gorman, Reading Paul

“for Paul the cross is the quintessential, unified act of loyalty to God and love for others—what Paul, like Jesus, understands to be the essence of the Jewish Law, the covenant obligations for God’s people to love God and neighbor.8 This perspective will form the foundation of Paul’s understanding of the appropriate human response to the gospel—a unified response of faith and love—as God’s way of forming a (new) covenant community.”
― Michael J. Gorman, Reading Paul

“When one believes or disbelieves the gospel and God (Rom 10:6–11, 14, 17), one also obeys or disobeys (Rom 10:16, 21), because the good news is not merely a divine announcement or promise; it is a call, a summons. To believe and confess that Jesus is Lord is hardly just an intellectual affirmation; it is a personal and public commitment to obey this Lord Jesus; it is a promise of loyalty, a pledge of allegiance. Faith is not something that happens once; it is the ongoing reality of life in Christ.”
― Michael J. Gorman, Reading Paul