Thomas Schreiner on Paul

I picked up Thomas Schreiner's book on Paul yesterday and found this quote very helpful in my understanding of Paul as a whole. Schreiner expresses concern about limiting Paul's theological emphasis to one specific subject like justification or reconciliation. He asserts that to limit Paul's theology to one benefit of the gospel rather than focusing on the God of the gospel Himself, is to do injustice to Paul and his theology as a whole. He uses the metaphor of a house, saying that the foundation of Paul's theology is God himself while the structure or theme is the gospel in all its various blessings. On the side, some of you might be wondering about my recent hospital stay. I was admited into the E.R. last night because of severe abdominal pain. I stayed the night and am much better now. I guess I had an adhesion which is somewhat normal considering the surgeries I had this summer. Please keep me in your prayers.

"Such an illustration (of the house) also highlights the importance of salvation history, what is often called the "already not yet" dimension of Pauline theology. When we speak of salvation history, we think of the fulfillment of God's saving plan and promises. The fulfillment of God's plan in history is announced in the Pauline gospel. The promises made to Israel in the Old Testament have now become a reality in and through the ministry, death, and ressurection of Jesus Christ. God's saving promises are already a reality for the believer in Jesus Christ- in this sense God's plan is "already" being fulfilled. The gift of the Holy Spirit, for example, demonstrates that God's covenant promises are now a reality for those who have faith. On the other hand, believers still await the consummation of salvation history; in this sense we do "not yet" enjoy all that God has promised. Believers who have the gift of the Spirit still struggle with sin and await the day when their bodies will be ressurected. Salvation history, then, could represent the remodeling of the house, for the new covenant fulfills what was promised in the Old. The image of 'remodeling' is misleading if it suggests that God 'starts over' with the church. Perhaps we should think of the Old Testament as the framing of the house and think of the fulfillment of salvation history as the completion of the inside of the house. We could also say that the theme of salvation history is the gospel of God (Rom 1:1). Hence, the image of the house nicely captures various dimensions of Paul's theology- the foundation is God in Christ, salvation history portrays the progress being made on the house, and the theme of the house is the gospel."

-Thomas Schreiner, Paul, Apostle of God's Glory in Christ, A Pauline Theology