Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 47:2 (Jun 2004)
Article: Incorporated Righteousness: A Response To Recent Evangelical Discussion Concerning The Imputation Of Christ’s Righteousness In Justification
Author: Michael F. Bird

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Incorporated Righteousness:
A Response To Recent Evangelical Discussion Concerning The Imputation Of Christ’s Righteousness In Justification

Michael F. Bird

[Michael Bird is a doctoral student at the University of Queensland, St. Lucia QLD 4072, Australia.]

1 Introduction

In the last ten years biblical and theological scholarship has witnessed an increasing amount of interest in the doctrine of justification. This resurgence can be directly attributed to issues emerging from recent Protestant-Catholic dialogue on justification and the exegetical controversies prompted by the New Perspective on Paul. Central to discussion on either front is the topic of the imputation of Christ’s righteousness, specifically, whether or not it is true to the biblical data. As expected, this has given way to some heated discussion with salvos of criticism being launched by both sides of the debate. For some authors a denial of the imputation of Christ’s righteousness as the sole grounds of justification amounts to a virtual denial of the gospel itself and an attack on the Reformation. Others, by jettisoning belief in imputed righteousness, perceive themselves as returning to the historical meaning of justification and emancipating the Church from its Lutheranism. In view of this it will be the aim of this essay, in dialogue with the main protagonists, to seek a solution that corresponds with the biblical evidence and may hopefully go some way in bringing both sides of the debate together.

2 A Short History of Imputed Righteousness since the Reformation

It is beneficial to preface contemporary disputes concerning justification by identifying their historical antecedents. Although the Protestant view of justification was not without some indebtedness to Augustine and medieval reactions against semi-Pelagianism, for the most part it represented a theological novum. The primary characteristics of the Reformation understanding of justification were as follows. (1) Justification refers to the believer’s legal status coram Deo, not his moral state. (2) A distinction is made between justification (a divine declaration of righteousness) and sanctification or regeneration (inner transforming work of the Spirit). (3) The formal cause of

JETS 47:2 (June 2004) p. 254

justification is the righteousness of Christ imputed to believers. The chief contribution of Martin Luther that helped cultivate this articulation of justification was his contention that justification ensues because of the iustitia Christi aliena (alien righteousness of Christ).1 Commenting on Titus 1:14, Luther declares, “O...