Abstract
This article interprets Paul's summary of the gospel in 2 Cor 5:21 as saying that Christ died so that believers might be transformed into God's righteousness (not only deemed as righteous by God). The article explains the powerfully generative nature of God's righteousness and then demonstrates that dikaiosunē also means justice. The interpretation of 2 Cor 5:21 clarifies that the gospel Christians believe for salvation is also a basis of holistic transformation to embody God's righteousness and justice. This enlarged perspective on the gospel supports seamless invitations to put faith in Jesus Christ and to become a force for justice in the world.
Highlights
This article interprets Paul’s summary of the gospel in 2 Cor 5:21 as saying that Christ died so that believers might be transformed into God’s righteousness
A motivating concern for this article is that Christians may be failing to contribute as much as we could toward a better world, because we fail to recognize the resources for human transformation toward righteousness and justice which reside within the gospel
These descriptors mark believers’ new identity and involve taking on a special sort of character. They describe Paul as an apostle, but they invite the Corinthians to recognize and claim an identity for themselves. These various traits fill out what it means to be transformed into Christ’s image (3:18), and what it means that we are becoming the righteousness of God. 2 Cor 5:21 is a statement of the gospel and a statement about the identity and vocation toward which the church is being transformed
Summary
This article explores the nature of the Christian gospel in an effort to understand what the gospel may contribute toward establishing righteousness and justice in the world. A motivating concern for this article is that Christians may be failing to contribute as much as we could toward a better world, because we fail to recognize the resources for human transformation toward righteousness and justice which reside within the gospel. This investigation turns to Scripture for a description of the gospel that responds to the need for transformation toward both. The article argues that, when 2 Cor 5:21 is interpreted properly, the gospel paves the way for believers’ transformation toward embodying, and becoming agents of, God’s righteousness and justice in this world
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