With apologies (and thanks) to N.T. Wright (speaking re: his book: ‘The Faithfulness of God’), I am pondering the following – some in his thoughts and words and some in mine:

1. Paul believed that in Christ, because of Christ, a new world has begun, has been launched, as God always promised it would be. We Christians (‘new creatures in Christ Jesus) are walking around in it, trying to find our way and to see what this might mean for us, in our times, in all of the spheres of our daily callings in whatever ‘rooms’ of the Kingdom in which we may find ourselves. In the Messiah Jesus, there has been a once for all, unique event – what God has done, the finished work of the Cross and so on; but now as a result there is a new world born and aborning and we are invited to share in it.

2. The unity and purity of the church is essential for it is sign and symbol that this has really happened and that a new covenant community of faith-full ones has been formed and is growing daily as they are united and incorporated in and into the Messiah Jesus (and into ‘His Body’ which is the Church), along (and first of all) with and for the Old Testament covenant community. This has happened and these are the implications – a new People, getting together despite differences so that together we might glorify God, united and pure (sanctus = ‘set aside for certain purpose(s)’, as well as ‘fit’ and ‘clean’).

3. The task of theology . . . It’s not just dogma to believe (and to think, say and fight for the right concepts and attending verbage), but this is how (prayerfully) we, the community in Jesus, are to receive a task of reflecting on who God is, His faithfulness, and our faithful response. We Christ-followers are to work (and work out) in every generation the questions and inherent implications that need to be faced for our day, for we too are constantly asking: Is there a God? Is He faithful? Will He come through and keep his promises and His Word, fulfilling His purposes in and through Christ for and through His People of old and today?

I, with others, answer – ‘Yes.’ He has, and He will, come through – our faithful God.