Pacific Journal of Theological Research
AN ANTITHESIS TO A SPIRIT–LESS CONFORMATION OF HUMANITY TO THE IMAGE OF THE SON: READING ROMANS 8:28–30 WITH THIRD ARTICLE THEOLOGY Jeremy Tattersall Laidlaw College, Auckland INTRODUCTION Romans 8:28–30 (along with much of the rest of the chapter) has drawn immense attention and study throughout Christian thought and its history. Much good has come out of the study of this beautiful text. Christian interpreters have offered many good and beneficial perspectives concerning it. However, it is very possible that the general kind of interpretation of the relationship between the nature of the Son’s image and the nature of believers’ “conformation” to that image in 8:29 lacks a key theological element. It is the contention of this theological interpretation that an understanding of believers’ conformation to the image of the Son in Rom 8:28–30 without specific attention to the Spirit’s role in the life of Christ and the image of God in humanity is deficient. Put in a more positive light, Third Article Theology (viewing the text through Spirit) provides the ability to see the church’s conformation to the image of the Son in Rom 8:28–30 in a more relational and holistic way, due to it being the Spirit who theologically enables this transformation to take place. This interpretive methodology can lead to a more beneficial understanding of what believers’ conformation to the image of the Son, all things working together for good, and glorification mean (8:28–30). Of course, it is likely Paul did not intend the specific interpretation of his words in Rom 8:28–30 that this essay posits theologically. However, it is not the goal of theological interpretation to merely understand what Paul intended. The goal of theological interpretation is to “look along” the text of Scripture, taking its “hermeneutical cues … from Nicaea or Chalcedon” and being informed by other extra-biblical Christian texts and interpretations.1 Despite having said this, it is also the contention of this essay that the theological assertions being made are in general alignment with Paul’s theology—especially apropos of themes such as Paul’s own Adam Christology in Romans 5. VARIOUS INTERPRETATIONS Christian interpreters have offered their perspective on 8:28–30 throughout history. For the purposes of this essay, a select few interpretations will be engaged with. These interpretations are assembled and discussed below according to whether they interpret 8:28–30 with specific reference to the Spirit or not.2 1 2
Myk Habets, “Theological Theological Interpretation of Scripture,” International Journal of Systematic Theology 23 (2021): 15. Interpretations of 8:29 are the specific focus.
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