Justification as Proclamation Before Doctrine (Hans Hübner)

Justification as Proclamation Before Doctrine
- Summary and reflection on Hübner's article on Justification (Rechtfertigung, in: EKL)

New Testament scholar Hans Hübner argues that Paul used 'justification' not as a fixed doctrinal system, but as a dynamic tool to proclaim God's grace to sinners in their immediate context. For Paul, 'justification' was not merely a theological concept but a living message with the power to transform lives.

In his youth, Paul was a young man full of zeal for the law. He firmly believed that he could be declared righteous before God by perfectly observing the law. However, after encountering the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus, his life was completely transformed. He realized that God's grace and salvation could be obtained only through faith in Jesus Christ, not by works of the law. This realization completely changed Paul's life. Finally, he decided to live a life proclaiming the grace he had received to the world.

Paul proclaimed God's grace to people in various regions and situations through his letters. He delivered the message of justification sometimes to Jews who couldn't break free from the constraints of legalism, sometimes to Gentile Christians, and sometimes to church communities struggling with the essence of faith. Interestingly, Paul's method of explaining justification was not always consistent. In Galatians, he strongly emphasized the importance of faith while warning about the dangers of legalism, while in Romans, he provided a more systematic argument to deeply unpack the meaning of justification. Paul focused on proclaiming God's grace flexibly in each situation rather than being bound by a doctrinal system of justification. In other words, Paul adjusted his language and argumentation style flexibly according to the situation to convey God's grace of justification.

Paul emphasized God's amazing power to justify sinners through the concept of 'the righteousness of God'. He proclaimed that forgiveness of sins and salvation could be obtained only through God's grace and the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross, not through human effort or good works. The righteousness that can never be obtained by works of the law, namely 'the righteousness of God', is given as a gift to those who believe in Jesus. Therefore, for Paul, 'justification' meant more than just receiving forgiveness of sins; it meant entering into a new relationship with God. He proclaimed the new hope given to humans who have been freed from the power of sin and entered into God's realm. The core of justification that Paul proclaimed was the new life of God's children who can live freely in God's love and grace, no longer bound by guilt and fear.

Thus, Hübner argues that Paul used 'justification' as a tool to spread and proclaim the gospel, God's salvation, rather than intending to make it a doctrine. For Paul, justification was not simply a doctrine to be believed, but a living message that should be continuously proclaimed and experienced in life.