Just got Doug’s and John new book going to start reading today thx so much this way of looking at paul change me also Steve Chalke new book is excellent 🙏

Excellent discussion. I read the book a couple months ago. I plan to read it again and write a book review. I agree very much with the primary premise that Paul is using "justification" with the meaning of setting or making right that which was wrong. This is due to how he writes "ek pistis", out from faith, a product of faith. It is a functional faith that influences how we think, reason, feel, and act. It is in that sense that we are justified by faith, set right by faith. For example, Galatians 2:17-18 "But if, in our ENDEAVOR TO BE JUSTIFIED in Christ, we too were found to be sinners..." The Greek word for "endeavor" is "zētountes," and indicates a desire that is acted upon - it is not passive. The word "justified" in this verse is translated as "made right" in several Bible versions. Romans 5:1 "Therefore, since we have been justified [dikaiōthentes, set right] by faith..." “Dikaiōthentes” means “to make right, to set right, to righten, to rectify, to correct, or to render right.” We are justified set right by/out from [ek] faith, a byproduct of functional faith. Romans 5:9 “Much more therefore, having now been justified/corrected/set right/rightened by his blood, we shall be saved by him from wrath.” “Dikaiōthentes” indicates “to righten, to make right, to set right, or to render right.” The blood covenant which he made, and we accept, sets us right, changes our direction by active faith to repentance, setting us on the path of righteousness. Romans 6:16, “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which LEADS TO righteousness [dikaiosynēn]?” The Greek word here is the same as justification. 1 Corinthians 6:10-11 “Nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified [set right, edikaiōthētet] in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” The context demands not a mere declaration of being right, but a genuine personal change to living right.

As I read this book I am happy to see that the original gospel Paul preached included the universal defeat of the oppresssive powers of sin, death, and evil (archons and such) which have put humanity in a terrible bondage. But the good news is that a universally effective victory has been accomplished in Christ. Part of salvation is the opportunity to live in the power of this victory now. Part of the salvation is also that at the end of the ages God will be all in all! Please say more!