Answer the following prompts using complete sentences.

• What was the stated purpose of the book Paul’s Spirituality in Galatians?
• What chapter did you select and read?
• Did that chapter accomplish the intended purpose of the book? In what ways was the purpose of the book evident or not evident in the chapter you read?
• In what ways did interacting with alternative viewpoints help strengthen or weaken the argument being made? (Give a specific example from the chapter where interaction was made with an alternate viewpoint.)

500 words

https://app.wordsearchbible.lifeway.com/workspace

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LIBERTY UNIVERSITY

JOHN W. RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY

Book Critique: Paul’s Spirituality in Galatians

By Adam McClendon

Submitted to

XX

In fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of

the Doctor of Ministry Degree

Department of Christian Leadership and Church Ministries

by

XX

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February 12, 2021

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Contents

Introduction 1

Summary 2

Critique 3

Conclusion 10

Bibliography 12

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Introduction

Paul’s Spirituality in Galatians: A Critique of Contemporary Christian Spiritualities was written by Dr. Adam McClendon. “He currently serves as the Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program” at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. He is also an author and the “founder and director of New Line Ministries.”[footnoteRef:1] He is well credentialed and qualified to write on this subject matter. The purpose of this critique is to summarize the content of the introduction and of each of the four chapters and present a response to each as well with a clear statement of agreement or disagreement with appropriate biblical support. [1: 1 All Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible: King James Version.

Liberty University School of Divinity. Dr. Adam McClendon. 2019

. https://www.liberty.edu/divinity/faculty/adam-mcclendon/ (accessed August 2, 2019).]

Summary

In the introduction of Paul’s Spirituality in Galatians, McClendon set the focus for the topic of Christian Spirituality to its foundation in the New Testament. He used the Greek forms of pneuma or spirit to illustrate the life that flows as a result of the Holy Spirit living in the believer. From there he pointed out the difference between people who are spiritual and those who are carnal. He showed that through Paul’s teachings, it is understood that spirituality is based upon “a core set of beliefs.”[footnoteRef:2] He gave a brief summation on the origin of the use of the word “spirituality” and evidence of its use in early Christian literature. He also discussed the misuses of the word and its use by non-Christians as well, necessitating the word Christian being added to it for clarity. He presented a diagram of society’s perception of what spirituality looks like, including the concepts of belief, experience, and practice. He explained the need to clarify what is biblical spirituality by bringing “greater clarity concerning the authority of the Bible in determining what is and is not of the Spirit of God” into view. In this section, he also made a brief purpose statement for the book, that it was intended “to model this approach in applying a particular passage of Scripture as a corrective guide governing aspects of Christian spirituality.”[footnoteRef:3] He explained that this book would present a breakdown of Galatians 2:20 into four points that would make up the four chapters. [2: Adam McClendon, Paul’s Spirituality in Galatians: A Critique of Contemporary Christian Spiritualities, (Eugene. OR.: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2015), 2.] [3: Ibid., 5.]

In the first chapter, “The Centrality of the Cross,”[footnoteRef:4] McClendon delved into the subject of being crucified with Christ. He pointed out that the cross was the center focus of the gospel, not just a mere part of it. He reiterated the necessity of submission to the Holy Spirit in Christian spirituality and its anchor being the Bible. He explained how that being crucified with Christ when understood in the context of the passage emphasizes the necessity of the cross in the believer’s life. He said that “union with Christ is nothing if it is not union with Christ in His death.”[footnoteRef:5] He moved on to discuss the first-person pronoun “I” that Paul used in Galatians 2:20, rebutted Scot McKnight’s position of “I” being exclusively Jewish, to explaining hos it was dealing more with the “universal spiritual community which has sought justification by faith in Christ: for both the Jew and the Greek.”[footnoteRef:6] He also addressed the necessity of the cross, and how it becomes a major part of every facet of the spiritual life of the believer. The previous life of the believer ends at the cross where the new life in Christ begins. He rebutted Christian writers who focus on the life of Christ but negate the importance of His death, and with feminists theologians [4: Ibid., 8.] [5: Ibid., 16.] [6: Ibid., 19.]

who oppose the victimization of the cross. From there he went on to deal with the “permanence of the cross,”[footnoteRef:7] in which, being crucified with Christ not only takes place in salvation but also has a permanent ongoing effect. This understanding is due to Paul’s use of the perfect tense. He moved from there to the “Significance of the cross” and how it liberates the believer from the law, yet not allowing lawlessness, but rather “the law of love, Spirit, or Christ.”[footnoteRef:8] He addressed how the believer’s identity changes at the cross as well, as their new identity is formed the Scripture. [7: Ibid., 27.] [8: Ibid., 31.]

In the second Chapter, McClendon addressed “the centrality of Christ,”[footnoteRef:9] through the second phrase in Galatians 2;20, in which Paul was saying that it was no longer him that was living, but Christ living in him. Christ living in the believer is what it takes for the believer to be able to live godly. He critiques the Pentecostal movement’s misunderstanding of this principle and requiring a second work of grace, it was all finished the instant the believer was saved. He went on to say that when the believer receives Christ’s Spirit, that just as the crucifixion of Christ is a permanent act, the results will also be permanent because they are connected to the cross. He called that understanding the “permanence of the Spirit,”[footnoteRef:10] which fully enables us to live for Christ. He also explained the value and benefits of being in union with Christ but addressed the erred belief of deification held by the Eastern Orthodox church and some in American Pentecostalism. [9: Ibid., 37.] [10: Ibid., 65.]

In the third chapter, McClendon focused on the third part of Galatians 2:20: “and the life I now live in the flesh,” in which, he explained that3 “the spiritual life is one of tension,” [footnoteRef:11] because of the constant strife between the flesh and the spirit. He explained that it is not so much that the body is evil, but rather has an inclination toward sin. The struggle between the two will be ongoing until the day of redemption. He also addressed the ‘significance of the tension,”[footnoteRef:12] has to do with the fact that the believer does not have to submit to the flesh, but rather has what it takes not to. He addressed the errors in different views, like “Christian perfection.”[footnoteRef:13] McClendon shows that the problem is both a misunderstanding of “the ‘anthropological eschatological’ now/not yet tension presented in Scripture regarding the spiritual life,” and the “various passages that demonstrate the believer’s lifelong need to resist fleshly desires.” [footnoteRef:14] [11: Ibid., 75.] [12: Ibid., 84.] [13: Ibid., 85.] [14: Ibid., 94-7.]

In the fourth, and final, chapter, McClendon concluded Galatians 2:20 with his last point, “authenticating evidence of faith.”[footnoteRef:15] Where he addressed issues of a life that is permeated with faith that does more than just save the soul but guides them from there throughout life. He explained that it is necessary for each person to have their own personal faith in Christ. He refuted different popular free grace views that discount the need for faith to continue after salvation. He then discussed “the activity of faith,”[footnoteRef:16] or living out the life of faith that produces good works. He expressed how Paul said that it is the love of Christ, who gave Himself for him that fuels his faith.[footnoteRef:17] [15: Ibid., 105.] [16: Ibid., 116.] [17: Ibid., 122.]

Critique

In the introduction, I appreciated the way McClendon took the time to discuss and define “the origins of Christian spirituality.”[footnoteRef:18] The way he broke down Galatians 2:20 into four chapters was well organized, and helped maintain the reader’s focus. He used a tremendous amount of Scripture references to support each point. I agree with his belief that “Christian spirituality should be rooted in God’s Word.”[footnoteRef:19] Paul dealt with similar issues in the Scripture, for example, he told the church at Corinth, “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ” (1 Cor. 3:1). This church thought that they were spiritual, but their spirituality was not based upon God’s Word. There was so much division in the body that Paul told them that they were far from spiritual. In the same epistle, he said: “it is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife. and ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you” (1 Cor. 5:1-2). They thought that they were spiritual, but Paul let them know quickly that they were not, based upon their unbiblical sexual immorality. Finally, he told them that “if any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord” (1 Cor. 14:37). Paul directly related spirituality to obeying the commandments of God, and carnality to yielding to the flesh. Thus, Paul would agree that Christian spirituality should be rooted in the Word of God. Similar to McClendon’s intent, Paul was known for correcting errors that existed in Christian spirituality in his day. [18: Ibid., 1.] [19: Ibid., 7.]

In the first chapter, McClendon addressed the permanence of the cross, in which he said, “The believer has been crucified in union with Christ in such a way as to die to their former self in surrender through faith. This dying, according to the apostle, is not merely an initial event that takes place at the moment of justification when one expresses faith in Christ, but has a permanent ongoing effect.”[footnoteRef:20] This idea of dying to one’s former self is almost unheard of in the churches today. It seems that the objective today is just to get as many professions of faith as we can. If a person claims to be saved but has never genuinely changed, never died to self, never repented, who are we to question their salvation? However, Paul said, “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts” (Gal. 5:24). That verse does not say that they will or that they should, it says that they already have crucified the flesh. That is why Paul could also proclaim: “therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor. 5:17). The new creature is the result of the old creature being crucified with Christ. Paul went on to say that it was more than just a one-time event: “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3). When one is crucified with Christ, their old man is dead and no longer has power over them. They, therefore, should not submit themselves to that dead man’s will. Once again, in the first chapter, I could find nothing that I did not agree with. [20: Ibid., 27.]

In the second chapter, McClendon addressed “the centrality of Christ,”[footnoteRef:21] via the second part of Galatians 2:20. In this chapter, I agree with almost everything that McClendon wrote. Where I would have a minor disagreement is when he said that “nowhere, perhaps, in Pauline literature is the connection between the continual work of Christ through the work of the Spirit more evident than in Ephesians 3:14–19.”[footnoteRef:22] Whereas this passage does indeed connect the continual work of Christ through the work of the Spirit, I disagree with his assessment that it is the most evident passage for that truth. 1 Corinthians 12 deals with spiritual gifts and how they are to be used to perform the continual works of Christ. For example, Paul said, “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal” (1 Cor 12:4-7). Here Paul is describing how every man is equipped by the Spirit with gifts that help them profit withal, or perform the works of Christ. In the verses that follow, he listed different gifts that the Spirit give the believer: “the word of wisdom; the word of knowledge; faith; gifts of healing; the working of miracles; prophecy; discerning of spirits; divers kinds of tongues; the interpretation of tongues.” (1 Cor. 8-10) Here the Spirit gifts believers with these abilities, and then He works through them. He then likens the believers and their different gifts to a physical body with different members, saying that “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:12-13). He then summarizes the Chapter by saying, “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way (1 Cor. 12:27-31). Thus Paul was saying that the Spirit gives the gifts to the body so that it can function as the body of Christ, continuing the work of Christ. I believe that was a more evident passage concerning the continual work of Christ through the work of the Spirit. [21: Ibid., 37.] [22: Ibid., 45.]

In the third chapter, McClendon developed his third point “continued tension of the flesh” from the statement “And the life I now live in the flesh.”[footnoteRef:23] I must agree with him in this area as well. The flesh and the spirit are constantly at odds with each other. I agree with his alignment with Dunn, in which he said that “Christian experience is one of conflict between flesh and Spirit, a conflict, that is, between the believer’s desires as a man of this age (particularly his self-indulgence and self-sufficiency) and the compulsion of the Spirit—a real conflict . . . so that the believer has constantly to be exhorted to follow the direction of the Spirit.”[footnoteRef:24] Paul said, “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would” (Gal. 5:16-17). Here Paul stated that the only way to avoid following the flesh and doing the things that your flesh wants to do is by walking in the spirit. He told the church at Rome: “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God” (Rom. 6:1-13). Who you yield to is a conscious decision that every believer must make regularly. Paul was saying that believers should strive to be unresponsive to the flesh, and yield themselves to God. This was not a one time deal, in fact, he told the church at Corinth, “I die daily,” (1 Cor. 15:31) and that “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection” (1 Cor. 9:27).Paul certainly understood the need for regularly dying to the flesh. Paul also wrote, “I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness” (Rom. 6:19). If there was not a constant battle between the flesh and the spirit, Paul would have had no need to address the infirmity of the flesh while writing to the redeemed. There is no biblical example of a believer that did not struggle with their flesh. [23: Ibid., 75.] [24: Ibid., 96.]

In the fourth chapter, McClendon discussed the “authenticating evidence of faith,”[footnoteRef:25] in the final statement of Galatians 2:20. I agree with McClendon when he said, “the personal expression of faith in Jesus the Son is not merely a one-time act in the life of the believer. Faith is to be a continued element in the life of the believer that brings them, keeps them, and guides their actions in the spiritual life.[footnoteRef:26] Paul told the church at Rome: “for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:17). Faith is a way of life according to the Bible. Habakkuk said: “Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith” (Hab. 2:4). Faith is the avenue whereby the just continue to walk. The writer of Hebrews said: “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him” (Heb. 10:38). Here he was emphasizing the necessity of the just to live by a faith that does not draw back. That faith must, therefore, be more than just a one time faith. [25: Ibid., 105.] [26: Ibid., 107.]

Conclusion

Paul’s Spirituality in Galatians: A Critique of Contemporary Christian Spiritualities is a phenomenal book that was written by Dr. Adam McClendon. McClendon strategically broke down Galatians 2:20 into four divisions, each represented by one chapter of the book. He refuted various erroneous positions held by several religious groups. His work was thorough, well thought out, and well resourced. I summarized the content of the introduction and of each of the four chapters, and present a response to each as well with a clear statement of agreement or disagreement with appropriate biblical support. Aside from one insignificant discrepancy, there was really nothing in this book that I could find to refute. I highly recommend this book to any believer who wants to know more about Christian spirituality and will personally be reading it again.

Bibliography

Liberty University School of Divinity. Dr. Adam McClendon. 2019

McClendon, Adam. Paul’s Spirituality in Galatians: A Critique of Contemporary Christian Spiritualities. Eugene. OR.: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2015.