E. P. Sanders is a highly influential New Testament scholar from the United States, best known for his groundbreaking work, Paul and Palestinian Judaism (1977). He taught at various prestigious institutions, including Duke University and the University of Oxford. Sanders is often credited as the founder of the New Perspective on Paul (NPP), a movement that has reshaped modern interpretations of Paul’s theology. While Sanders is widely respected in academic circles, his teachings fundamentally distort the biblical doctrine of salvation, making him a false teacher who should be avoided.
The Core Issue: "Covenantal Nomism" and the Redefinition of Justification
Sanders introduced the concept of "covenantal nomism," which redefines the traditional understanding of Judaism in Paul's time. According to Sanders, Judaism was not a legalistic, works-based religion as the Reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin understood it, but a religion of grace in which people entered the covenant by God's grace and remained within it by obeying the law. Sanders argued that Paul’s criticism of "works of the law" was not an indictment of legalism but rather a rejection of specific Jewish boundary markers that distinguished Jews from Gentiles.
This reinterpretation led Sanders to redefine Paul’s doctrine of justification. Instead of seeing justification as God's declaration that sinners are made righteous through faith in Christ's imputed righteousness, Sanders presents it as a matter of covenant membership—being identified as part of God's people. By shifting the focus from individual salvation to covenant community, Sanders undermines the biblical teaching on how sinners are reconciled to a holy God.
The Biblical Doctrine of Justification
The Bible is clear that all human beings are sinners who fall short of God’s glory and are deserving of His wrath (Romans 3:23; Ephesians 2:1-3). Justification, according to Scripture, is the gracious act of God by which He declares sinners to be righteous through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:21-26; Galatians 2:16). This is not based on any works we perform or any law we keep but entirely on Christ’s perfect obedience and atoning sacrifice, which is credited to us by faith alone (Philippians 3:9; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
Sanders’ reinterpretation of Paul’s teaching on justification undermines this essential doctrine by suggesting that Paul was merely addressing matters of Jewish identity and not humanity’s desperate need for righteousness before God. In doing so, Sanders minimizes the seriousness of sin and the centrality of Christ’s substitutionary work on the cross. The apostle Paul’s argument in Romans 4 makes it unmistakably clear that Abraham was justified by faith apart from works, and this serves as the model for all believers. “Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness” (Romans 4:4-5). Sanders’ teaching shifts the focus away from this fundamental truth, obscuring the fact that salvation is entirely a work of God's grace through faith in Christ alone.
Denial of the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness
Another critical issue with Sanders' teaching is his denial of the imputation of Christ's righteousness to the believer. The Bible teaches that through faith, believers are united with Christ, and His righteousness is credited to them (Romans 4:22-25; 1 Corinthians 1:30). This imputed righteousness is the only basis by which sinners can be justified before a holy God. In Philippians 3:9, Paul clearly states that he desires to “be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.” Sanders’ rejection of imputation undermines the very heart of the gospel and distorts how a sinner is declared righteous before God.
A Different Gospel
By redefining justification as mere covenant membership and by denying the imputation of Christ's righteousness, E. P. Sanders ultimately preaches a different gospel than the one that Paul proclaimed. The apostle Paul sternly warns in Galatians 1:6-9 that any gospel contrary to the one he preached is a false gospel, and those who teach such doctrines are "accursed." Paul’s gospel was centered on the reality that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, not by works of the law or by ethnic or covenantal identity. Sanders’ teachings, by shifting the emphasis from Christ's redemptive work to issues of covenant identity, undermine the finished work of Christ and deny the doctrine of justification by faith alone.
Conclusion: Why Sanders Should Be Avoided
E. P. Sanders should be avoided because his teachings distort the core message of the gospel and lead people away from the biblical truth of salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone. By redefining justification and focusing on covenantal membership instead of the imputed righteousness of Christ, Sanders promotes a false understanding of how sinners are made right with God. Scripture warns us repeatedly to guard against false teachers and teachings that lead people away from the gospel (2 Peter 2:1-3; 1 John 4:1). Jesus Himself declared that we will recognize false teachers by their fruit (Matthew 7:15-20), and any teaching that obscures or contradicts the doctrine of justification by faith alone is a clear sign of falsehood.
As believers, we must hold firmly to the truth of God’s Word, recognizing that any departure from the biblical doctrine of justification is a dangerous distortion of the gospel that threatens the eternal well-being of souls. While Sanders’ scholarship may be academically impressive, his teaching on justification deviates from the gospel truth delivered to the saints and should be rejected for the sake of preserving the purity and clarity of the gospel message. Let us, therefore, remain steadfast in the biblical doctrine of justification by faith alone and avoid teachings like Sanders’ that undermine the very foundation of our faith in Christ.
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