What Is the Free Grace Response to the New Perspective on Paul?

Summary

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Grace in Focus — Episode Summary

Title: What Is the Free Grace Response to the New Perspective on Paul?
Date: May 4, 2026
Host(s): Bob Wilkin (B), Sam Marr (C)
Podcast: Grace in Focus (Grace Evangelical Society)

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1. Overview: Main Theme & Purpose

In this concise, 13-minute episode, Bob Wilkin and Sam Marr tackle a foundational question: What is the Free Grace response to the “New Perspective on Paul”? Responding to a listener named Daniel, who is studying Free Grace theology after exposure to Lordship Salvation and Reformed traditions, the hosts explore:

• The origins and main claims of the New Perspective
• How it contrasts with both traditional Protestant and Free Grace understandings of justification and salvation
• Why the Free Grace position sees the New Perspective as both theologically and biblically problematic

They frame the conversation as crucial for understanding the distinction between justification (how one is declared righteous) and sanctification (growth in holiness).

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2. Breakdown of Key Discussion Points & Insights

What Is the New Perspective on Paul?

[02:28]

• Historical Background:
  • Initiated by E.P. Sanders (1977, “Paul and Palestinian Judaism”) and furthered by James D.G. Dunn and N.T. Wright.
  • Asserts that traditional Lutheran/Calvinist readings misunderstood Paul regarding Judaism and salvation.
• Central Claim:
  • First-century Judaism is mischaracterized: it was not simply legalistic or based on merit.
  • Sanders introduces “covenantal nomism”—Jews entered the covenant by grace, but remained by works.
  • The New Perspective argues Paul’s issue wasn’t with works per se, but with boundary markers (like circumcision), and that “grace” is better understood as “favor,” expecting reciprocal faithfulness.

Critical Analysis: The Free Grace Response

[04:57]

• Key Problems Identified:
  • The view amounts to “works salvation”: in by grace, stay in by works, which undermines the gospel of faith alone.
  • Explicitly contradicts major texts: Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 4:1-4, Galatians 3:6-14.
  • The notion of “favor” expecting reciprocity violates the New Testament’s teaching on the freeness and permanence of eternal life as a gift.

[05:43]

• Comparisons to Other Theologies:
  • Similar to Catholic, Orthodox, and some Protestant beliefs: initial regeneration by grace, maintained by works (e.g., baptism, faithfulness).

Jesus’ Teaching Contradicts the New Perspective

[06:51]

• Bob Wilkin’s critique:
  • Jesus never told people in John’s Gospel they must “keep it up” to stay justified; instead, “he actually is going to last forever.”
  • Notable quote:

    “He said, you’ll never perish, you’ll never hunger, you’ll never thirst. And he didn’t add any conditions onto it.” – Bob Wilkin [07:13]

Misunderstanding “Grace” as “Favor”

[07:53]

• Semantic Clarification:
  • The Greek charis (grace) does mean “favor”, but the biblical sense is unmerited, not contingent on continued good works.
  • The New Perspective’s insistence on “favor with expectations” dilutes the gospel.
  • Notable moment:

    “It’s almost an understatement in the English to say ‘God did humankind a favor.’ Because... doing someone a favor is almost a menial thing. He did us the biggest favor anybody’s ever done. But that’s why... a gift is a much better word.” – Sam Marr [11:06]

Role of Human Involvement

[09:01]

• Important Distinctions:
  • There’s “human involvement” in responding to God’s offer, i.e. receiving, believing—but not in maintaining salvation.
  • Being open-minded, seeking truth, praying, etc., are preparatory—but never meritorious.
  • Salvation’s achievement and security is “100% Christ.” The only “involvement” is the non-meritorious act of faith.

[10:07]

• Notable quote:

  “The salvation part of it is 100% Christ because He did the work—he gives everlasting life as a free gift.” – Bob Wilkin [10:08]

Summary Objections to the New Perspective

[11:57]

• “New” doesn’t mean “better” if it contradicts Scripture.
• Both Old and New Testaments repeatedly teach justification is by faith apart from works.
• Notable quote:

  “In a sense, the new perspective on Paul is a new perspective on Jesus, because they’re rejecting what the Gospel of John says... So they’re rejecting all of it.” – Sam Marr [12:01]

• Caution against chasing scholarly novelty at the expense of biblical faithfulness.

Encouragement to Listeners

[12:37]

• Test everything by the Bible itself:

  “Challenge any commentaries, any preachers, any authors... challenge what they say with God’s word. Because God’s word is not really up for debate.” – Bob Wilkin [12:44]

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3. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Paul was not saying that 1st century Judaism was legalistic... But what Sanders suggested is that the Jews... entered [the Christian life] by grace, through faith, apart from works, and they stayed in it by works. So... they retained everlasting life by works.” – Sam Marr [02:53]
• “If you get in by grace through faith... but you stay in by works... that’s the very definition of works salvation.” – Sam Marr [05:24]
• “Jesus didn’t say, believe in me for initial justification, and then in his fine print, he said, and keep doing it or else you’ll lose it. He said it actually is going to last forever.” – Bob Wilkin [07:10]
• “The salvation part... is 100% Christ... He gives everlasting life as a free gift.” – Bob Wilkin [10:08]
• "In a sense, the New Perspective on Paul is a new perspective on Jesus, because they're rejecting what the Gospel of John says." – Sam Marr [12:01]
• “Read the Bible for yourself. Challenge any commentaries, any preachers, any authors, no matter who they are, what denomination they are, us, anybody else... because God’s word is not really up for debate.” – Bob Wilkin [12:37]

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4. Timeline of Important Segments (Timestamps)

• [01:27] Listener Daniel’s question: What is the Free Grace answer to the New Perspective on Paul?
• [02:28] Walkthrough of what the New Perspective is—origins, main claims (covenantal nomism).
• [04:57] Key critique: staying in by works = works salvation; comparison to Catholicism, Orthodoxy, etc.
• [06:51] Jesus’ teaching: contradiction of the New Perspective; the “lasting” quality of eternal life.
• [07:53] Discussion on “grace” vs. “favor”; why “favor” is insufficient as a translation.
• [09:01] Clarifying human effort in coming to faith vs. securing salvation.
• [10:07] Free Grace: Salvation is all Christ; no effort required to keep it.
• [11:57] Summary thoughts: New perspective as “scholarly novelty” rather than biblical truth.
• [12:37] Final encouragement: check everything against God’s Word.

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5. Tone & Style

The episode is conversational yet precise, with the hosts alternating between keen doctrinal analysis and practical encouragement. The tone is firm but charitable, blending biblical argumentation with relatable illustrations and a touch of humor.

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Summary Takeaways

• The New Perspective on Paul, popularized by Sanders, Dunn, and Wright, claims Paul’s doctrine was about entering by grace and remaining by works—a position the hosts equate with “works salvation.”
• Free Grace theology insists that eternal life is a gift based on faith alone, apart from works, not “favor” requiring reciprocity.
• The New Perspective’s reinterpretations are seen by Wilkin and Marr as contrary both to Paul and Jesus, with serious implications for assurance and biblical authority.
• Listeners are encouraged to “keep grace in focus” by testing every teaching against Scripture, not mere scholarship.

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For those exploring Pauline theology or trying to understand the implications of academic trends like the New Perspective, this episode serves as both a primer and a spirited defense of the Free Grace position.

Transcript

[A]

The following is a listener supported ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society. Some theologians lately have a new idea about Paul's teaching about grace and other things. What is this about? We will have a discussion about it today on Grace and Focus and we are glad you are with us. Grace and Focus is the radio broadcast and podcast ministry of the Grace Evangelical Society located in North Texas. Our website is faithalone.org we have a free online seminary where you can earn an MDiv degree. Today is the opening day for application and registration for the fall semester. Come take a look, see if you're interested. We'd love to have you study with us at Grace Evangelical Seminary. Also, the time is drawing near for the deadline of the pre registration period for our national annual conference. This is our 40th anniversary celebration. We'd love to have you with us May 18th through the 21st. It is at Camp Kopas in Denton, Texas. A beautiful place and we'll have lots of great teaching and fellowship. So get the information you need. Tell us if your kids are coming for vbs. We'll get the materials ready for them and get online. Get signed [e-mail] now with today's question and answer discussion, here's Bob Wilkin along with Sam Marr.

[B]

All right Bob, we've got a question from Daniel. He's asking about something called the New Perspective on Paul. So let me read a little bit of his email, give us some context. But essentially the question is just going to be what is our defense against that perspective? But so he says, I was able to read part of the commentary of Zane Hodges in the Bible Knowledge Commentary, but at the time was not convinced of the whole issue. And I think this is about the issue there for him is free grace theology in general. And then he says he was previously heavily influenced by Lordship Salvation and Reformed theology. But then he read A Defense of Free Grace Theology by Fred Chay and Tough Questions about Grace by Grand Hawley. So he's in a limbo I guess right now between where he's come from but what he's learning about forgace theology. But he said he's just come across something called the New Perspective on Paul and this seems to be troubling him too. So he wanted what's the Free grace answer to the New Perspective on Paul?

[C]

Okay, so first off we ought to talk about what the New Perspective on Paul is. And this new perspective started around 1977, which was the year before I entered Dallas Seminary. It wasn't widely talked about during my seven years at Dallas Seminary between 78 and 85. But a guy named E.P. sanders wrote a book called Paul and Palestinian Judaism and called this the New Perspective on Paul. And later on, two British scholars, James D.G. dunn and N.T. wright, have both picked up this same concept. But the basic idea is that Luther, Lutherans and Calvinists and evangelicals misunderstood Paul, that Paul was not saying that 1st century Judaism was legalistic and that the Jews of the first century were unregenerate. Instead, they're saying the concept that Paul was teaching was covenantal gnomism, which is kind of odd because covenantal means a covenant or an agreement, and gnomism means of the law. And what Sanders suggested is that the Jews of the first century entered the Christian life by grace, through faith, apart from works, and they stayed in it by works. So they retained their salvation, they retained everlasting life by by works. And they're saying Paul never contradicted that.

[B]

Right. I printed out some of the Wikipedia page for the new perspective on Paul. They have a heading called something like Grace and favor. And so I guess one of the big points is they think that grace would be better translated favor, because they think Paul did not mean to convey the idea of a gift with nothing expected in return, but that God bestowed his favor on believers, but that favor expects something back in return. So you're saved by grace through faith, but then God expects you to give back to him. And the implication there is if you don't, then you lose the favor that you've been given. Right?

[C]

And all that is correct. Except if by lose the favor you've been given, you mean lose everlasting life, right? I even agree. In My book, the 10 Most Misunderstood Words, I say that the Greek word charis, typically translated grace, has multiple meanings. But the basic meaning that's most common through the New Testament is favor. God's favor is chorus. It's grace. That God's gifting us of everlasting life doesn't mean that he has no expectations of us. Yes, he does expect us to live godly lives. But where they go off the reservation is when they say if you don't, well, then you lose your salvation.

[B]

Right?

[C]

The other problem, they were saying that 1st century Judaism did not practice works, righteousness, or work salvation by their own explanation that you get in by grace through faith, apart from works, but you stay in by works. That's the very definition of work salvation. For example, for a Roman Catholic, you enter by baptism. You know, same thing with Orthodox, you would start with the baptism. And that's true with some Protestants. They believe that you're regenerated when you're baptized. And a lot of these people would say you keep it by being faithful. So there's a lot of problems with this, but the main one is that they're trying to reinterpret verses like Ephesians 2:8,9, Romans 4:1,4, Galatians 3,6,14. When Paul is saying justification is by faith alone, apart from works, they're saying initial justification is by grace through faith, apart from works. But to keep that justification requires good works.

[B]

Right? And the problem with that is, well, the entire New Testament contradicts it. But specifically Jesus is when he evangelized people in the Gospel of John, he didn't say, believe in me for initial justification. And then in his, you know, tiny script or in the fine print, he said, and keep doing it or else you'll lose it.

[C]

Right?

[B]

He said it actually is going to last forever.

[C]

Right.

[B]

He said, you'll never perish, you'll never hunger, you'll never thirst. And he didn't add any conditions onto it.

[C]

Amen.

[A]

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[B]

There's a really funny line in this Wikipedia document, and this is explaining this theology. Therefore, it is argued that when Paul speaks of how God did humankind a favor, and that's to replace grace with the word favor. God did humankind a favor by sending Jesus. He is saying that God took the initiative, but not implying a lack of human effort in salvation. So according to this Wikipedia article's examination of the new perspective on Paul, salvation does require human involvement. So I haven't read E.P. sanders book, but it seems like at least him or the people that were influenced by him. That's the conclusion they've come to.

[C]

So many things you've read to me and they're saying have some element of truth, right? For example, God sent his only son to die on the cross for our sins is God's favor. The fact that he gave us the New Testament and particularly the Gospel of John is God's favor. The fact the Holy Spirit is drawing us to Christ is God's favor. There's all these things and how did they say it, that there is some human element to it.

[B]

It's not to imply a lack of human effort and salvation.

[C]

Even calling it human effort and salvation. There is some sense in which for many people it requires prayer and church attendance and study to find out what the saving message is.

[B]

Right. But it's open mindedness. If you are open to receiving God's word, to the calling of the Holy Spirit, that's pulling on everybody, then in that sense, yes, human involvement. And you have to believe in Christ for everlasting life. So that belief or being convinced, yes, that is human involvement. But it's very dangerous to say because then you get into, they can take it too far and you get into like Ephesians 2:8 and 9. And then they might interpret Ephesians 2:10 for we are his workmanship. Then they start to say, okay, that proves that you have to do good works or else either you were never really saved or you lose the salvation he's given you. So if it's an ongoing human involvement in salvation, then I think it's incorrect.

[C]

Right.

[B]

And realistically, the salvation part of it is 100% Christ because He did the work he gives everlasting life as a free gift.

[C]

Right.

[B]

It's about whether you believe he's going to do that for you or not.

[C]

Exactly what these people are trying to say is effort is required to keep your salvation. And that's clearly wrong. Once we're born again, we're never going to hunger, never going to thirst, never going to die. But there may be effort required for us to find the truth. Remember, Jesus said, strive to enter by the narrow way. And Paul said in Acts 17:27 that people might grope after God and find him, for he's not far from us. Not everybody grows up in a Christian home. Not everybody is evangelized from, from birth to the time they come to faith.

[B]

Yeah. Even if you grew up in a great Christian household with parents that teach you exactly what the Bible says, you still have to be open to understanding that. But some kids are rebellious. They'll believe the opposite of whatever their parents tell them until they figure it out for themselves. So yes, in that sense, there's always human involvement. There has to be a willingness. You can't harden your heart. You can't deny God's word or shield yourself from God's word. You have to be open to it. But the saving part of it is all Him. We couldn't have saved ourselves, no matter how hard we tried, how much time we had, there's no way he had to do that for us. And that's why the funny line in here to me is it's almost an understatement in the English to say God did humankind a favor. Because at least in American English, doing someone a favor is almost a menial thing. It's kind of taking the trash out or picking somebody up. Yeah, he did us a favor. He did us the biggest favor anybody's ever done. But that's why to me, that's what a gift is. A gift is a much better word

[C]

from what you've been saying, Sam. In a sense, the new perspective on Paul is a new perspective on Jesus because they're rejecting what the Gospel of John says, right? And they're then rejecting what the Apostle Paul says. So they're rejecting all of it. It's just kind of sad how scholarship is seeking for lots of ways to come up with new ideas that kind of give them some prominence in the evangelical world. Because, hey, I've come up with this new idea, but if the new idea is contrary to Scripture, it's what we call a bad idea.

[B]

Yeah. So hopefully that's helpful for you. Daniel the best advice we could give you is to read the Bible for yourself. Challenge any commentaries, any preachers, any authors, no matter who they are, what denomination they are, us, anybody else, challenge what they say with God's word. Because God's word is not really up for debate. Hopefully that helps you and hopefully that helps all of us keep grace in focus.

[A]

We invite you to check out our Monday, Wednesday and Friday five minute YouTube videos at YouTube grace evangelical subscribers. You will love the content and learn a lot. There are a lot of costs involved in staying on the air. That's why we so much appreciate our financial partners. If you'd like to learn how to become one, you can find out more by going to faithalone.org on our next episode. What does Paul mean about the power of Christ's resurrection in Philippians 3? Come back next time, we'll talk about it. In the meantime, let's keep grace in focus. The proceeding has been a listener supported ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society.