Vos: "In the person and work of Christ the forensic element and the gracious aspect of God’s nature are both harmoniously embodied."

“Paul’s theological vision spans the entire sweep of man’s spiritual history and places it in its entirety under the point of view of an unfolding of the eternal purpose of God. He is not content with giving a soteriological construction, as in the contrast between the disobedience of Adam and the obedience of Christ (Rom. 5:12-20), though this is in itself one of the boldest and grandest contrasts ever drawn, but, recognizing that Christ accomplishes far more than the restoration of what Adam ever lost, he places the two over against each other in 1 Corinthians 15:45-49 as the representatives of two successive stages in the carrying out of God’s sublime purpose for humanity, in such a way that the state of rectitude and the state of glory are by a sudden flash of light seen in their mutual relation, detached as it were for a moment from the soteriological process intervening.

“In Ephesians and Colossians also Paul reduces to a higher unity the work of creation and the work of redemption as both mediated by Christ. And the same masterful grasp of the principles underlying the structure of history, as an organism of the ages, may be observed also in the apostle’s dealing with the history of redemption. The promise given to Abraham in its worldwide significance, the law as introduced by Moses in its disciplinary, convicting function, both in their relation, in case of the former positive, in case of the latter negative, to the gospel, have once for all been interpreted for us by this great philosopher of history. And this retrospective grandeur of conception is equaled by the sublimity of the eschatological outlook the apostle opens up to us into that perfect kingdom of God towards which all the streams of human history roll their waters as towards their final goal.

“In its soteriological aspect Paul’s theology is characterized by the same broad treatment. The great all-embracing contrasts between sin and righteousness, death and life, works and faith, flesh and Spirit will occur to everyone in this connection. The entire soteriological structure shows extraordinary compactness. The two principles of forensic retribution and of gracious love in God underlie it as a broad foundation. Here again we observe the theological bent of Paul’s thought, in that the two fundamental attributes of God are seen to shape the soteriological process from beginning to end. Writers on the Pauline theology scarcely ever think it necessary to devote a chapter to the apostle’s doctrine of God. And yet it is safe to say that in no type of biblical teaching has the writer’s ultimate conception of God so thoroughly molded the doctrine of salvation as in the teaching of Paul. Besides by the great contrasts already enumerated, this is proven by what might be called the great reproductive conceptions which the apostle predicates both of God and of man, on the principle that, belonging originally to the divine nature, they find a secondary expression in man. Such are the righteousness of God, the love of God, the grace of God, the glory of God. In the person and work of Christ the forensic element and the gracious aspect of God’s nature are both harmoniously embodied.” – Geerhardus Vos, “The Theology of Paul”