Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

corpus-paul - Re: Comments on the Mystery of Romans by Mark Nanos

corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Corpus-Paul

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "moon-ryul jung" <moon AT saint.soongsil.ac.kr>
  • To: corpus-paul
  • Subject: Re: Comments on the Mystery of Romans by Mark Nanos
  • Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1999 21:10:22


Dear Mark,
I think I understand your position almost.
But let me ask some clarifying questions. When I do not some of your
answers, it means that I have understood them.


[Moon]
> >Rom 10:5-6
> >
> >Though you did not say it explicitly (as far as I read your book),
> >your overall logic would not contrast the "righteousness from the law"
> >and the "righteousness from faith" in these verses.
> >You would interpret "the man who does these things will live in them" to
> >mean that the Law was and is the legitimate mode of life and the guide to
> >Christ. But then, how do you handle the contrast implied in the
> >two contrasting expressions? Do you say that the righteousness from
> >the law is nothing but the righteousness from faith? If so, on what
> >grounds?
>
> I do not follow. But I would point to 10:12. When Paul speaks of the fact
> that because of faith in Christ there is no distinction between Jew and
> gentile, he draws upon a distinction that still exists in order to make the
> point. In other words, his point is that while the distinction remains, the
> discrimination within the community of Christ-believers does not. This cuts
> both ways. Jewish people in this community should accept gentiles as equals
> in status, as righteous ones apart from becoming Israelites. So too ,the
> logic should run, gentiles should accept Jewish people as righteous ones
> apart from becoming non-Israelites, that is, as Torah-observant people.
> Practicing righteousness based upon Law and faith in Christ is possible for
> Israelites, but not required or, because the age to come has dawned,
> permitted for non-Israelites; that is Paul's point, I think.

[Moon]
This is really a surprising interpretation of Rom 10:4- 10:6.
Let me see if I understand it correctly.

Ro 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness,
and going about to establish their own righteousness,
have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
10:4 For Christ [is] the end of the law for righteousness
to every one that believeth.
Ro 10:5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law,
That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.
Ro 10:6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise,
Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven?

..
Rom 10:8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee,
[even] in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith,
which we preach;

Rom 10:11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be
ashamed.
Rom 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek.


What you wrote above suggests the following interpretation of these
verses.
Christ is the goal of the law for righteousness to EVERY ONE that
believes,
regardless of whether they are Law-people or not. (Rom 10:4)
(Implied statement: The non-Law people (Gentiles) do not need to become
Law-people
but only to have faith in Christ, in order to be righteoused)
Though the scripture requires that those doing the Law live in it (10:5),
doing the righteousness from the Law, it is specific to the Law-people,
but does not apply to the Gentiles. What applies to the Gentiles (and the
Jew as well)
is the righteousness from faith (in Christ) (10:6).
Rom 10:5 can be considered a clause subordinate to Rom 10:6 in meaning,
though 10:4 is conjunctive to 10:6 syntactically.
The reason why the righteousness is from faith is that there is no
difference between the Jew and the Greek (10:12)

What do you thin of this interpretation of Rom 10:5? This is my attempt to
fit
the paragraph to your conclusion. Did you take it differently to reach
your
conclusion?

Yours,

Moon-Ryul Jung
Assistant Professor
Soongsil University
Seoul, Korea




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page