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  • From: "Mark D. Nanos" <nanos AT gvi.net>
  • To: "Corpus-paul" <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Comments on the Mystery of Romans by Mark Nanos
  • Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1999 18:28:15 -0500



>[Moon]
>It occurs to me that a somewhat akward syntactic structure of verse 10:5
>might serve my interpretation. Literally it says,
>"For Moses wrote, WITH RESPECT TO THE RIGHTEOUSNESS which is FROM THE LAW,
> that the man who does those things shall live in them."
>
>So, the implied dialogue between Paul and the "opponents" might have been
>as follows:
>Paul: Christ is the goal of the Law for righteousness to EVERYONE that
>believes, regardless of whether they are the people of the Law or not.
>Opponents: But, then what about THE RIGHTEOUSNESS which is FROM THE LAW,
>which the Gentile believers do not have? Can they be righteoused without
>the
>RIGHTEOUSNESS which is from the LAW?
>Paul: Good question. But the righteousness from the Law does not falsify
> my position.
> With respect to that righteousness which is from the Law, Moses
> wrote that the people of the Law shall live in the Law. That is
> the Law is the way of Israel. Please continue to serve God
> by the righteousness of the Law.
> But the Law is not given to the Gentiles, and so the righteousness
> which is from Law cannot be required of them.
> But there is another
> righteousness, the righteousness which is from faith
> in Christ. Have you not heard that "EVERYONE who believes in him
> shall not put to shame"? (Rom 10:11)?
>
>The point is that the syntactic structure of Rom 10:5 indicates that Paul
>answers here the implied question,i.e. what about THN DIKAIOSUNHN THN EK
>TOU NOMOU? What do you think?

Dear Moon,

I like your case, and I am excited by your work. You are making excellent
points. Why shouldn't Paul be easy to read; he was not writing to or for
seminary or graduate students in Rome, was he?

I would not assume any "opponents" per se, that is, I don't think Paul is
writing to those who disagree with him, but Paul's imaginary dialogue
partner with whom he communicates in order to clarify matters for the
gentile audience in view. These gentiles in Rome are confused. Paul is
seeking to explain that, while they have the desired result without the
means of proselyte conversion, and while this might be contested on the
basis of the claim to which it appeals (faith in/of Christ) by other
Israelites, that they are nevertheless not supplanting or superior to those
other Israelites. At this point in chs. 9 and 10 of his overall argument he
is making the case for the secure place of these gentiles. In ch. 11 he
will begin to make the transition to the continuing place of those of
Israel who at the present moment disagree, and then on to explaining the
attitudes and behaviors that should characterize these gentiles expression
of gratitute rather than smug self-congradulation.

Regards,
Mark Nanos






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