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corpus-paul - Re: The purpose of the law in salvation-history

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  • From: Loren Rosson <rossoiii AT yahoo.com>
  • To: Corpus-paul <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: The purpose of the law in salvation-history
  • Date: Tue, 4 Sep 2001 03:57:16 -0700 (PDT)


Bob wrote:

>What evidence can you point us to, apart from your
>own thoughts on these passages, to call Paul a
>theologian - let alone a worried one?

I'm not using the term "theologian" in any categorical
sense. Obviously, there's plenty of theology in Paul's
letters, even if it is rhetorical and directly related
to social realities.

That Paul was worried about certain implications (or
misunderstandings) resulting from his own statements
can be seen, transparently, in texts like Rom 3:8,
6:1, 6:15, 7:7-25, 9:1-5, 11:1, 11:33-36. Paul can
admit to his "unceasing anguish" (Rom. 9:2). His
conclusion to Rom. 11 is telling: "Oh the depth of the
riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How
unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his
ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord..." At
the end of the day -- even after lengthy argumentation
-- Paul could only conclude as Job did. He was
confident about his work and knew he was right. (Paul
always knew he was right, didn't he?) But underneath
it all, he had his doubts like anyone else.

Keep in mind that the horizon was looking grim for the
apostles. The church was on its way to becoming
predominantly Gentile, and that would have troubled
any sane Jew. Paul tries accounting for this in Rom.
9-10, but that he was troubled by his own logic in
these chapters can be seen by reading further in Rom.
11, where he tries explaining just how "all Israel"
will be saved.

Also consider that in honor-shame societies (the
ancient Mediterranean), men put up a macho front if
they are to be taken seriously. A "troubled soul" is
harder to spot in these places than in the
introspective Western world. With Paul we have more
reading-between-the-lines to do than with someone,
say, like Luther. (Naturally, Paul and Luther were
troubled by different things: for Luther it was a
guilt-ridden conscience; for Paul it was Yahweh's
consistency.) So don't be fooled by Paul's robust
confidence. He was more confident than most, but he
was human all the same.

Loren Rosson III
Nashua NH
rossoiii AT yahoo.com


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