Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

corpus-paul - Re: Works of the Law

corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Corpus-Paul

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Jon Peter" <jnp AT home.com>
  • To: "Corpus Paulinum" <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Works of the Law
  • Date: Sat, 22 May 1999 13:26:54 -0700


This is a de-lurk in support of Roy Ciampa's point about 'works of the law'
in 4QMMT, which perhaps met some resistance. I think this particular DSS
discovery is an all-important to Pauline exegesis, and worth an added word
or two.

The phrase 'works of the law' as used in 4QMMT is clearly idiomatic, even if
this is the only extant instance. In that context, it clearly means
"practical specifics on legal application." The following elaboration and
context should help to show this.

The phrase comes near the end of a list of nearly 2 doz. legalistic fine
points the 4QMMT author has just presented. For example (paraphrasing a
few):

(1) "Don't use Gentile grain, don't eat it, don't allow it to contact [your
grain?], don't bring it into the sanctuary."

(2)"Don't use [a certain kind of] vessels for boiling sacrifices."
[Gentile-made? copper?]

(3)"Don't partake of Gentile sacrifices."

(4)"Don't eat the peace offering on day four."

(5)"Don't bring animal hides into the Temple"

(6)"Don't enter the Temple after touching skins of a carcass."
etc

There are besides, all told, half a doz. rulings on fit sacrifices; also a
ban on certain persons unfit for "membership in congregations" meaning
intermarriage, in particular Ammonites, Moabites, bastards and men with
genital deformities. Deaf and blind are banned from entering Temple... etc.

Anyway, these are all characteristic Rabbinical legal interpretations that
were coming into professional vogue. (All 2 dozen are cross-referenceable to
Pentateuch or Rabbinical Mishnas -- Parah, Zibahim, Hullin, Yadaim and
Toharoth.)

Following these legal rulings comes blessings-and-curses boilerplate.

Then near the very end comes this:

"Now, we have written to you some of the *works of the Law*, those which we
determined would be beneficial for you and your people, because we have seen
that you possess insight and knowledge of the Law. Understand all these
things and beseech Him to set your counsel straight... (etc., etc.)"

So, the author equates 'works of the Law' with the 2 doz. selected
professional opinions he has just listed for readers.

If you're still not convinced, read Wise-Abegg-Cook's DSS commentary
beginning on p 360, where I got this.

Was 4QMMT's author the only person to use the phrase to refer to such legal
briefs?

We have two other Rabbinical sources from the period using 'works of the
law,' namely, the lengthy legal dissertations written by the Pharisee rabbi,
Saul of Tarsus, using the phrase 6 times in 2 chapters in Galatians, and a
few more in Romans.

So, did Paul's use mirror 4QMMT?

Yes. He must have been steeped in the halakhic style, and so this means he
was concerned about it and would have referred to it in his tracts. He
claims to have participated in the Pharisee sect. The Gospels portray them
as embodying halakha interest. In time he repudiated whatever it was the
Pharisees were doing with the law -- and yet he still sort of upheld Torah
in some pristine sense. The behavior he renounced for Jews was called
'works-of-the-law.' He turned his back on both the doing of legal works and
on Phariseeism -- but not on Torah in the absolute Ideal.

Ergo, Phariseeism and legal halakha must have been linked in Paul's view
with "works of the law."

By his use of 'works of law,' Paul was distinguishing between (a) the Torah
in an *antinomian* dimension, which he upheld and equated with promises to
Abraham / Isaah -- and (b) a substitutive, enslaving Sinaitic legal Torah
which he clearly denounced. This distinction he spells out forcefully in
Galatians 4.21ff, the follow-through from his anti-'works of law' tirade.

This dichotomy from Paul is also consistent with all four Gospels' views,
which give much ink to bashing scribes, lawyers, Pharisees and their
opinions.

The strong consistency is evidence of a widespread view shared in the
Church, that a 'good,' unvarnished antinomian Torah had been replaced by
works-of-the-law. Paul preached this, as did Jesus (Mt 23.4 = Lk 11.46).

A final point to tack on is that, in view of how culturally predominant the
Pharisees' legal interpretions were, it seems that some idiom would
naturally have come into usage in order to distinguish this secondary
activity from the unadorned Pentateuch itself. 'Works of the law' appears to
be the only candidate around that could have served this function.

The phrase recorded in DSS 4QMMT must have come into wider usage, at least
among Jews conversant in legal discoursing. Hence, Paul could use it in 2
public letters.

All in all, we are justified in concluding that 'works of the law' denoted
the lawyers' interpretative corpus, for Paul as well as for 4QMMT.

Regards,

Jon




  • Works of the Law, Andrew T. Dolan, M.A., ABD, 05/21/1999
    • <Possible follow-up(s)>
    • Re: Works of the Law, Maurice A. O'Sullivan, 05/21/1999
    • Re: Works of the Law, Jon Peter, 05/22/1999

Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page