Corpus-Paul

["Liz Fried" <lizfried AT umich.edu>]

Dear Mark, I am royally confused about many things in your long reply to my
post. I thought I was saying things universally assumed true. I see that's
incorrect.  This is why I participate in these lists, to have my views
challenged and corrected, so I appreciate your spending the time to
challenge and correct mine.

I would like us to back up a bit, because I see there are many
presuppositions which are not shared, upon which I seek clarification.

You wrote:
>
> Dear Liz:
> >I had written:
> >> > Of course Jewish people should observe the Law, that is not the
> >> problem but
> >> > an advantage (note that by the logic of 1 Cor. 7:17-20 to remain in a
> >> > circumcised state and Gal. 5:3 that one in a circumcised state
> >> is obliged
> >> > to observe the Law, that Paul holds this view). The issue
> returns to a
> >> > question on the place of Christ, not the Law. Was he or was he
> >> not the one
> >> > who has brought the age to come into the present age? Is that
> >> not the real
> >> > question that set apart this Jewish group from other Jewish
> >> groups at the
> >> > first?
> >

My reply to this, to which you objected, was based on my assumption that the
present age initiated by Christ's resurrection indicated that the law was
now fulfilled/completed.  The law had served its purpose and was now moot.
This is my understanding of Romans 7:  The law is binding only on those who
still live. We have died to the law through the body of Christ so that we
may live in the spirit. (Romans 7:1, 4-6). That is, since we have died to
the law, it is no longer binding on us.

You evidently disagree with my understanding of this passage, my
understanding of the role of the Messiah in Paul's thought, and my
understanding of the present age.  If you have the time and energy I would
appreciate some conversation, some clarification and enlightenment on these
important matters.  (This will probably be a long discussion, perhaps it
should be broken into several separate posts, perhaps several short posts on
each issue.)

Sincerely,
Liz

Lisbeth S. Fried
Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies
New York University
51 Washington Sq. S.
New York, NY 10012
lqf9256 AT is3.nyu.edu
lizfried AT umich.edu