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: "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: Wed, 28 Jul 1999 21:35:24 -0500


[Moon]
>Our recent discussion about Rom 10:5 (Lev 18:5) triggered another thought
>about
>Rom 10:6-7 (Deut 30:11-14). I found James Dunn's treatment of the passages
>in
>his Word Biblical commentary quite insightful, but still unsatisfactory.
>He said about Rom 10:6-7, first paragraph, p. 614:
>
> The point of the contrast with Lev 18, then, is that Deut 30 emphasizes
> BOTH levels of obedience, heart as well as mouth, inward as well as
>outward
>, whereas Lev 18 seems to emphasize only the "doing", only the one level
> which consequently can too easily become merely the level of works.
> So once again Deut 30 can be said to provide a deeper insight into what
> the law is about, whereas Lev 18 tends to encourage the shallower
>interpretation
> which in Paul's view characterized most of his kinsfolk's current
>understanding of
> the law (that keeping the statues and ordinances of the law was the way of
>living
> appropriate to the covenant, which the covenant required, p. 612).
>
> As you also noted in one of your posts, this reflects that Dunn is mixing
> the "old perspective of Reformation" and the "New Perspective by E. P.
>Sanders".
>It indicates that it is really difficult to completely avoid generalizing
>what was concrete and "technical" statements.

Dunn can be brilliant. But you have made a good catch, and have cited a
perfect example of the problem of getting caught between two paradigms. The
challenge to the new perspective is to do precisely what you are doing; new
exegesis, which will only come about when new hypotheses based on new
understandings of the rhetoric, history, culture, etc., are tested by
re-readings of the text.

>
>There seems to be an interpretation in which we can avoid the "contrast"
>and the "mixing". Here is a scenario:
>
>Paul: Christ is the goal of the Law for righteousness to EVERYONE that
>believes
>(PANTI TWi PISTEUONTI)
> (Christ came as the end-result of the Law, in order to give
>righteousness
> to everyone that believes), regardless of whether they are the people
> of the Law or not.
>Opponent: I do not understand. Righteousness is for us, who have the Law.
> Can Gentile-believers be righteoused without the RIGHTEOUSNESS
> which is from the LAW?
>Paul: Good question. With respect to that righteousness which is from the
>Law,
> Moses wrote that the people of the Law shall live in the Law (Lev
>18:5).
> 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 the Law cannot be required of them.
> But there is another righteousness, the righteousness which is from
>faith
> in Christ. That is also what the Law says (Rom 10:6-7 =Deut
>30:11-14,
> Rom 10:11=Isa 28:16, Rom 10:13=Joel 3:5).
>
>So, the argument of Rom 10:3-13 is not so different from Rom 3:21-22,
>where
>the language and the theme of the present passages are repeated:
>
> The righteousness of God appeared, apart from the Law, being
> witnessed by the Law and the Prophets (Rom 3:21),
> the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to
> EVERYONE THAT BELIEVES (EIS PANTAS TOUS PISTEUONTAS).
> For there is no distinction between [the Jews and the Gentiles].
>
>Here "apart from the Law" means "outside the boundary of the people of the
>Law".
>So, "apart from the Law" says the same thing as
> "there is no distinction [between the Jews and the Gentiles]"
>
>The Law speaks to the Jews and also to the whole world.
>The Law talks about the righteousness which is from the law,
>which is specific to the Jews, and it also talks about
> the righteousness of God, which goes beyond the boundary of
>the Law-people.
>There is righteousness "that is from the Law" (Rom 10:5 (Lev 18) ),
>which is specific to the Jews.
>There is righteousness "that is apart from the Law", which is
>witnessed by the Law (Rom 10:6-7 (Deut 40)), which is universal.
>Both are good and acceptable to God.
>
>In sum, it seems that there is no "contrast" between Lev 10:5 and
>Deut 30:11-14. They address different things and are
>"complementary" to each other. What do you think?

I think this makes sense of why Paul appeals to the one to explain the
other. Nice work. I have enjoyed your re-reading, and benefited.

Does no one else have an opinion about what you/we are doing here?

Regards,

Mark Nanos
Kansas City






Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page