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  • From: "John Wilking" <johnwilking AT hotmail.com>
  • To: corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re: Romans 10:1-4
  • Date: Sun, 26 Mar 2000 11:49:57 PST


Mark,

I'm not making any general principles about ignorance or zeal. I'm saying that if Jeremiah 8 is the source for Paul's thought then ignorance of God's righteousness should be interpreted in light of "not knowing God's ways" in Jeremiah. That ignorance seems clearly to be an unnatural one since "even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons." It was true of Jeremiah's audience and it would seem that Paul is applying it to his contemporary "Israelites."

Concerning the zeal for God, if the Israelites Paul is referring to are rebellious and are ignorant of God's ways due to their rebellion, then it doesn't seem that that same group would have a true zeal for God. If there is such a thing as a zeal for God which is wrong-headed (Isa. 58), then it would appear to me that it would be what Paul is talking about in Romans 10.

My logic is this: Romans 10 looks like Jeremiah 8 in which rebellion is the issue and ignorance is clearly due to rebellion. If ignorance of God's ways has bad roots in Romans, then the "zeal for God", which may be good any other time, isn't good here either.

John C. Wilking
From: "Mark D. Nanos" <nanos AT mail.gvi.net>
Reply-To: "Corpus-paul" <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
To: "Corpus-paul" <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Subject: [corpus-paul] Re: Romans 10:1-4
Date: Sun, 26 Mar 2000 11:28:37 -0600

Dear John,
You wrote:
If Jeremiah 8 is the correct source for understanding Romans 10,
then ignorance of God's ways arises out of rebellion and a desire to
pursue one's own ways.

I am not sure of your point. Is this the only way in which it arises?
Is this and only this true for all people at all times?


A zeal for God (Romans 10:2) would likewise be wrong-headed. This
possibility seems to be supported by Isaiah 58:1-12. The sinful
house of Jacob "seeks Me day by day, and delights to know My ways as
a nation that has done righteousness, and has not forsaken the
ordinance of their God." Yet they did not understand the true
nature of a fast. "Is this not the fast which I chose, to loosen
the bonds of wickedness...?"

I do not understand the connections you are making here. How do you
conclude that "a zeal for God" "would be wrong-headed" as though this
was an absolute principle? Do not the prophets and even Jesus call
for such zeal? Does not Paul boast of such? Does not Isaiah's comment
assume that seeking God and delighting in knowing God's ways is good?
Does not the criticism of "the fast" done when not choosing other
actions of righteousness assume the righteousness of the fast done
when those other actions are done righteously?

If there is a general principle, is it not that zeal for God, like
everything else good, can be turned into "not good" when it comes in
the way of "the good," i.e, God, and good toward those whom he
created in his good image?

Regards,
Mark Nanos


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