Corpus-Paul

[Loren Rosson <rossoiii AT yahoo.com>]

Hello Moon,

For now I’ll focus only on the text of Gal. 3:10-14:

> It is natural to take "we" in Gal. 3:13 to refer to
> the Jews. Otherwise, the logical sequence from 3:13
> to 3:14 would be broken, and we would have to
> interpret so that they refer to the same thing.

It is most unnatural to take “we” in 3:13 as referring
to Jews, if for no other reason than because Paul
hardly believed that the Jewish people needed
redeeming from the law as a “curse”. In antiquity,
being under a “curse” meant that you were in just
about the most disastrous state imaginable. We need to
tread carefully here: 

3:10: “For all who rely on the works of the law are
under a curse. For it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone
who does not observe and obey all things written in
the book of law’.”

“All”refers to Gentiles, for Paul didn’t believe that
Jews who relied on the works of the law were under a
curse. On the contrary, he knew very well that they
could “observe and obey all things written in the book
of law”, and he himself is a stellar example (Philip.
3:6).

3:11-12: “Now it is evident that no one is justified
before God by the law, for ‘the one who is righteous
will live by faith’. But the law does not rest on
faith. On the contrary, ‘whoever does the works of the
law will live by them’.”

This citation of texts makes for awkward reading. Paul
says that the law is not connected with faith, but
that the person who performs the “works of the law”
will live by them. To me, this implies that no one
actually performs the “works of the law” adequately,
because life comes from faith, not the Torah. On your
(and Dunn’s) own reading of “works of the law” -- as
Jewish identity markers, as opposed to “deeds in
general” (with which I agree) -- this can only refer
to Gentiles. The Jewish people performed the “works of
the law” (circumcision, purity regulations, etc.) more
than adequately.

3:13-14: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the
law, by becoming a curse for us -- for it is written,
‘Cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree’ -- in order
that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might
come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the
promise of the Spirit through faith.”

Paraphrase: “Christ redeemed us Gentiles from the
curse of the law by becoming a curse for us Gentiles
-- for it is written, ‘Cursed be everyone who hangs on
a tree’ -- in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing
of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we
Gentiles might receive the promise of the Spirit
through faith.” This may sound redundant ("referring
to the same thing", as you put it), but it’s no more
awkward than the text of 3:11-12 (and not a few other
Pauline passages) -- and it’s the only sense I can
make of the text in light of what precedes it. To undo
the redundancy, paraphrase it this way:

“Christ redeemed us Gentiles from the curse of the law
by becoming a curse -- for it is written, ‘Cursed be
everyone who hangs on a tree’ -- in order that the
blessing of Abraham may come, so that we Gentiles
might receive the promise of the Spirit through
faith.”

Moon, the context of Galatians -- Gentile Christians
considering proselyte conversion apropos Gentile
non-Christian proselyte influencers -- convinces me
that this reading of Gal. 3:10-14 is correct, even if
it makes for somewhat redundant reading... and even if
your own reading follows as a logical and rhetorical
implication.

Best,

Loren Rosson III,
Nashua NH
rossoiii AT yahoo.com


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