Corpus-Paul

[Loren Rosson <rossoiii AT yahoo.com>]

[Moon]
 
> The usual reading of Rom 6:14 is that 
> sin's dominion over us has to do with
> our being under the Law.
> This reading is obtained by reading "sin
> will not be the master of you, because
> you are not under the Law" (omitting 
> the part "but under grace").

> From it, we can state:
> (a)if you are not under the Law, sin 
> will not be the master of you.

> From (a), many derive (b):

> (b) if you are under the Law, sin will 
> be the master of you.

> It does not hold, in fact. This is a 
> logical fallacy.

Really? It strikes me as pure logic.

> In fact, what we have is:

> (c) If you are not under the Law but
> under grace, sin will not be 
> the master of  you.

> My contention is that here "under the
> Law" and "under grace" may not be
> exclusive of each other. 

But then wouldn’t Paul have said, “If you are under
grace as well as under the law, sin will not be the
master of you?”

[Loren]
>> Only  in 7:7-25 does he manage to 
>> “save” the situation by
>> severing the link between sin/death and the law. 
 
[Moon]
> Right. 

So you do acknowledge the link between sin/death and
the law in 6:14?

> To know the nature of this severing,
> we need to interpret Rom 7:1-6. I take
> "you" and "we" here to refer to 
> Jewish believers. Because in Rom 7:1 
> Paul says he is addressing those who
> know the Law. Because those who 
> experienced the passion of sin that 
> is through the 
> Law(Rom 7:5) are none other than Jews.

This is a good point, and many commentators have
assumed that Paul is targetting Jews in Rom. 7, on the
basis of 7:1 (“for I am speaking to those who know the
law”). But I believe this applies only to 7:1-13, not
7:14-25. As I argued in my November 11 post, 7:14-25
targets Gentiles. So, we would have:

7:1-6: Addressed primarily to Jews, though Gentiles
implied as well. Argues that believers are “discharged
from the law” with an allegory. Like Rom. 6:14, this
is an ideal assessment, not an actual one. The
eschatological tension dictates that believers are
only PARTLY discharged from the law, their bodies
remaining mortal until they will have risen with
Christ.

7:7-13: Addressed primarily to Jews, though Gentiles
implied as well. Argues that Jewish behavior under the
Mosaic law (and Gentile behavior under the “Noahide”
law) is analagous to, and parallel with, Adam/Eve’s
behavior under the primal commandment in Eden.

7:14-25: Addressed primarily to Gentiles, though Jews
implied rhetorically (only rhetorically, because the
argument contradicts Philip. 3:6). Argues that Gentile
behavior under the law (and rhetorically, Jewish
behavior under the law) results in frustration,
futility, and despair. 
 
> Let me expose my attempt to 
> read Rom 7:1-6. I take "dying to
> the Law through Christ" to mean
> that Jewish believers are no longer
> stick to the Law's identity
> requirement, e.g. getting
> circumcision.

As you’ve gathered by now, I do not agree (with you or
Dunn) that any of the arguments “against the law” in
Rom. 5-8 have to do with Jewish identity markers. I do
agree (with you and Dunn) that Paul’s arguments
against “works of the law” -- in Rom. 2-4 (and,
briefly, 9:30-10:4) -- have to do with precisely this.
But I think nothing in chs 5-8 points to this issue
being the focus.

> Wild idea? I think so. I wonder
> how Mark thinks of this interpretation.

Not too wild, Moon! I’ve seen wilder. I also await
Mark’s take on this stuff, though I think he’s
presently away.

Loren Rosson III,
Nashua NH
rossoiii AT yahoo.com


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