Corpus-Paul

["Elli Elliott" <elli AT kci.net>]

Elli Elliott
(The Rev. Susan M. Elliott, Ph.D.)
Zion United Church of Christ, Sterling, Colorado
Immanuel Congregational United Church of Christ, Brush, Colorado
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sorin & Simona Sabou" <sssabou AT deuroconsult.ro>
To: "Corpus-paul" <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2001 4:10 PM
Subject: [corpus-paul] Abstract


>
> Dear all,
> I was recently awarded my PhD (London Bible College; supervisors: Steve
> Motyer, Max Turner). It was a piece of research on the metaphorical
> language of death in Romans 6. Here is the abstract of the thesis.
> Thanks for your interaction.
> Sorin Sabou
>
>
>
> Abstract
>
> Between Horror and Hope:
> Paul's Metaphorical Language of 'Death' in Romans 6.1-11
>
> This project analyses Paul's metaphorical language of 'death' in Romans
> 6.1-11. The scholarly debate is focused on two main questions: that of
> the origin of the idea (the commentatio mortis tradition from the
> hellenistic philosophic writings, mystery religions, the teaching of
> Jesus, Adamic Christology, eschatological 'being with Christ', the
> personal experience of Paul) and its development ('dying with Christ' as
> an experience in the past and present, predestination, Messiah and
> community, 'dying with Christ' as a sacramental experience, the role of
> baptism for understanding the experience of 'dying with Christ', the
> death of Christ as an event in which the believers can share, the role
> of Christology and Anthropology for understanding 'dying with Christ',
> the need to work with different perspectives in Christology).
> This project argues, as far as the question of origin is concerned, that
> what we have in Romans 6.1-11 is Paul's creativity at work: bold
> metaphors (6.2) for which the only parallel which we found is that from
> Rom. 6.10. It is his own insight into the meaning of Christ's death (a
> 'death to sin') and his understanding of the identity of Christ in his
> death (he died as the anointed davidic king) which guided him in
> creating this metaphor of 'dying to sin' as a way of describing the
> relationship of the believer with sin.
> Concerning the question of the development of this language of death
> this project argues that this language is used to convey two aspects: of
> horror and of hope. The first aspect (of horror) is discussed in the
> context of crucifixion. Paul establishes his explanation for the
> believers' 'death to sin' by presenting Christ's death as the death of
> the anointed davidic king, who won the victory over sin and death by
> being raised from the dead (6.9-10). Paul affirms that the believers are
> 'coalesced' (sumfutos) with what was proclaimed ('representation' -
> homoioma) about Christ's death and resurrection (6.5). These two facts
> allow him to assert that the releasing of the body from the power of sin
> (6.6) is a result of 'crucifixion', in the sense that 'crucifixion', as
> the 'condemnation/punishment' inflicted upon our past lived in the age
> inaugurated by the sin of Adam (ho palaios anthropos), is such a
> horrible event that the believers have to stay away from sin, since it
> is sin that leads to such a punishment. The second aspect (of hope) is
> presented in the context of 'burial'. The believers' 'burial with'
> Christ points to the fact that they are part of the same family with
> Christ. This 'burial' is accomplished by an overwhelming action of God
> by which he pushes us toward the event of Christ's death, action
> pictured in the act of baptism (6.3,4). This fact of 'burial with'
> Christ allows them to share with Christ the newness of life also
> (6.4,8).
>
>
> ---
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