Corpus-Paul

[Loren Rosson <rossoiii AT yahoo.com>]

Fred wrote:

>[Mark] is basically suggesting that the 'weak'
>are the Jewish, Torah observant, Christians, whereas 
>the 'strong' are Gentile Christians.

Mark has already pointed out that he suggests
precisely the opposite for the "weak" -- that they
were non-Christian rather than Christian. I'd direct
your attention, moreover, Fred, to pp 139-143, where
Mark discusses Rom 4:18-25, which is the only place
throughout the theology of Rom 1-11 where Paul uses
the terms "weak in faith" (4:19) and "strong in faith"
(4:20). Mark notes that the measure of Abraham's faith
had nothing to do with "works of the law" (the subject
of Rom 4:1-17) but rather God's ability to give life
against all odds. Abraham was "strong in faith",
believing that God would "give life to the dead"; and
thus Issac was born out of the deadness of Sarah's
womb. So the message to the (non-Christian) Jews in
Rome would be that, just as Abraham was "strong"
because he believed God would create life from the
dead, so now the Gentiles in Rome are "strong" because
they believe God raised life from the dead (4:24-25).
Mark's reading confirms that works of the law (what
one eats, the days one observes) has nothing to do
with what **makes** one "weak". Rather, lack of
"faith" (thus the term) in the messianic redeemer is
what makes one so. 

Well, I had to give Mark a plug here. Mystery of
Romans is one of those books you read, and then sit
back and scratch your head, saying, "Why didn't we
ever see this before?"

Loren Rosson III
Nashua NH
rossoiii AT yahoo.com

__________________________________________________
Yahoo! - We Remember
9-11: A tribute to the more than 3,000 lives lost
http://dir.remember.yahoo.com/tribute