Corpus-Paul

[Loren Rosson <rossoiii AT yahoo.com>]

[Loren]
> Mark would probably not care for the way I've
revised
> his Roman scenario, but I can't help but think
> unbelieving Israel is in view in chs 14-15 in a
> similar way to Caesar in ch 13: believers do and
must
> deal with the "outside". Rom 12-15 instructs 
> accordingly.

[Tim]
>However... Paul never addresses Caesar
>(or the civil authorities in general) 
>in ch 13; he does address the "weak"
>directly in ch 14.

Paul doesn't need to address civil authorities on the
question of taxation. He needs to "address"
unbelieving Israel only in a counterpart rhetorical
strategy, with respect to judging the other in turn.
(See more below.)

>I frankly find the view that the weak
>in ch 14-15 are unbelieving Jews 
>to be quite implausible. In 14.4, he says
>that the weak will be made to 
>stand, but that does not seem to fit
>well with how he construes unbelieving
>Jews in ch 9-11.

I see no obstacle here. That non-Christian Judeans
will be upheld is entirely compatible with Rom 11. 

>Even more damaging is 14.6ff, which speak
>of living and dying to the Lord, 

14:6ff is precisely what points to unbelieving Israel,
since "weakness" has nothing to do with the Torah's
works. "Let all be convinced in their minds what is
right [on the subject of works]..." 4:19-21 actually
explains what "weakness/strength" is about: belief in
God's ability to give life to death (Isaac~Jesus). (So
Nanos.)

>which is quite explicitly Christ
>(14.9). Would he speak of Jews who do 
>not believe upon Christ as "living and
>dying to the Lord"?

The weak are addressed only as counterparts in Paul's
injunctions to the strong, as in 14:3-6 and 14:10-13.
The strong are the real targets -- 14:14-15:6 puts
this beyond doubt, I think -- and I don't see the weak
in view at all in 14:7-9.

Loren Rosson III
Nashua NH
rossoiii AT yahoo.com

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