Corpus-Paul

["Tim Gallant" <tim AT rabbisaul.com>]

[My apologies to Loren - I accidentally hit "Reply" instead of "Reply All" 
yesterday, so it only went to Loren rather than the list. Loren, please feel 
free to repost your response to the list.]

From: "Loren Rosson" <rossoiii AT yahoo.com>
To: "Tim Gallant" <tim AT rabbisaul.com>; "Corpus-Paul"
<corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Sunday, May 01, 2005 2:20 PM
Subject: Re: [Corpus-Paul] Audience of Romans/Symbolic Paul


> > 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.

In ch 11, he speaks of regrafting. There is no hint of an alteration of
status here.

> > 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.)

That sidesteps the question, which is simply this: does Paul see unbelieving
Jews as "living to the Lord"? Clearly not.

> 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.

The strong are the primary addressees, I'll agree. But it doesn't follow
from that, that the weak are not also being addressed.

Are the weak not in view in 7-9? Certainly they are. Paul has been dealing
with two sides, and he calls "each" to be persuaded in his own mind (14.5).
In verse 6, he says that both those who observe and those who do not (the
strong and the weak), do so to the Lord. This is the point of the "no one"
and the "all" in 7-9; both the strong and the weak live and die to the Lord.
And therefore, both the strong and the weak refer to Christian believers.

tim

Tim Gallant
Pastor, Conrad Christian Reformed Church

http://www.timgallant.org
tim | gallant site group