Transcript RLST 212/Div/Rel 3162 Tuesday, January 25, 2011

RLST 212/Div/Rel 3162
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
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3:10-4:00 Introduction to Paul: 3 (three)
Historical Pauls
4:00-4:40 Roundtables Rom 1:1-15
◦ teachings about “Jesus as Christ”, and
Paul’s relationship with the Romans
4:40-5:30 Discussion of your
Interpretations about “Jesus as Christ” and
Paul’s relationship with the Romans
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Yielded three different scholarly
interpretations of Paul & his authority:
So very intense debate
Should we not be able to discern:
How Paul viewed himself?
How he wanted to be seen and understood?
The intention of his letter?
This is not easy to discern these… Thus the
debate…
But ultimately, it does not matter!
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A Text/Discourse = Several Potential
Meanings
Example: Lecture at Vanderbilt in 1986 by
a white South-African scholar.
Intentional message: clearly expressed by
the argument: join us in the struggle
against apartheid and racism in South
Africa; this is what many of us heard.
But is it the only message? The true one?
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But the African-American students heard a
very different message.
To convince us: emphasized the plight of
black Africans, describing them as childlike, in need of education, so that they will
move away from their backward culture.
the demeaning metaphors and other figures
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Convey racism
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of speech
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Each biblical text
has many possible
meanings
inscribed in the
text
We have to make
a choice
The intention of
the authors is not
necessarily the
most significant
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Yielded three different scholarly interpretations
of Paul & his authority:
So very intense debate
1) “Paul the Theologian”
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2) “The Pastoral Paul”
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3) “The Apocalyptic/Messianic Paul”
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◦ along the line opened by Augustine, Luther;
◦ With similarities with the Paul of Acts; and
◦ With similarities with Paul of Greek Fathers, Orthodox
Churches, Charismatic movements, and liberation
theology
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Yielded three different scholarly interpretations of Paul &
his authority:
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1) “Paul the Theologian” = when focusing on the
theological argument of Romans as a self-conscious
consistent theological presentation of his Gospel
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2) “The Pastoral Paul” = when focusing on the rhetoric
of Romans = how it was crafted to affect its
hearers/readers as a convincing dialogic discourse
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3) “The Apocalyptic/Messianic Paul” = when focusing
on the convictions (self-evident truths = un-intentional,
spontaneous), faith/vision, and the religious experience
conveyed and presupposed by Romans as a religious
discourse
Our interpretations in this seminar will yield different interpretations of
Romans
 At first, interpretations by others might not make sense to us. But
rather than rejecting them off-hand as false or wrong, we have to ask:
 Did the other reader focus on another aspect of the text than I did?
 1) rather than finding meaning in Romans as a logically consistent
theological argument
 2) finding meaning in what is inconsistent because Romans as a
rhetorical discourse aimed at convincing and affecting its audience can
NOT be theologically consistent, because it sets in dialogue the
different views of Paul and of his (envisioned) audience
 3) finding meaning in the figurative religious aspects of Romans
because this religious discourse shares in a mysterious way (like a
poem) a new vision, a new religious experience
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1) “Paul the Theologian” along the line opened by Augustine,
Luther;
2) “The Pastoral Paul” With similarities with the Paul of Acts; and
3) “The Apocalyptic/Messianic Paul” With similarities with Paul of
Greek Fathers, Orthodox Churches, Charismatic movements, and
liberation theology
We will NOT debate which one is “right” or “legitimate” : the three
are legitimate, historical
BUT we will acknowledge that we made or are making a textual or
analytical choice: Reading Romans as either
-- A Consistent Theological argument
-- An Inconsistent Rhetorical Discourse or
-- A Religious Discourse
Different kinds of predicaments
1) sinners are individuals making a mess of
their lives by not doing God’s will = Forensic
Gospel
2) sinners are Communities or social groups
that confront and exclude each other
Pastoral Gospel
3) sinners are people (both individuals and
communities) in bondage under the power
of sin/evil Apocalyptic/Messianic Gospel
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1) Good news that individual sinners against
whom God is angry are justified-forgiven by
Christ through faith = Forensic Gospel
2) Good news that excluded people (Gentiles)
are now included by Christ as God’s people
in the (New) Covenant (without excluding
the Jews) Pastoral/Covenantal Gospel (=
“New Perspective”)
3) Good news that people in bondage under
the power of sin/evil are liberated by Christ
from this bondage Apocalyptic/Messianic
Gospel
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Human predicament: People are sinners as
individuals who are/were not faithful toward God
(not doing God’s will)
 They are guilty (and feel guilty) and should be
condemned and punished by God, the righteous judge
(as in a court, so “forensic”); fear of God
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Humans are Under God’s condemnation;
God is angry against human (God’s wrath);
God views humans as God’s enemies
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Human predicament: People are sinners
Under God’s condemnation;
root-problem: LACK OF WILL to do God’s will
and/or LACK OF KNOWLEDGE of God’s love.
Solution: a) Good News: Christ died instead of
sinners; the Grace (forgiveness) of God;
(vicarious death)
b) Sinners are justified (= not condemned)
through “faith” in Christ (= “believing that” Christ
died for them)
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Human predicament:
Gentiles are sinners, separated from God, because they are in
rebellion against God and do not belong to the People of God
(viewing themselves as rejected by Jews);
Jews also are sinners; they are not faithful to the covenant, separate
themselves from God
Being Enemy of God;
angry against God;
suspicious of God (“God is unjust”; God is partial; God prefers &
favors others)
and jealous of God’s people
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Root-problem: rebellion against God; anger against
God (either as Gentile or as Jews) = LACK
OF/WRONG VISION of God and of God’s people
Solution: Christ died to reconcile all with God [so that
we will not be in rebellion/angry against God], by
establishing a new covenant = new good relationship
between humans and God and among humans
 through the Grace of God all are called to be members
of God’s chosen people; to be “children of God”
Gentiles as well as Jews are “justified” (made righteous)
when through obedient faith they carry out their
vocation (the purpose of their calling) as the chosen
people sent by God to others… as Christ was for others.
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Human predicament: All (Jews and Gentiles) are
sinners = separated from God by evil powers
 the “power of sin” which keep them in bondage;
 Idolatry which have power upon them as Powers,
Principalities (engendering death)
 By distorting their vision (darkening their minds)
 Being oppressed by evil, idolatrous powers
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Root-problem: a darkened mind;
either lack of/wrong vision, bringing about
powerlessness (unjust oppression)
or powerlessness (lack of ability) = in bondage,
bringing about a wrong vision
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Solution: Christ died and was raised from the
dead in power to free people, today as well as
in the past; he is the living Christ who today
frees people from the powers of sin which keep
them in bondage
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“Justified” people become in turn instrument of
justice; as “in Christ” they are members of
Christ’s body through whom the resurrected
Christ acts; freeing people from bondage; this is
their vocation as “slave of Christ” and “saints”.
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Theological Argument – consistent argument of the letter
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Pastoral/Rhetorical Discourse of the letter
through which Paul seeks to persuade his readers
to change their behavior (inconsistent, because
presents also the readers’ view)
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philological historical-critical approaches
rhetorical and socio-historical analyses
Apocalyptic/Messianic religious discourse
reflecting religious experiences and symbolic
world posited by the letter; Paul’s convictions not intentional; that which drives him (his
convictions) and shapes his discourse (mythical
structure of it)
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methods of history of religions and structural studies
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1) In the session, the leader # 1 then Leader # 2 present
briefly her/his understanding and a scholar’s (Moo’s.
Jewett’s, or Byrne’s) understanding of the “theme” of
what Paul says in Rom 1:1-15 about her/his “theme”
“Jesus as Christ” or “faith” (theological choices)
AND how this conclusion can be grounded in the
text (analytical choices) = total 4 views
2) Then ask the members of the roundtable what are the
DIFFERENT teachings about the “theme” people
have identified in their own report. Make sure to clarify
the DIFFERENCES … what are you learning from
others?
3) Then IF TIME PERMITS discuss how these
theological and analytical choices are related to
contextual concerns that need to be addressed in
believers’ lives (contextual choices)
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Rom 1:3-4 affirms in a traditional vocabulary the overall
Christology that Paul holds and that he believes the Romans also
share (or should share) with him.
The introductory clause, Romans 1:3a the gospel concerning his
Son, posits Paul’s view that Jesus Christ is God’s Son.
Though the vocabulary is different from Philippians 2:6-11, Paul
presents Christ Jesus according to the same theological pattern:
pre-existence, incarnation, and exaltation.
He was God’s son (Rom 1:3a; Phil 2:6) before being born of
David’s seed (as Messiah from the seed of David) when living in
the human realm (according to the flesh, Rom 1:3b; Phil 2:7-8).
Following his death through his resurrection from the dead, he
was exalted, established “Son of God with power” (Son of God as
a source of power) and now lives in the realm of the Spirit
(“according to the Spirit of holiness”), in such a way that his
lordship, “Jesus Christ our Lord,” could be acknowledged by all
and fully manifested (Rom 1:4; Phil 2:9-11).
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God’s Son embodied and resolves the tensions between Jews and
Gentiles.
Paul cites in 1:3-4 a traditional creed known by the Romans, that
expresses tensions between Jewish Christian and Gentile Christian forms
of the gospel.
Focusing on the way these verses affect Paul’s readers in Rome, with
Dunn, Jewett and Stowers, one can recognize Paul’s concern for the
tensions between Jewish Christians and gentile Christians and thus
That he affirmed that the gospel is in continuity with the Jewish Holy
Scriptures.
That he gently refers to this tension by taking carefully into account
traditional Christological views expressed in a vocabulary which is
foreign to him--rather than using his own vocabulary he uses a
traditional vocabulary.
That he affirms that Christ embodied and resolved the tension between
Jews and Gentiles in Christ own person
And in the call to serve and to represent him that Christ as Lord
addresses to all of them,1:5-7.
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Jesus Christ our Lord is the fulfillment of the type David and
of God’s promises through the prophets:
Christ enthroned as Son of God in the heavenly sphere of
power (Käsemann, 12).
“God has inaugurated the eschatological liberation … by
setting up Jesus as messianic agent of the promised
liberation” (Byrne, 39).
Jesus fulfills the type David, not only by descending from
David according to the flesh, but also by being “‘installed’
Messiah in fact” (Byrne, 39), with full power as Lord (as the
Davidic king is enthroned as Son of God, Ps. 2:7),
by being raised from the dead and entering into the new age
marked as the sphere of his active reign in power as risen
Lord (as fulfillment of Ps 110:1)
◦ as Paul further expresses in 1 Cor 15:23-25, now, after Jesus’
resurrection, the Risen Lord is in the process of defeating the powers
which keep humans in bondage.
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1. Faith as Faithfulness. God’s (Christ’s) faithfulness to God’s
promises and Human faithfulness to God
2. Faith as Trust: as trusting God Augustine = the faith by which
we believe (fides qua creditur)
3. Faith as Believing a Speaker’s Words (“Believing That”);
believing in the words of Scripture. Augustine: what is believed
(fides quae creditur), or the content of faith
4. Faith as leading to true Knowledge “Believing in order to
understand ” (Augustine; Knowledge is found through believing)
or “faith seeking understanding” (Anselm; we need to
understand/know what is implicit in faith)
5. Faith as Movement toward, and Experience of, God. (“believing
in” God or Christ) = “Knowing Christ, = Experiencing Christ As
Lord…. Faith As Discovering Christ In Others (The Promise Of
The Incarnation)
6. Faith as Gift (from God) that puts believers in the right
relationship with God
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Forensic /Theological Reading: faith = believing “in Christ” =
believing something about Christ; in what Christ has done in the
past (on the cross)
Pastoral/Covenantal Reading: faithfulness toward Christ and
God as Christ was faithful to God and us in the past (on the
cross) (emphasizing subjective genitive of “the faith of Christ”=
faith that Christ had, the faithfulness of Christ; in 3:22) but also
the faithfulness which holds together a community a group's
assent to and participation in the gospel of Christ crucified and
resurrected, a gospel that reveals the righteousness of God as
transcending the barriers of honor and shame. (Jewett on 3:22)
Apocalyptic/Messianic Reading: faith/believing in Christ =
Recognizing through the eyes of faith that the promises/types
(that Christ’s cross and resurrection are) are fulfilled in our
present and submitting to God’s power as manifested in these
fulfillments (“obedience of faith”)
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LEADER: _Julie Carli__ (her interpretation vs Moo)
LEADER # 2: Jonathan Baynham__ (his interpretation vs Jewett)
Iris AnKrom-Crittenden_
Madeleine St Marie_
Karney_
Derek Axelson_
Ross Stackhouse
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LEADER # 1: Arden Henderson_ (her interpretation vs Moo)
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LEADER # 2: Jeremy Snow_ (his interpretation vs Byrne)
Julianne (Jarrett) Snape
Murielle Wyman
Jason Jones
Amy Lentz
Stephen Staggs
Logan Robertson
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Good news about something which
happened in the PAST, to be appropriated in
the present, and with effects (salvation) in
the future for individuals
message about Jesus Christ, the good news
about salvation of anyone who believes it; a
powerful news = frees believers from
guilt/fear
Proclamation = preaching the message
about Jesus Christ (about what Christ DID)
about salvation of anyone who believes it;
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Good news about something which happened in the
PAST, to be implemented in the present, and with
effects in the future for communities (the separation of
Jews and gentiles, barbarians and Greeks, etc. has been
overcome; needs to be implemented now, and is fully
promised in the future)
as message about Jesus Christ that establishes a new
(covenantal) relationship with God (= salvation); it
powerfully affects, transforms our relationship with
other people (thus honor and shame effects)
Living the gospel as the new covenant community, the
new creation, an inclusive community, the body of
Christ, open, inviting others (any other) in the
covenant community
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Good news about something which is happening in the
PRESENT, as a fulfillment of the promises contained in
the past, and to be responded to through faith NOW IN
THE PRESENT, and is a token, first fruits, of what will be
fully accomplished in future for communities, although
also for individuals
as message about the risen Christ with power that
promises that IN THE PRESENT he does intervenes and
saves people from the powers of evil, as those who have
the eyes of faith can see and recognize.
Living the gospel by imitating Christ (Christ’s crucified,
but also the risen Christ) one makes manifest the power
of the gospel By joining in Risen Christ’s present actions
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Focusing discussion on three themes:
choose one (sign up); several possible
interpretations of each.
The teaching for believers today in a
particular context about one of these:
the righteousness/justice of God
the gospel as the power of God for
salvation to everyone who has faith
homosexuality
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“Faith” necessarily results in “obedience,” when faith is
defined as “believing that” (faith as defined by its content;
"believing that the message of the gospel as teaching is
true").
For the Forensic Theological Reading, if faith is genuine, it
brings about an obedient life.
When faith is a trustful assent to the divine truth of the
gospel proclaimed by apostles to whom it has been revealed,
acting according to this faith involves a submission to the
demands of this gospel, and “obediently” living a life that
follows its teaching. Evidence:
◦ Romans, 1—11, the doctrinal part of the gospel, the content of
faith, what the readers should believe;
◦ Romans, 12—16 moral teaching --the “obedience of faith,” what
the faithful readers should do in obedience to their faith
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“Faith” necessarily results in “obedience,” when faith is
defined as “trust” in the “faithfulness” of God’s promise
(because God is faithful) and thus “trust” in God’s call to a
certain ministry—call to be apostles, to be saints (1:7),etc.
(8:28-33; 12:1-8).
For the Pastoral Reading, faith is a response to God’s call
and election (see 1:1), or more broadly, to God’s call to be
“saints” (1:7) as members of God’s people in the covenant (a
call which irrevocable, 11:28)
Covenant broadened through Jesus Christ to include Gentiles.
this call is for a service, for a function.
Therefore trusting (having faith) in God’s call is also
accepting to carry out this function “faithfully”, “obedience.”
Thus faith without obedience, without carrying out this
vocation, cannot be genuine faith.
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“Faith” and “obedience” designate the same acknowledgement
of the authority of God and Christ, when “faith” is understood
as “slavery to Christ” (1:1) in the sense of being totally under
the power of one’s Lord and Master.
For the Messianic Reading, “faith” is being put under the
power of the Lord (Christ, or God) by God’s intervention,
acknowledging the authority/power of the Lord upon one’s
life, and thus it is also “obedience,” submitting to this
authority/power of the Lord.
Here faith is first of all a “gift” from the Lord; one cannot have
faith if it is not given through a divine intervention (a
manifestation of God’s “grace”). Yet, faith is also a movement
toward God, the humble submission to this authority of the
Lord.
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Christ is the savior: Christ’s death (2000
years ago), dying instead of us
Christ died for sinners; Propitiation through
Christ dying/being punished instead of us:
Vicarious sacrifice
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Christ died for sinners;
Expiation = Reconciled human with God, by
demonstrating God’s love for us, through his
absolutely faithfulness to God and to us,
which established a new covenant with God;
His death is a Passover Sacrifice Covenantal
Sacrifice
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Christ died for sinners & was raised with
power.
Redemption = freeing people from their
bondage to evil powers/ aka idols that keep
people under their power. Redemption
Sacrifice
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Authority means not sheer power but
legitimate power.
Authority exists only insofar as those who
submit do so by acknowledging the
legitimacy of those who are in a position to
use institutional or other power and/or to
speak authoritatively.
In Christian thought, authority belongs first
to God, then to Christ, then to those who
are authorized by God and Christ
(prophets*, apostles*)
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Paul’s authority because he has received the Gospel
and has the true, orthodox teaching (1 Cor 15:1ff)
was recognized by the Jerusalem church (Gal 1-2).
Peter/Cephas, John, James).
Institutional authority: Paul has authority because
he is recognized as a commissioned apostle;
someone who is honored/saint (by contrast with
shameful); as someone who can be trusted.
a charismatic authority. Paul’s authority based on
being freed from bondage by the power of God
“through a revelation/intervention of Jesus Christ,”
(road to Damascus) = gospel.
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Someone owned by a master, and thus in bondage and totally
at the mercy of this master; someone worthless, powerless, in
an abject situation, with a shameful status (emphasized by
the Messianic Reading);
Someone who, although in a low status, is a member of a
household, and who, as a servant, acts in the name of his/her
master for the sake of the household; someone totally
defined by his/her mission in the name of a master
(emphasized by the Pastoral Reading);
Someone who is unconditionally submitted to the will and
authority of a master (emphasized by the Theological
Reading).
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Christ’s power upon the “slave” (according to the
first view of slave chosen in the Messianic
Reading);
Christ’s mission which the “slave” prolongs in the
name of the Lord (according to the second view of
slave chosen in the Pastoral Reading);
Christ’s authority to which the “slave” voluntarily
submits (according to the third view of slave
chosen in the Theological Reading).
Because
of God’s gift to me (calling me,
grace, apostleship, gospel), I must do
something for all people
Greeks and barbarians, wise and foolish
people are the reason of (the source for) my
apostleship: I owe myself to them
I am indebted to them… I have received &
continue to receive from them precious gifts