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Title: Pauline Interpretation of Christianity: ROMANS


1
Pauline Interpretation of ChristianityROMANS
  • February 1, 2011

2
Todays Schedule
  • 400-520 Roles of Scripture and Homosexuality
  • in reading 126-27 from Forensic/Theological
    Pastoral/Covenantal and Apocalyptic/Messianic
    perspectives.
  • 530-615 Rom 116-21 Roundtable Its teaching
    about
  • a) The righteousness/justice of God and Gospel as
    power of God for salvation
  • c) Homosexuality
  • 615-630 Discussing your Interpretations

3
Next Week
  • Please sign up
  • Also look at Webhttp//www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/reli
    gious_studies/212-S10/212.htm

4
NRSV Romans 126-27 For this reason God gave them
up to degrading passions. Their women exchanged
natural intercourse for unnatural, 27 and in the
same way also the men, giving up natural
intercourse with women, were consumed with
passion for one another. Men committed shameless
acts with men and received in their own persons
the due penalty for their error. NIV Romans
126 Because of this, God gave them over to
shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged
natural relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the
same way the men also abandoned natural relations
with women and were inflamed with lust for one
another. Men committed indecent acts with other
men, and received in themselves the due penalty
for their perversion.
5
Group 2 Struggled with 126-27How do you read
these verses?
  • It depends on a fundamental theological choice of
    a Role of Scripture
  • 1. A) Lamp To My Feet B) Canon/Rule of the
    Community C) Good News
  • 2. D) Family Album Book of the Covenant
  • 3. E) Corrective Glasses F) Empowering Word
  • 4. G) Holy Bible

6
Teaching for Believers of ROM 126-27 Lamp to my
feet (Forensic)
  • You shall not commit homoerotic acts.
  • The Bible teaches believers to discern what they
    should do, step by step, and what they should not
    do.
  • Contextual Problem it addresses Lack of
    direction for life
  • Homosexual people do not know what to do or not
    to do
  • Analytical Frame Romans 1 26-27 by itself
    treated as a paraenetic (ethical, moral) saying
    a law for individual
  • Essential to know specifically who or what is
    condemned Most probable/legitimate conclusion
    any homoerotic act by lesbians and gays
  • (e.g., Richard Hays, as well as Brooten, Bahsen,
    Becker, Strecker, Van de Spijker, etc.),
  • rather than homosexual acts by heterosexuals
    (Boswell on the basis of John Chrysostom,
    Miller), pederasty (Scroggs, Abraham Smith) or
    cultic homosexuality (Ridderbos, Wengst).

7
Teaching of ROM 126-27 CANON Rule of the
Community (Forensic)
  • Consider homoerotic people as sinners (as the
    people performing the vices in 128-32) Shun
    and/or ostracize them do not treat them as full
    and legitimate members of the community.
    Ultimately, exclude them from the community.
  • Contextual Problem The community/church cannot
    fulfill its mission if believers do not have a
    proper moral life as implementation of Gods
    Willthat we do not know except for the Bible
  • Analytical Frame Rom 1 26-27 together with
    128-32. treated as a law of the community
  • Essential to know specifically who or what is
    condemned (as for Lamp to my feet).

8
Teaching for Believers of ROM 126-27 Lamp to my
feet/ Canon Good News (Forensic)
  • The Good News is in
  • NIV 117 For in the gospel a righteousness from
    God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith
    from first to last, just as it is written "The
    righteous will live by faith.
  • a righteousness from God (right relationship with
    God is given by God to sinner forensic God the
    judge declare sinners, including homosexuals,
    not guilty) is revealed,
  • a righteousness that is by faith from first to
    last, a righteousness not earned received
    though faith in Christ
  • "The righteous will live by faith. then
    living a faithful life former homosexuals can
    avoid to sin again

9
Is this not what the text says?
  • Condemnation of/ description of sins
  • That Christians should not commit
  • If they want to be part of the Christian
    community
  • Reading Pauls text, each verse as a law
  • Or elsewhere as independent nuggets of doctrinal
    teachings that needs to be held together as an
    overall doctrinal teaching
  • Would not have Paul found this a strange of his
    letter? in view of what he says about the
    law?
  • Roles of scripture in Judaism of Pauls time

10
COVENANT Jewish Hermeneutical-Theological Frame
  • DPs Early Jewish Hermeneutics, 1975.
  • Sadducees
  • Pharisees (Rabbinic Judaism in formation)
  • Apocalyptic groups (Zealots, Qumran)
  • Shared Basic Conviction We are the Chosen
    People of God . . .
  • Shared Basic questions/concerns How to remain
    the Chosen People? How to be the Chosen People?
    Why?

11
Sadducees (Priests) view of the Covenant
  • 1. Laws Torah Law
  • 2. Obey the Laws (purity, so as to be in the
    Temple, etc.) faithfulness righteousness
  • 3. Reward You are blessed by God as the
    People of God
  • Christian Forensic interpretation adds
  • But it is impossible to fulfill the law so no
    reward, only condemnation
  • Except for the good news that Christ died was
    punished instead of us righteousness through
    faith

12
Early Rabbinic/Pharisaic (Paul as Pharisee) View
Of Scripture
  • IN SYNAGOGUE and IN SCHOOL
  • In Synagogue Torah Instruction
  • Cycle of readings Torah (seder) prophets
    (haftarah) (verbal tallying)
  • Translation Targum (becomes homilies)
  • Homilies stringing texts together (pearls) a
    text, interpreting another text, interpreting
    another text. Back to the first text.
    (eventually written down Midrash)

13
Pharisees Explicit Views Of Scripture
  • to recite or read Torah being in the Presence
    Shekinah GD where two or three are gathered
    and exchange words of Torah the Shekinah is with
    them.
  • thus Torah surrogate of the Temple
  • taking the yoke of Torah taking the yoke of
    Heaven GD
  • Torah GIFT from God water (gratis, priceless,
    brings life)
  • Torah Rejoice the heart like wine warm fire
    a spouse

14
Early Rabbinic/Pharisees Synagogue Haggadic
interpretations
  • Some Hermeneutical principles
  • 1) Everything is meaningful in Scripture
  • 2) Scripture is to be explained by Scripture
  • 3) Synthetic view of scripture and of sacred
    history/ telescoping There is no before and
    after in scripture (one of 32 middoth rules)
    ex nights of creation, of Abraham (covenant,
    Gen 15), of Aqedah (sacrifice of Isaac), of
    Passover, eschatological night of Messiah
  • sacred history is closed God acted/revealed in
    the past, the sacred past of sacred history will
    act/reveal in the future in between there is no
    new revelation Everything is revealed on Mt Sinai

15
Early Rabbinic/Pharisees Synagogue Liturgical
Haggadah Story
  • All liturgy scripture participating in
    liturgy (prayers, songs, readings,
    translations/targums, homilies) entering
    Scripture
  • Entering Torah being constituted as the people
    of God
  • example of Passover Seder we went out of
    Egypt
  • We are the people of Israel described in
    Scripture

16
Early Rabbinic/Pharisees Covenant
  • COVENANT
  • 1) Gods intervention, redemption from slavery
    election haggadah (past)
  • b) Vocation people of priest for the nations
    haggadah sanctification of the Name
  • C) Law how to walk halakah

17
Early Rabbinic/Pharisees School Halakah
Sanctification of the Name
  • Law how to walk halakah
  • Oral Torah living tradition harmonize Torah
    and life
  • Beyond the written Biblical Text (as Torah was
    with God, before the creation)
  • Gezeroth teaching independent from Scripture
  • Takkanoth teaching radically changing the
    teaching of Torah Prosbul of Hillel
  • Goal (vocation) Sanctification of the Name
    (Hallowed be Thy Name) Bringing other people to
    glorify God

18
Early Rabbinic/Pharisees School Halakah
Sanctification of the Name
  • Making a fence around (the laws of) Torah
  • Always changing and growing tradition Mishnah,
    Talmud reinterpreted in terms of the new
    situations in life
  • Here Revelation, Scripture open on going
    discerning what is Gods will how to sanctify
    the name today
  • Being faithful adapting, changing

19
COVENANT (Exodus 19 20) as Hermeneutical/Theolog
ical Frame
  • For Pharisees and Rabbis (and Paul as a Pharisee)
  • 1) Election (as the Chosen People of God) Gods
    freeing the People from bondage saved from
    bondage done closed revelation
  • 2) Vocation (to be a people of priests
    Sanctification of the Name) closed revelation
  • 3) Law Way to walk How to fulfill this
    vocation (to sanctify the Name) open always new
    ways for new contexts (inculturation)

20
Scripture Family Album
  • How does this text help believers recognize that
    they have been Chosen, Elected, as people of God?
    Gospel good news of this election of both Jews
    and Gentiles. How is this text expressing the
    STORY of the people of God, and invite people to
    participate in the body of Christ? Rom 1-11
  • How does this text/STORY help believers recognize
    their Vocation (to be a people of priests
    Sanctification of the Name)? Rom 1-11
  • Then (and only then) How is this text telling us
    the Law Way to walk How to fulfill this
    vocation (to sanctify the Name) open always new
    ways for new contexts (inculturation) Rom 12-16

21
Teaching for Believers of ROM 126-27 Family
Album (Pastoral)
  • Read as part of the story of Pauls
    interactions with his readers in Rome
  • Rhetoric
  • Read not by the verses themselves, but as part of
    a discourse So read at least 116-21
  • Rhetorical sting against those who condemned
    those listed earlier
  • Romans 21-3 21 Therefore you have no excuse,
    whoever you are, when you judge others for in
    passing judgment on another you condemn yourself,
    because you, the judge, are doing the very same
    things. 2 You say, "We know that God's judgment
    on those who do such things is in accordance with
    truth." 3 Do you imagine, whoever you are, that
    when you judge those who do such things and yet
    do them yourself, you will escape the judgment of
    God?

22
Teaching for Believers of ROM 126-27 Family
Album (Pastoral)
  • Homoeroticism is a sin among other sins.
    Homosexual sinners who struggle to overcome with
    their sin (as other people struggle with their
    own sins) should view themselves, and be
    accepted, as full fledged members of the people
    of God like everybody else, recovering sinners,
    they need forgiveness. Love the sinners
    (homosexuals), but hate the sin.
  • Richard Hays, Balz, Ridderbos, Strecker, Van de
    Spijker
  • Contextual Problem Lack of FAITH/VISION of ones
    identity as members of Gods family when
    homosexual.
  • Analytical Frame Rom 1 26-27 as part of a
    rhetorical sting (see 21-2). read together with
    116--331 (all are sinners) (Greco-Roman
    Diatribe Prosopopeia speech in character
    dialogue with a presupposed personage.
  • Essential to note how 126-27 is set in the
    rhetoric of the letter.

23
Teaching for Believers of ROM 126-27 Good News
(Pastoral)
  • Good news for homosexuals they are, without
    pre-conditions, fully accepted and loved by God,
  • Good news for other believers welcome
    homosexuals without conditions--with the
    conviction that Gods love transforms all people
    in rebellion against God into a new creation by
    contrast with society which ostracizes
    homosexuals. (George Edwards)
  • Contextual Problem Lack of knowledge of Gods
    love for homosexuals (or lack of Will to welcome
    others)
  • Analytical Frame Rom 1 26-27 read together
    with 116--521 (58, 10).
  • Essential to recognize that 126-27 is part of
    the good news as the power of God for salvation
    of transformation to everyone who believes

24
Apocalyptic people e.g. Qumran(DPs Early
Jewish Hermeneutics, 1975)
  • Apocalyptic New Covenant (people still in
    bondage)
  • 1) Election God is electing, choosing a
    remnant/a new faithful people new interventions
    of God
  • Typology Prophecy are fulfilled
  • Haggadah story Open sacred history, ongoing
    activity of God , establishing and reestablishing
    the covenant through choosing/calling a new
    people, through interventions of power
  • 2) Vocation bringing glory to God
    Sanctification of the Name
  • 3) Law Halakah Very strict AS BY PRIESTS IN
    THE TEMPLE because God is always present in Daily
    Life

25
Scripture Promise, Prophecy,
  • Pointing to fulfillment of the promises in the
    past
  • As new promises of fulfillment in the future
  • CORRECTIVE GLASSES
  • Empowering word (needed since we still are in
    bondage)

26
Teaching of ROM 126-27 Corrective Glasses a
detour (Messianic)
  • 114 I am a debtor I am obligated to Greeks
    and Barbarians, wise and foolish
  • Forensic Paul's obligation what Paul MUST do
    because of his indebtedness to Christ
    obedience of faith
  • Pastoral/New Perspective same but now
    inclusive obligation toward all people, as
    Christ died for all toward those without honor
    shameful as Christs death was shameful, as
    well as to people with honor
  • .Messianic/Apocalyptic Indebtedness to the
    Greeks and Barbarians, etc SENSE OF GRATITUDE
    for gifts received from Greeks and barbarians,
    wise and foolish Indebted because he
    recognized he has received something from all of
    them???? Yet literal reading (Liddell-Scott
    Lexicon) . More later

27
Teaching of ROM 126-27 Corrective Glasses
Prophetic word (Messianic)
  • Homosexual sinners have a prophetic Word of God
    for those of us who are not homosexuals.
  • As barbarians and foolish had gifts that Paul
    received
  • 126-27 Homosexual sinners like heterosexual
    sinners (adultery is mentioned 5 times,
    beginning in 222), robbers, racists, or
    self-righteous i.e. people with destructive
    behaviors (self-destructive or destroying
    relationship with others and in community)--are
    all IDOLATERS.
  • Here the description in 126-27 is read as a
    destructive behavior e.g., pederasty (Scroggs,
    Abraham Smith) which could be replaced by
    abusive heterosexual behaviors
  • Idolaters turn a true revelation that one has
    (119-22) into an absolute (123) thus despite
    their idolatry they have a true revelation from
    God which we need to receive from them. The
    very revelation that became destructive by being
    absolutized (transformed into an idol) is word
    of God for us. This is why Paul is indebted to
    barbarians!

28
Teaching of ROM 126-27 Corrective Glasses
Prophetic word (Messianic)
  • Contextual Problem Lack of vision to see their
    lives/experiences with the eyes of faith,
    discerning in the midst of evil what is good and
    acceptable and perfect (Rom. 122) and what God
    is doing. Being blind, being futile in
    thinking, having senseless darkened minds
    (121).
  • Not recognizing evil/sin when it is present
    seeing evil/sin where it is not present not
    recognizing Gods servants not recognizing
    manifestations of the divine.
  • Analytical Frame Rom 1 26-27 read in the
    context of 118-32 and together with 71-25
    Essential to recognize that 126-27 is part of a
    text about idolatry and its consequences.
  • it uses culture-specific categories, very
    different from present Western and scientific
    categories. (Corley and Torjesen, Countryman,
    Furnish, Hart, Kähler, Lance, Martin, Stegemann).

29
Teaching for Believers of ROM 126-27 Holy Bible
(Messianic)
  • The Teaching of this Text for Christian
    Believers. (Step 1) For me, this passage teaches
    Christian believers both to denounce destructive
    passion-filled homosexuality as idolatrous and to
    discern and affirm what is good and acceptable
    and perfect in homosexual relations.
  • My formulation of this teaching paraphrases Rom
    122, Do not be conformed to this world, but be
    transformed by the renewing of your minds, so
    that you may discern what is the will of God
    what is good and acceptable and perfect.

30
Teaching for Believers of ROM 126-27 Holy Bible
(Messianic)
  • A mystery (it will not make sense!) Teaching
    for heterosexuals The goose bumps experience
    of discovering that we, heterosexual believers,
    should expect to find Christ among homosexuals
    and other people we are ready to ostracize or
    crucify (21).
  • As we will see for the Messianic interpretation,
    Christ-like persons for us are persons we want to
    crucify, ostracize, despise, reject, because we
    see them as sinful
  • Christ was crucified because he was viewed as
    sinful (as cursed by God, Gal 313 as low and
    despised, 1 Cor 127-28 as appearing sinful, 2
    Cor 521 Rom 83) Consider homosexuals as Christ
    for us, as better than ourselves (Phil 23)

31
Teaching for Believers of ROM 126-27 Holy Bible
(Messianic)
  • A mystery for heterosexuals The goose bumps
    question is Since, without any foundation, we
    readily ostracize (crucify!) homosexuals as
    sinners, could it be that they (some of them) are
    Christ for us? (Hornsby, Patte, Siker)
  • A mystery for homosexuals
  • Contextual Problem Lack of FAITH/VISION
    failing to recognize Christ among us
  • Analytical Frame Rom 1 26-27 Essential to
    recognize that 126-27 is part of a discourse
    through which Paul seeks to share his experience
    of the resurrected Christ

32
Questions?
33
(No Transcript)
34
The righteousness/justice of God and the
gospel as the power of God for salvation to
everyone who has faith
  • Leader __Murielle Wyman Vs Moo)
  • Leader 2 Julianne Snape Vs Jewett)
  • Iris Ankrom
  • Julie Carli
  • Jonathan Baynham
  • Derek Axelson
  • Jason Jones

35
Homosexuality
  • Leader Amy Lentz (vs Moo)
  • Leader 2 Karney Carney (vs Byrne)
  • Jeremy Snow
  • Madeleine St Marie
  • Ross Stackhouse
  • Steve Staggs
  • Arden Henderson

36
The righteousness/justice of God
  • Forensic. A) Characteristic of God as a
    righteous just judge, who condemns the
    unrighteous or justifies B) the righteous moral
    life and right relationship to God we should
    have given to believers through faith
  • of God Objective genitive. Righteousness/Justice
    holiness which characterizes God (Cranfield
    Schlier)
  • Pastoral/New Perspective. A) just, holy, loving
    act of God (Gods justice is manifested in
    history of Israel and of Jesus through the
    covenant and new covenant that he freely offered)
    that humans should emulate in their lives with
    others (manifesting the just, holy, loving rule
    of God)
  • Of God Subjective genitive the justice which
    God performs as subject (includes Dunn, 166
    Jewett, etc. since Schlatter)

37
The righteousness/justice of God
  • Forensic. A) Characteristic of God as a
    righteous just judge, who condemns the
    unrighteous or justifies of God Objective
    genitive.
  • Pastoral/New Perspective. A just, holy, loving
    act of God (Gods justice manifested in history
    of Israel and of Jesus through the covenant and
    new covenant that he freely offered) Of God
    Subjective genitive the justice which God
    performs
  • Messianic/Apocalyptic Justice as the kind of
    right/just relationship that God wants to and
    does establish among people believers, including
    oppressed powerless people, can experience it
    now they are empowered by the gospel and can see
    through faith manifestations of Gods justice and
    kingdom.
  • Of God Subjective genitive the justice which
    God performs

38
I am not ashamed of the GospelTheological
Forensic Reading
  • an emphatic I confess the gospel I affirm
    the truth of the gospel (I am mighty proud of
    the gospel) Michel, Barrett, Stuhlmacher (28)
    and others
  • a negative formulation of I confess (like
    Mark 838 Those who are ashamed of me and of my
    words. . . of them the Son of Man will also be
    ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father
    with the holy angels").
  • What Paul confesses the truth of the content of
    the Gospel revealed to him when he was set apart
    for it (11-4), he is not ashamed of preaching
    it.
  • (Part of the defense of the truth of the gospel,
    that Romans is. His gospel and his person are
    slandered all the way to Rome (cf. 38) Paul
    will not give in to this criticism (PS, 28))

39
I am not ashamed of the GospelPastoral Reading
  • For Paul, the shameful issue of the letter is
    the gospel itself, which proclaimed Christ
    crucified and resurrected. Although the word
    cross is absent in Romans and the verb
    crucified appears only once (Rom 66), it is
    clear from 1 Cor 22 that Paul assumed the gospel
    was the message about Jesus Christ and him
    crucified. . . . , the gospel that Paul hopes to
    proclaim in Rome and thereafter in Spain was
    innately shameful as far as Mediterranean
    cultures were concerned.
  • The message about a redeemer being crucified was
    a "stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to
    Gentiles" (1 Cor 123). . . There were deeply
    engrained social reasons why Paul should have
    been ashamed to proclaim such a gospel
  • his claim not to be ashamed signals that a social
    and ideological revolution has been inaugurated
    by the gospel.
  • Jewett, Romans. Hermeneia Commentary
    (forthcoming), on Rom 116 DPs emphasis New
    Perspective/Pastoral Reading

40
I am not ashamed of the GospelApocalyptic/Messian
ic Reading
  • an emphatic I confess the gospel I testify
    to the manifestation of the gospel
  • I confess the gospel as power of God precisely
    because it manifests the power of God, I do not
    fear to confess it it does not shame me I am
    mighty proud of it. (Byrne, 51).
  • This is related to Käsemanns interpretation
    which insist that this phrase means that Paul
    confesses, testifies to Gods declaration of
    salvation to the world, which is outside human
    control, independent even of the church and its
    ministers, and which constantly becomes a reality
    itself in proclamation of the power of the
    Spirit Paul is not ashamed of the gospel,
    because it is the power of God (Käsemann,
    21-22). Messianic/Apocalyptic Reading

41
Greeks and Barbarians Forensic
  • Use of these terms shows that Paul accepts this
    stereotypical division of the world in the Roman
    Empire
  • And use it here as an alternative to the
    description of his mission to Gentiles all
    Gentiles. (see Minear, on indebtedness) We
    must serve every one including the gentiles who
    ever they might be those viewed as not worthy
    (by the Jews)

42
Greeks and Barbarians Pastoral
  • Paul accepts this stereotypical division of the
    world in the Roman Empire
  • Jewett is quoted a stereotypical formula in
    which "Greeks" are typically mentioned first and
    "Barbarians" second. In the bilingual context of
    Rome, "Greek" means "Greco-Roman" while
    "Barbarian" refers to alien tribes who cannot
    speak Greek or Latin and are uncultured, wild,
    crude, fierce, and, in a basic sense,
    uncivilized.
  • Particularly relevant to Paul's letter that
    prepared the way for a mission to Spain is that
    the Spaniards were viewed as Barbarians par
    excellence because so large a proportion
    continued to resist Roman rule. .Paul conveys
    the sweeping inclusivity of the gospel of Christ
    crucified for all
  • Paul here challenges the Honor/shame system a
    new sense of inclusive community, honor and
    shame have changed

43
Greeks and Barbarians Messianic/Apocalyptic
  • Greeks and Barbarians
  • Use of these terms shows that Paul is
    challenging the Roman ideology (see Neil Elliot)
  • (Jewetts comments/evidence are relevant though
    he concludes something else) Imperial The
    triumph of Rome over the Barbarians was
    celebrated in public art and monuments, in
    victory parades, in the gladiatorial games, and
    on coins that reveal that this antithesis was
    basic to the imperial worldview.Yves Albert Dauge
    shows that from the second century BCE to the
    fifth century CE, the Romans viewed Barbarians as
    inherently "inhuman, ferocious, arrogant, weak,
    warlike, discordant. . . unstable, etc.
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