Paul the Apostle, His Life Letters and Thought– Part Thirty Five

Last updated on: March 3, 2017 at 1:20 am by Ben Witherington

Paul the Apostle, His Life Letters and Thought– Part Thirty Five 2017-01-17T21:25:37-05:00 Ben Witherington

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

p. 530—Sanders takes Gal. 3.19 to mean that the Law was given to create transgression, based on what Paul says in Rom. 4.15; 5.13; 5.20. [But the verse could mean that the Law was given on account of sin (to contain it). The Romans passages suggest that the Law turns sin into transgression, and especially in Rom. 5 Paul makes clear that Paul means that the effect of the Law on sinners is not the same as the purpose of the good Law. The effect was condemnation turning sin into transgression. 3.22 does say that the Scripture has imprisoned all things under sins power. cf. Rom. 11.32— God has imprisoned all people in disobedience so that he might have mercy on all.] Paul is not saying God wanted people to sin, he is saying the Law has the effecting of confining fallen people, imprisoning them in their disobedience.

p. 531— Sanders says The Law preceded Christ by making everyone sinners, and thereby making necessary the coming of Christ. [But it wasn’t the Law that made people sinners, it was Adam as Rom. 5 says. The Law just made things worse for sinners]. Cf. the various hina or purpose clauses which reveal God’s purpose cf. 1.16; 2.16; 2.19; 3.13-14; 3.22; 3.24; 4.5.

p. 532— “Here Paul is being a theologian, not a debater. The law is an important part of God’s plan, and if it condemns, that is also part of the plan. The condemnation is intended to lead up to Christians receiving sonship in Christ.” What about all those from Adam to Christ— can they be saved? Paul doesn’t answer here. Sanders argues that 1 Pet. 3.18-20 Mt. 27.52-53 suggest answers, with the former text being understood to mean Christ going to the lost in hell and preaching to them. [But that is not the meaning of 1 Pet. 3.18-20 which has to do with bad angels in Tartarus].

p. 533— Sanders thinks Paul says the law is given to keep people in bondage until Christ came. [I would say it was intended to keep people in line, to confine them and limit their actions.]

Sanders takes the remark about the law being ordained through angels to be negative remark about the Law simply given in the heat of the moment. [But this is an unnecessary conclusion . Paul is not denigrating the Law here. Angels were thought in Judaism to give the oral Torah which was seen as good and from God].

p. 534– Sanders takes the paidagogos reference to be to the slave child-minder that keeps junior in line and walks him back and forth to school until he comes of age. This is correct. The translation teacher would be wrong, though the paidagogos could help with homework recitation. The point is to keep junior in line and on task until they could be righteoused by faith. [Again this is not a negative comment on the Law, just showing its limited purpose. It could not give life, but it could tell you what to do and not do].

p. 535— Faith leads not just to being righteoused, but to a higher category, being in union with the Son of God. Since Christ is the heir or seed of Abraham, those who are in Christ are inheritors of the promises to Abraham. The passages between 3.6-22 are arguments in favor of viewing faith in Christ as the sole condition for inclusion in the in group. He thinks Paul needs to belittle the Law in light of his opposition’s use of it [but this is not clear].

p. 536— Gal. 3.6-29 is according to Sanders a wonderful argument, his favorite in the whole world. The effect of the argument is that the Law has a negative function in the divine economy [not negative, limited, like the role of the paidagogos], and in any case cannot provide salvation like Christ can (which is the truth).

He thinks the answer to why Paul opposes the Law here [which he doesn’t do, he limits its function] is that in Paul’s view God intended to save people a different way— faith in Christ. The law can’t do this so it should not be imposed on Gentiles.

p. 537—Paul’s arguments are one thing, his reason is another— all along God intended to save people by Christ, and therefore the Law must have had another function (reasoning backwards from solution to plight as Sanders once argued). “His conclusion [God intended the law negatively to lead to righteousness by faith] expresses his conviction, his reason for opposing circumcision of his converts[i.e. it doesn’t save or help], but his arguments are simply tactics to persuade his readers to his conclusion.”

p. 538— Probably Paul took the same view as the opponents were now taking when he persecuted Christians.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

March 2, 2017

Paul the Apostle, His Life Letters and Thought-- Part Thirty Four

Next Post

March 3, 2017 Logan on the Run

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz