https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/downloads/sb3978970

Reconstructing Israel: Restoration Eschatology in Early Judaism and Paul's Gentile Mission

PERSECUTION AND COSMIC CONFLICT IN GALATIANS Joshua Caleb Hutchens, Ph.D. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2018 Chair: Dr. Thomas R. Schreiner This dissertation argues that persecution in Galatians manifests the cosmic conflict between God and the present evil age. Chapter 1 introduces the reader to the topic of persecution in Galatians and the history of research. Chapter 2 demonstrates that Paul uses the theme of cosmic conflict to place the crisis in Galatia within a broader context of a conflict between God who has inaugurated the new creation within the present time and this present evil age. Chapters 3–4 examine Paul’s theological context. Chapter 3 investigates a theme of cosmic conflict in Genesis, Psalms, Isaiah, and Habakkuk. Chapter 4 examines the theme in other early Jewish texts (Daniel; 1 Enoch; 4 Ezra; 2 Baruch; Jubilees; 1 Maccabees; 2 Maccabees; 4 Maccabees; 1QS; CD; 1QM). This survey reveals that Paul’s iteration of the theme possesses continuity and discontinuity with other authors. Chapter 5 offers a historical reconstruction of the instances of persecution mentioned in Galatians. Four instances of persecution in Galatians are examined: (1) Paul the Persecutor (1:13, 23). (2) Paul the Persecuted (3:1; 4:13, 19; 5:11; 6:17) (3) The Opponents as Potential Targets (6:12) (4) The Persecution of the Galatians (3:4; 4:17–18, 29). Paul uses the theme of persecution to reshape the perception of the Galatian believers and to reveal the danger of the false gospel preached by his opponents. Chapter 6 identifies persecution as a specific manifestation of the cosmic conflict between God and this present evil age. Galatians 4:29 directly connects the phenomenon of persecution with the broader cosmic conflict. Paul does so by identifying typology in Genesis 21:9. In light of this understanding of Paul’s use of Genesis, other significant passages on persecution in Galatians are reexamined to see how they fit within a cosmic conflict reading: 1:13, 23; 3:4; 5:11; 6:12, 17. In conclusion, chapter 7 offers three possible results of Paul’s understanding of persecution as cosmic conflict. It then examines the significance of the thesis for global Christianity today.

Persecution and Cosmic Conflict in Galatians

The Ancient Synagogue: The First Thousand Years: Levine, Lee I.: New Haven: Yale University Press, 608 pp., Publication Date: June 1999

Although being a key statement in dealing with the controversy over the law and faith, Paul’s declaration about ‘dying to the law, living by faith’ in Gal. 2:19–20 has not been properly interpreted within the literary, social-historical context nor in relation to the before-mentioned controversy. In this study, Gal. 2:19–20 was re-interpreted as part of Paul’s autobiographical narrative, considering the social-historical context, i.e. the first century Jewish pilgrimage. Based on the antithetical structure between the present worldly empire and the empire of God which runs through the whole letter of Galatians, it was shown that Jesus’ followers in those days were under social pressure to submit to the order of the present worldly empire, i.e. first century Judaism with the Jerusalem Temple at its centre. Some of the Jesus’ followers (including Peter) gave in to this social pressure, and this led to the crisis in Galatia. Against this background, the researcher argued that the letter to the Galatians should be read from the perspective of an orthodox monotheistic Jew with a new awakening that God’s forgiveness and acceptance is now mediated by Jesus Christ, not by the Jerusalem Temple and its priests. It was shown that the whole letter to the Galatians, especially Paul’s autobiographical narrative, is orbiting around the controversy over the Jerusalem Temple and Jesus Christ as the new temple. With this context, the research argued that the letter to the Galatians can be better understood with the motif of pilgrimage, which was one of the most important rituals of the existing world order, i.e. first century Judaism. Based on the researcher’s definition of pilgrimage, ‘journey to the centre’, ‘journey to the past’ and ‘journey to the presence of God’, the first century Jewish pilgrimage was re-examined in this study, and then Galatians was reread from the pilgrimage perspective: Clarifying that the present Jerusalem was not the mother-city (pilgrimage centre) of Jesus’ followers, and that the law of first century Judaism should not be identified with the law of God, Paul urges the Galatian believers who were delivered from the present evil empire, to make a pilgrimage to the presence of God in the heavenly Jerusalem, following the examples of the pilgrims who preceded them: Abraham, Paul himself and most significantly, Jesus Christ. Paul’s personal confession, ‘dying to the law, living by faith’ was also re-interpreted within this context. Paul’s dying to the law was understood as his departure from the external worship and life according to the law of first century Judaism. However, ‘dying to the law’ must be understood in relation to the other side of the coin, ‘living by faith’. Paul’s present life which is characterized by ‘being crucified with Christ’, ‘life led by Christ’ and ‘living by faith in Christ’ was, in fact, Paul’s pilgrimage, singing the way of Christ, walking in the law of Christ. Following Christ who made the journey from the highest place to the lowest of the cross to offer his body in order that sinners may be forgiven and restored as the people of God, Paul is making his pilgrimage, which is characterized by persecution and crucifixion, in order to lead the Gentile sinners to the presence of God. Gal. 2:19–20 is Paul’s song to invite the Galatian believers, and ultimately all believers, to participate in the pilgrimage of Christ, which leads us to the lowest place of the cross, and eventually to the presence of God. iii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za

Pilgrimage as singing and walking in the way of the law of Christ : interpreting 'dying to the law' in Gal. 2:19

PRIMEVAL HISTORY ACCORDING TO PAUL: “IN ADAM” AND “IN CHRIST” IN ROMANS Timothy A. Gabrielson, B.S., B.S., M.A. Marquette University, 2016 Paul’s comparison of Adam and Christ in Rom 5:12–21 is among the most influential doctrines in the Bible and Christian theology. Often it has been used to summarize God’s purposes in creation and redemption, from humanity’s “fall” in Adam to its restoration in Christ. In the past several decades, however, it has increasingly been seen as provisional and functional because the Jewish writings used to support it have now been dated after the apostle’s lifetime. This study retrieves the traditional position, but does so by appeal to different corpora of Jewish texts, those that are prior or contemporary to Paul. After considering the most prominent interpretations of Rom 5 over the past century, and the increasing questions surrounding it, I argue that it is hard to explain Paul’s interest in the comparison and the rhetoric of Romans without the presence of underlying Adamic traditions. Turning to Greco-Roman Jewish thought about primeval history, I organize the traditions into a fivefold taxonomy: Adam as (1) the head of humanity, a (2) paradigmatic pattern and (3) moral warning, as well as a (4) bearer of disaster and (5) glorious figure. Of these, the first, fourth, and fifth are relevant for Rom 5. To combine these three, I propose a construct called “participatory domains” wherein a single figure, a heavenly or earthly patron, rules over a people and their destinies are intertwined. I then apply this construct to Romans, particularly the Adam-Christ typology, to demonstrate that it solves longstanding riddles within the text and provides a cohesive account of the letter as a whole. Insofar as the proposal is satisfactory, it holds a number of consequences for Christian theology and Pauline studies.

/pdf/primeval-history-according-to-paul-in-adam-and-in-christ-in-2ckmxeamls.pdf

Primeval History According to Paul: "In Adam" and "In Christ" in Romans

The importance of the quotation of Isa 54.1 in Gal 4.27 for understanding Paul's allegorical reading of the story of Sarah and Hagar (Gen 16-21) in Gal 4.21-5.1 has often been underestimated. Paul uses this quotation to give his interpretation of this story an eschatological dimension that, unlike the eschatology of Second Isaiah, is both profoundly christological and apocalyptic. © 2004 Cambridge University Press.

https://research.vu.nl/ws/files/1979232/169815.pdf

Paul's Quotation of Isaiah 54.1 in Galatians 4.27

Apocalyptic Paul: Cosmos and Anthropos in Romans 5-8

John 1.1–5 constitutes the original Prologue to the Fourth Gospel. This passage can still be read as functioning in this way.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0028688515000181

Martinus C. de Boer

Papers

Paul's Quotation of Isaiah 54.1 in Galatians 4.27

Apocalyptic Paul: Cosmos and Anthropos in Romans 5-8

The Original Prologue to the Gospel of John

Paul's Mythologizing Program in Romans 5-8

Apocalyptic as God's Eschatological Activity in Paul's Theology