'Works of the Law' at Qumran and in Paul

'Works of the Law' at Qumran and in Paul
Author: Jacqueline C. R. De Roo
Publisher: Sheffield Phoenix Press Limited
Total Pages: 304
Release: 2007
Genre: Religion
ISBN:

The phrase 'works of the law' occurs only in the Dead Sea Scrolls and in Paul, but it has a different connotation in each corpus. At Qumran, the 'works of the law' are deeds of obedience to God's law, and are ultimately inspired by God. They function as a means of atonement, whether for the individual who performs them or for the sins of others. For Paul, on the other hand, the 'works of the law' are quintessentially the works of Abraham. Though they are indeed good deeds, Abraham himself was a sinful man, and so his deeds could not make atonement for himself or for others. In fact, Paul is reacting against the idea of Abraham as a redeemer figure that was held by some of his contemporaries. The phrase 'works of the law' thus takes on a negative coloration in Paul, as a deceptively false means of salvation. Against Qumran, Paul's position is that justification must be effected 'apart from works of the law', and thus by Jesus Christ. Abraham is no 'second Adam', as some were thinking, and his good deeds, epitomized in his sacrifice of Isaac, had no atoning value. This closely reasoned study makes an important contribution to the study of New Testament theology; it undertakes to settle some long-standing debates about Paul's soteriology by proposing an alternative both to traditional interpretation of Paul and to the 'New Perspective on Paul'.

The New Perspective on Paul

The New Perspective on Paul
Author: James D.G. Dunn
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Total Pages: 552
Release: 2008
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0802845622

[(The New Perspective on Paul)] [By (author) James D G Dunn] published on (January, 2008) by James D G Dunn (2008).

The Bible at Qumran

The Bible at Qumran
Author: Tae Hun Kim
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Total Pages: 286
Release: 2001-03-26
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780802846303

This new volume in the Studies in the Dead Sea Scrolls and Related Literature series explores two principal themes: the text and shape of the "Bible" at Qumran and the interpretation of these scriptures by the Qumran community and other ancient Jews. Written by leading scholars in the field, these informed studies make an important contribution to our understanding of these two pivotal topics.

The End of the Law

The End of the Law
Author: Jason C. Meyer
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
Total Pages: 354
Release: 2009
Genre: Bibles
ISBN: 080544842X

A study of Paul's theology in the Bible, focusing on his view of the old covenant God made with Israel and the new covenant Jesus announced at the Last Supper.

Paul and his Opponents

Paul and his Opponents
Author: Stanley E. Porter
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 272
Release: 2005-11-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9047416074

Who were Paul's opponents? Were they one or were they many, depending upon the church concerned? These questions continue to be of interest to Pauline and other New Testament scholars, and are addressed in this volume of collected essays. Some of the essays are on specific books, such as Galatians, the Corinthian letters and Romans, while others treat broader issues in Paul's world.

Faith in Jesus and Paul

Faith in Jesus and Paul
Author: Maureen W. Yeung
Publisher: Mohr Siebeck
Total Pages: 368
Release: 2002
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9783161477379

For the hundred years since W. Wrede ( Paulus, 1904) made the provocative claim that Paul should rightly be regarded as 'the second founder of Christianity', scholars have debated vigorously on the relationship between Jesus and Paul. Past studies on the Jesus-Paul debate have largely been confined to either the literary or the theological level. This study looks at the issue afresh by combining the historical and the theological approaches. The discussion focuses on the issue of faith, paying special attention to two groups of Jesus' sayings ('Faith that can remove mountains' and 'Your Faith has healed/saved you') and Paul's use of Gen. 15:6 and Hab. 2:4. The distinctive methodology of this study is to compare Jesus and Paul against the backdrops of the Jewish biblical tradition and Hellenistic parallels. The picture of the Jesus-Paul relationship that emerges is a most complex one. To a great extent the similarity between Jesus and Paul is due to their common Jewish heritage. The early Church plays a part in influencing Paul's concept of faith and Paul himself reinterprets the Jewish Scriptures in an innovative manner. At the same time, Paul is found to be greatly indebted to Jesus for his concept of faith. The method of placing Jesus and Paul against the Jewish and Hellenistic backgrounds permits a fuller appreciation of the historical and theological continuities between Jesus and Paul than has hitherto been possible.

Paul Was Not a Christian

Paul Was Not a Christian
Author: Pamela Eisenbaum
Publisher: Harper Collins
Total Pages: 339
Release: 2009-11-19
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0061990205

Pamela Eisenbaum, an expert on early Christianity, reveals the true nature of the historical Paul in Paul Was Not a Christian. She explores the idea of Paul not as the founder of a new Christian religion, but as a devout Jew who believed Jesus was the Christ who would unite Jews and Gentiles and fulfill God’s universal plan for humanity. Eisenbaum’s work in Paul Was Not a Christian will have a profound impact on the way many Christians approach evangelism and how to better follow Jesus’s—and Paul’s—teachings on how to live faithfully today.

Sorting Out Paul

Sorting Out Paul
Author: Chris Albert Wells
Publisher: Strategic Book Publishing & Rights Agency
Total Pages: 350
Release: 2015-07-08
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 163135759X

This book provides the basis for revising early Roman church history. The second-century confrontations that structured the church were symbolized by Peter, representing the church’s initial Judean legacies, and by Paul signifying the Hellenistic theology. Paul is a key actor whose role cannot be correctly understood without separating the first-century man from his second-century legend. Historical Paul brought to Gentiles a new salvation promise in the name of Jesus, Son of Israel’s Creator God. Legendary Paul belonged to a Christianity that radically departed from the original matrix. Paul posthumously became an apostle to the second-century Hellenistic “heretics” under Marcion’s guidance who rejected the Messiah’s Judean legacy. The “centrist” Christian group, challenged by Marcion, used Peter’s primacy to defend their cause. Winning an important political battle, centrists created a wide anti-heretical front and established the church’s primary Judean orthodoxy. Paul losing the keys to Peter but finally occupying a third of the New Testament resumes the agitated history of the early Roman Church. It comprises an initial layer of Judean-influenced orthodoxy Paul rejected as the least of the apostles, completed by a second layer of Hellenistic-inspired orthodoxy, Paul rehabilitated. The continuing confrontations between Peter and Paul produced important texts, influenced the Gospels, made the church evolve, and falsified church history by introducing traditions that still confuse Christians. Understanding the political battles involved in establishing the Roman Church will help in reading all the texts that went into the Christian Bible with their conflicting ideals.

Romans 4 and the New Perspective on Paul

Romans 4 and the New Perspective on Paul
Author: Gerhard H. Visscher
Publisher: Peter Lang
Total Pages: 284
Release: 2009
Genre: Bibles
ISBN: 9781433105371

In addition to examining Romans IV, includes discussion of writings supporting and opposing the New Perspective position.