The Church according to Paul: Rediscovering the Community Conformed to Christ
Language: English
Pages: 304
ISBN: 0801048826
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
A leading biblical scholar examines Paul's vision of community, offering guidance for reimagining the church in a post-Christian climate.
Community as a Professional Voluntary Association,” Journal of Biblical Literature 119 [2000]: 187) argues that “there are some indications in 1€Thessalonians that the community was composed primarily of men.” This conclusion is drawn from the fact that Paul (a)€addresses the community as adelphoi, (b)€does not mention women or children, and (c)€addresses only men in 1€Thess. 4:4. See also Lone Fatum, “‘Brotherhood in Christ’: A Gender Hermeneutical Reading of 1€Thessalonians,” in
they are (their ethical praxis).”85 The task of the siblings was to maintain the family honor, to “behave properly toward outsiders” (4:12). 86 Indeed, Paul’s frequent use of “one another” reflects the family relationship and the solidarity of the community.87 As siblings, they practice “brotherly love” (philadelphia), a word that was used in antiquity for love within a natural family, because they have been taught to “love one another” (4:9). The image of family also shapes the emergence of
her eat [the] bread of life, and drink your cup of blessing” (8:11).11 The sacred meal not only creates boundaries from others but also unites participants as partners (koinōnoi). Inasmuch as ancient people commonly associated meals with koinōnia, Paul can assume widespread agreement that meals establish community. Although the statement that the people of Israel are “partners [koinōnoi] in the altar” (10:18) has no basis in the Old Testament, the idea appears in Philo.12 Paul says that those who
legalistic is a Christian caricature.5 The Jewish teachers of Paul’s day maintained that God, having provided the means of atonement for those who did not keep the statutes of the law perfectly, is merciful toward those who fall short of perfect obedience. Thus although Luther found the answer to his own guilt in Paul’s doctrine of the righteousness of God, Paul never describes the righteousness of God as the answer to the individual’s guilty conscience. Paul employs the verb dikaioō (commonly
vain” (2€Cor. 6:2), he echoes the words of the servant: “I have labored in vain” (Isa. 49:4). Indeed, a common theme in Paul is the concern that his labor not be in vain (cf. Gal. 4:11; Phil. 2:16). 15.╯Roy E. Ciampa, “Paul’s Theology of the Gospel,” in Paul as Missionary: Identity, Activity, Theology, and Practice, ed. Trevor€J. Burke and Brian€S. Rosner, Library of New Testament Studies 420 (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 2011), 181. 16.╯Seyoon Kim, “Paul as an Eschatological Herald,” in Paul as