Abstract:

This is a sustained detailed study of one central Pauline text Gal 2.15-21. The passage contains several key Pauline terms and motifs which require interpretation, such as ‘sinners’, works of law and Law, faith of/in Christ, justification/righteousness, dying to law and living to God, co-crucifixion with Christ, several of which have become issues of considerable dispute in recent years. In order to prepare the ground for the main study on 2.15-21, Chapter 2 deals with three preliminary issues: what is the relationship between the Antioch episode and 2.15-21; what was the fundamental crisis at Antioch that called for Paul’s theological response; and what is the more recent crisis in the Galatian churches, and how does this passage relate to the problem of Gentile Christians. Chapters 3-7 then deal with Paul’s argumentation in 2.15-21. Since the flow of argument and the inter-relationship between individual phrases and sentences is complex and difficult to determine, the study seeks to follow Paul’s argument carefully, both theologically and grammatically. The general pattern involving pi yevovro in Paul’s argumentation has turned out to be helpful in determining the function of 2.18 and 2.19-20 in relation to his rejection of the inference that ‘Christ is a minister of sin’ at 2.17c. Attempts are also made not only to understand what Paul is arguing for, but also why he so argues, the real reason underlying his basic conviction regarding and argumentation on behalf of ‘the truth of the gospel’. On this we find the Gentile factor plays a crucial role both in Paul’s mission and in his theological thinking. Chapter 8 is the summary and conclusions.

Details:
Date: 2000年初版
Page: 360頁
Price: HK$230（精裝）