TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword.............................. v Table of contents.......................... vii Abbreviations............................ xv Bibliography............................ xix A. Tools and texts....................... xix B. Commentaries........................ xxii C. Studies............................ xxv GENERAL INTRODUCTION................... 1 1. The problem........................... 2 2. Why the Issue of a Theocentric Reading Arises?........ 3 3. Research Method and Tools................... 4 4. Outline of the Argument..................... 5 Chapter one STATUS QUAESTIONIS OF ROM 3:21-26: ISSUES OF EXE- GESIS................................ 7 1.1 Δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ: The History Of Interpretation....... 7 1.1.1 Anthropocentric Readings................ 9 1.1.2 Theocentric Readings.................. 11 1.1.3 Christocentric Readings................. 18 1.1.4 Concluding Remarks Concerning the Debate...... 19 1.2 The Debate on πίστις (Ἰησοῦ) Χριστοῦ........... 20 1.2.1 Subjective Genitive Readings.............. 21 1.2.2 Objective Genitive Readings.............. 24 1.2.3 Other Readings..................... 27 1.2.4 Concluding Remarks.................. 29 1.3 The Question of the Pre-Pauline Material in 3:24-26..... 29 1.3.1 Arguments for the Pre-Pauline Material........ 30 1.3.2 Arguments against the Pre-Pauline Material...... 33 1.4 A Brief Survey of Research on ἀπολύτρωσις......... 35 1.4.1 The Greco-Roman Background............. 35
VIII table of contents 1.4.2 The Scriptural Background............... 39 1.4.3 Need for Further Research............... 41 1.5 The Debate over ἱλαστήριον.................. 41 1.5.1 The Question of the Background............ 42 1.5.2 Mercy Seat........................ 44 1.5.3 Propitiation........................ 47 1.5.4 Expiation......................... 50 1.5.5 Critical Remarks..................... 52 1.6 The Dispute over πάρεσις................... 53 1.6.1 Πάρεσις in Relation to παρίημι............ 53 1.6.2 Πάρεσις as a Synonym of ἄφεσις........... 55 1.6.3 Πάρεσις as Incapacitation............... 58 Chapter Conclusion......................... 59 Chapter Two THE THEOCENTRICITY OF ROMANS 1-3........... 61 2.1 Previous Research on Paul s Understanding of God..... 62 2.1.1 A Neglected Area of Research............. 62 2.1.2 Recent Research in Paul s Understanding of God... 65 2.2 The Theocentricity of the Letter to the Romans........ 70 2.2.1 Purpose of Romans and the Question of God..... 70 2.2.2 A Survey of Data in Romans.............. 72 2.2.3 The Relationship between God and Christ....... 73 2.2.4 The Monotheistic Perspective and the Impartiality of God............................ 76 2.2.5 References to the Death of Jesus............ 79 2.2.6 Arguments Based on Scripture............. 81 2.3 Paul s Theocentric Argument in Romans 1-3......... 82 2.3.1 The Theme of Romans 1-3............... 83 2.3.1.1 The Problem of Anthropocentricity of Romans 2 86 2.3.1.2 The Function of Rom 3:1-8........... 88 2.3.1.3 God s Justice as the Central Theme....... 90 2.3.2 The Characterisation of God in Romans 1-3...... 92 2.3.2.1 Narrative Analysis of God s Characterisation in Romans 1-3................... 94 2.3.2.2 Relational Understanding of God........ 100 2.3.2.3 Paul s God-Centred Argument in Romans 1-3. 101 Conclusion............................. 103
table of contents IX Chapter Three ISSUES CONCERNING THE TEXT, SOURCES AND SYNTAX OF ROM 3:21-26.......................... 105 3.1 Delimiting the Pericope.................... 105 3.2 Text-Critical Issues of Rom 3:21-26 and the Theological Significance of the Variants.................... 110 3.2.1 Textual Variants in 3:22................ 111 3.2.1.1 Variant Readings of Ιησου Χριστου...... 111 3.2.1.2 Alternate Readings of εις παντας........ 113 3.2.2 Textual Variants in 3:25................ 116 3.2.2.1 The Article της: Omission or Addition?.... 116 3.2.2.2 Variant Readings of δια την παρεσιν..... 119 3.2.3 Textual Variants in 3:26................ 120 3.2.3.1 Absence of και................. 120 3.2.3.2 Ιησου, Ιησου Χριστου or Ιησουν?...... 121 3.2.4 The Text in a Sense-Line Presentation......... 123 3.3 Source-Critical Analysis of Rom 3:24-26........... 124 3.3.1 The Probability of Pre-Pauline Material in 3:24.... 125 3.3.2 The Probability of Pre-Pauline Material in 3:25-26.. 127 3.4 Issues of Syntax in Rom 3:21-26............... 131 3.4.1 The Relation of 3:22 to 3:21.............. 131 3.4.2 Redundancy in 3:22................... 133 3.4.3 A Parenthesis in 3:22d-3:24a?............. 134 3.4.4 Πάντες γὰρ ἥμαρτον in the Syntax of 3:23...... 136 3.4.5 The Complex Syntax of 3:24-26............ 137 3.4.5.1 Considerations Concerning δικαιούμενοι in 3:24....................... 138 3.4.5.2 Issues with διὰ πίστεως and ἐν τῷ αὐτοῦ αἵματι in 3:25...................... 140 3.4.5.3 The Preposition διά with Accusative in 3:25.. 142 3.4.5.4 The String of Prepositional Phrases in 3:25-26 145 3.4.5.5 Function of the Conjunction καί in 3:26.... 148 3.5 The Argumentative Structure of Rom 3:21-26........ 149 3.5.1 The Main Subdivision.................. 149 3.5.2 The Central Theme................... 151 3.5.3 The Line of Thought................... 153 3.6 Our Translation of Rom 3:21-26................ 158 Conclusion............................. 159
X table of contents Chapter four A THEOCENTRIC READING OF ΔΙΚΑΙΟΣΥΝΗ ΘΕΟΥ IN ROM 3:21-22 AND 3: 25-26................... 161 4.1 The LXX Background of δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ.......... 162 4.1.1 Δικαιοσύνη as an Attribute of God in the Psalms... 165 4.1.2 Δικαιοσύνη in God s Relation to Humanity in the Psalms.......................... 169 4.1.3 Δικαιοσύνη as an Attribute of God in Isaiah...... 170 4.1.4 All-Inclusive Dimension and the Coming of δικαιοσύνη in Isaiah......................... 171 4.2 Considerations regarding God s δικαιοσύνη in Pauline Letters............................... 174 4.2.1 God s δικαιοσύνη Outside Romans........... 174 4.2.2 Δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ: The Question of the Type of the Genitive........................... 176 4.2.3 Impact of Ps 142 [LXX] on the Pauline Understanding of δικαιοσύνη....................... 178 4.3 Theocentric Reading of δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ in Romans..... 183 4.3.1 Δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ as God s Merciful Justice...... 183 4.3.2 God s Merciful Justice in Romans 1-3.......... 187 4.3.2.1 Significance of Rom 1:16-18.......... 188 4.3.2.2 Δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ in Rom 3:5 and Paul s Argument in Romans 3................ 191 4.3.3 God s Merciful Justice in Romans 9-10......... 193 4.3.4 Has δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ Distinct Denotations in 3:21-22 and 3:25-26?...................... 198 4.3.4.1 The Correlation between 3:21-22 and 3:25-26. 199 4.3.4.2 Manifestation of God s Merciful Justice in 3:21-22..................... 200 4.3.4.2.1 Significance of νυνὶ δέ and ἐν τῷ νῦν καιρῷ................. 201 4.3.4.2.2 God s Merciful Justice Manifested in Christ.................. 202 4.3.4.3 Demonstration of God s Merciful Justice in 3:25-26..................... 202 4.3.4.4 Support from the verb δικαιόω in 3:24, 26.. 204 Conclusion............................. 206
table of contents XI Chapter Five THE ΠΙΣΤΙΣ AND THE ΠΙΣΤΙΣ (ΙΗΣΟΥ) ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ DEBATE IN ROM 3:22, 25, 26........................ 209 5.1 Understanding πίστις (Ἰησοῦ) Χριστοῦ in Rom 3:22, 26.. 210 5.1.1 Challenges from the Christological Reading...... 211 5.1.1.1 Redundancy................... 211 5.1.1.2 The Manifestation of God s δικαιοσύνη through πίστις...................... 212 5.1.1.3 Opposition between ἔργα νόμου and πίστις Χριστοῦ..................... 215 5.1.2 An Anthropological Reading of the πίστις Phrases in 3:22, 26......................... 215 5.1.2.1 The Importance of the Definite Article..... 216 5.1.2.2 Scripture as the Key............... 217 5.1.2.2.1 Habakkuk Quote in Rom 1:17.... 218 5.1.2.2.2 The Parallel between Abraham and the Believers................ 220 5.1.2.3 Supporting Evidence from the Context..... 222 5.2 The Meaning of πίστις..................... 223 5.2.1 Lexical Meaning..................... 223 5.2.2 The Relation of πίστις to πιστεύω........... 225 5.2.3 The Root and the Source of Pauline πιστ- words... 225 5.2.3.1 The Influence of Classical Usage on the LXX. 227 5.2.3.2 The Hebrew Root אמן and the LXX Translation 229 5.2.3.3 The LXX Uses of πιστ- Words for the Hiphil. 230.................. אמן Form of 5.2.3.4 The Use of πιστ- Words in Hellenistic Jewish Literature..................... 236 5.2.3.5 Implications for Paul.............. 238 5.2.4 Terminological Clarifications and Issues of Translation of πιστ- Words..................... 241 5.3 Πίστις in Romans....................... 245 Conclusion............................. 252
XII table of contents Chapter Six ἈΠΟΛΥΤΡΩΣΙΣ AND GOD S UNCONDITIONAL REDEMP- TION IN CHRIST IN ROM 3:24................. 255 6.1 The Use of ἀπολύτρωσις outside Rom 3:24......... 256 6.1.1 The Use of ἀπολύτρωσις in the LXX......... 256 6.1.2 Ἀπολύτρωσις in Greco-Roman Writings........ 260 6.1.2.1 Uses with Ransom Meaning.......... 260 6.1.2.2 Uses without Ransom Nuance......... 262 6.1.3 The Usage in the Pauline Homologoumena...... 264 6.1.4 The Usage in the Pauline Antilegomena........ 267 6.1.5 Other NT Usages.................... 269 6.2 A Theocentric Reading of ἀπολύτρωσις Metaphor in Rom 3:24............................... 272 6.2.1 Rom 3:24 in its Immediate Context.......... 273 6.2.2 God s χάρις and Unconditionality........... 275 6.2.3 Syntactical Issues.................... 278 6.2.4 Theocentric Thrust.................... 281 6.2.5 Significance of Understanding ἀπολύτρωσις as a Metaphor........................... 283 6.2.6 The Question of Ransom and the Importance of δωρεάν.......................... 285 Conclusion............................. 288 CHAPTER SEVEN A THEOCENTRIC READING OF ΙΛΑΣΤΗΡΙΟΝ AND ΠΑΡΕ- ΣΙΣ IN ROM 3:25......................... 291 7.1 An Exegetical Study of ἱλαστήριον.............. 291 7.1.1 A Survey of Variations in Translations......... 292 7.1.2 The Meaning of ἱλαστήριον Outside Rom 3:25.... 294 7.1.2.1 The Use of ἱλαστήριον in Extra-Biblical Literature........................ 294 7.1.2.2 Comparing 4 Macc 17:21-22 to Rom 3:25... 297 7.1.2.3 The Meaning and Translation of כפרת in the LXX....................... 299 7.1.2.4 The Sense of the Noun ἱλασμός in 1 Jn 2:2 and 4:10....................... 302 7.1.2.5 The Use of ἱλαστήριον in Heb 9:5....... 304
table of contents XIII 7.1.3 The Meaning of ἱλαστήριον in Rom 3:25....... 306 7.1.3.1 The Grammar of ἱλαστήριον.......... 306. 308.... כפרת 7.1.3.2 The Probability of an Allusion to 7.1.3.3 The Connotation of the Verb προέθετο.... 312 7.1.3.4 Christ the ἱλαστήριον διὰ πίστεως....... 314 7.1.3.5 The Association of ἱλαστήριον with ἐν τῷ αὐτοῦ αἵματι................... 315 7.2 An Exegetical Study of πάρεσις................ 318 7.2.1 Πάρεσις in Extra-Biblical Literature.......... 319 7.2.1.1 Occurrences of the Noun πάρεσις....... 319 7.2.1.2 Occurrences of the Verb παρίημι Together with Sins....................... 323 7.2.2 Supporting Evidence from the Biblical Uses of παρίημι......................... 325 7.2.3 The Meaning of πάρεσις in the Context of Rom 3:25. 328 7.2.3.1 The Exegetical Significance of πάρεσις in Rom 3:25....................... 328 7.2.3.2 Πάρεσις in Relation to ἔνδειξις........ 329 7.2.3.3 Πάρεσις in God s ἀνοχή............ 332 7.2.3.4 What does προγεγονότα ἁμαρτήματα Refer to?........................ 333 7.3 Theological Implications of Rom 3:25............ 336 7.3.1 The Neglected Theology of the Passing over of Former Sins............................ 337 7.3.2 The Question of the Justice of God........... 340 7.3.3 Re-Visiting the Theology of the Cross and Theories of the Atonement...................... 342 Conclusion............................. 347 GENERAL CONCLUSION.................... 349