By Christian
Having seen in Part 1 how a corrected perspective on Judaism in the 1st century also fundamentally changes the perspective on Paul’s writings, and having explained the far-reaching consequences in Part 2, it is now time to analyze and justify this new perspective on Paul in greater depth.
The quotes are from the book „The New Perspective on Paul – An Introduction“ by Prof. Kent L. Yinger, which forms the basis for this series.
What do we have before us now?
Instead of interpreting Paul’s thought as the antithesis of legalistic Judaism (the more traditional approach), we can now interpret him within his authentic Jewish context as a Christian apostle who was, and who remained throughout his missionary career, a Jewish theologian.
Chapter 3
A good example of how the context and even the translation of a text contains an interpretation is Galatians 2:16
nevertheless, knowing that a person is not justified by works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the Law; since by works of the Law no flesh will be justified.
Galatians 2:16 NASB
It is not so easy to read this text without our usual imagination:
Traditionally, the language of “justified not by works but through faith” would point to the stark discontinuity between Paul’s new understanding in Christ and his old Jewish views—faith versus works, believing versus doing. Dunn notes, however, that “not by works but through faith” in Gal 2:16 refers to convictions that Paul and other Christian Jews shared (like Peter and the Judaizing opponents in Antioch; see vv. 11–15), not views upon which they differed. “We who are Jews by nature and not Gentile sinners, know that a man is not justified by works of law except through faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal 2:15–16, Dunn’s translation).
Chapter 3
According to the aforementioned scholar James D. G. Dunn, it is about the following:
Dunn argues that this phrase refers not to works-righteousness but to particular observances of the Law that functioned as badges of Jewish identity in the ancient world.
Rather than being a code-phrase for legalism, “works of law” could be more accurately understood as a sociological category.
Chapter 3
The book then contains an interesting note for readers of English Bibles (which also applies to German):
Readers of English Bibles need to be aware that the translation they read may predetermine for them a particular understanding of “works of law.” Paul speaks in Gal 2:16 of being justified ex ergōn nomou which could be somewhat neutrally rendered “out of [or from or by] works of law.” This is how quite a few translations leave the phrase (NRSV [first half of verse]; KJV; NAB; NASB; ESV). A number of translations, however, take this as a reference to what humans do to be justified.
“justified by doing the works of the law” (NRSV; second half of verse)
“justified by observing the law” (NIV)
“justified by obeying the law” (NLT)The last three English translations lead the reader to assume Paul is speaking of human doing or obeying as the (legalistic) means by which these people are seeking to obtain their own justification. The more neutral translations leave the meaning open to either a NPP or traditional interpretation, depending on how one reads the larger context.
Chapter 3
So are we only dealing with a reinterpretation of the texts here? No, because just as the new view of Judaism in the 1st century was based on extra-biblical sources, this is also the case here:
Dunn bolstered his understanding of “works of law” by finding similar usage of the phrase in other Jewish writings. Thus, a number of the Dead Sea Scrolls used the Hebrew equivalent to “works of law” to describe the sect’s distinctive practices. By these practices, these “works of law,” it became clear who did, and who did not, belong to the sect. The phrase did not suggest a theology of meritorious achievement, but it spoke of how to identify the true followers of God. Paul does the same in Galatians when he contrasts those who are “of the works of the law” with “those who are of faith” (Gal 3:9–10).
Where Paul differed fundamentally from his Jewish tradition was not over the role of grace, faith, and obedience in salvation, but whether salvation was tied to being Jewish or not.
Although this crucial phrase, “works of law,” appears infrequently in Paul’s letters (eight times), its significance lies behind many occurrences of “law” or “works” by themselves, as a kind of short-hand for the fuller phrase. So, for instance, when Paul speaks of “justification through the law” (Gal 2:21) or “by the law” (3:11), he envisions not the individual’s effort to merit salvation by keeping the Law, but the Jewish conviction that membership in God’s people belongs only to those identified with Torah; this salvation or justification is only “through the (works of) law.”
Chapter 3
So what is the central question in Paul’s letters?
Thus, the primary question being answered in these Pauline texts is not Martin Luther’s anguished “How may I, a sinner, find a gracious God?” but “Who belongs to the company of the righteous, to God’s saved people?”8 To read Paul as though he were answering the question, “What must I do to be saved?” is to misread the apostle’s main intent. Instead, those parts of his letters that deal with salvation or justification are usually answering the question, “How may Gentiles take part in God’s saving grace to Israel?”
Chapter 3
Let’s compare the two points of view using these texts:
Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one; and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.
Romans 3:27-30 NRSV
First the traditional perspective:
A traditional interpretation reads “boasting” as boasting in one’s own obedience according to a law, or principle of works; it is self-righteous boasting. Faith excludes such boasting since believing is contrasted with doing (faith versus works); one who simply believes is justified, wholly apart from any doing (“apart from works”), and, thus, no such boasting is possible. This applies equally to Jews and Gentiles since both are to be justified by believing and not by doing.
Chapter 3
And now the new perspective on Paul:
A NPP reading takes this “boasting” as boasting in Jewish covenantal privilege. Such boasting is ruled out by the “law of faith,” that is, by the new identifying mark of faith in Jesus as Messiah. This opening of salvation to non-Jews without becoming Jewish is precisely why Paul immediately says that God is no longer „of Jews only“.
Chapter 3
Perhaps you first have to read and compare these two interpretations of the same words of Paul a few times in order to grasp the difference. At some point you will realize why this topic is so important for us: it is possible that what I believe has no direct basis in the New Testament.
So far, however, we have only looked at the contributions of E. P. Sanders and James D. G. Dunn. But that is by no means all there is to the new perspective on Paul. As we will see in the next part.