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Wednesday 20 April 2011

Misreading Paul on Law

It is everywhere and certainly in my history that Paul is misread. I think it is largely because the Greeks translated Torah - teaching as Nomos - law.  I noted this comment on Daniel Kirk's blog.  I think it begins to represent for me an approach to reading Romans that is different from my first attempts.  Many interpreters of course have been trying to fathom Paul and his followers in the NT Canon.
Grace abounds in the Senior Testament - but it needs to be read closely and not with eyes far away in time. Yes Jesus is anointed and demonstrates such grace fully focussed. But this anointing in the Spirit is not distant in the Senior Testament. It is everywhere in it. Romans is a jewel of course but not if Law is over-emphasized over the meaning of Torah as teaching. Nomos may be emphasized but there is a false reading of law-free and law-vs-grace in the NT interpreters. God forbid we should be Teaching-free - i.e. let loose from God's Torah!  God forbid that God's teaching - all over the Senior Testament - is understood as devoid of grace!

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