Thanks for those who tagged along these last few brainstorming posts. I think I now "have my head" on what I plan to write up as an article submission this summer. Thanks to Mike for thinking through things with me.
My basic thesis will be
1. Paul is not opposed to "works of law," a phrase that gravitates toward what Dunn calls "boundary issues." But these are not what God is looking for to justify someone.
2. Paul's argument in Romans and Galatians operates significantly on the basis of a "law within the law" that is more universal in application.
3. Paul argues theologically that the power of sin over flesh keeps a person from keeping the "law within the law" before the Spirit.
4. We can affirm law after the Spirit because the Spirit becomes the law written on our hearts. A Gentile Christian will do by nature the things in the law because they have the "work of the law" written on their hearts.
We'll see where it goes...
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By the way, the series on the Wesleyan Church and on tongues are now archived:
http://www.kenschenck.com
Your series on law has been fun to watch. I think this ties in to your earlier discussion of Wesleyan identity more than meet the eye. I think a core aspect of Wesleyan tradition (in all its forms) is the common enemy of antinomianism. I could substantiate that claim, but that is for another time and venue. For now, let it stand as a suggestion for connection.
I really agree with you here John... if this article pans out in the way I'm thinking (and I've not developed too much what I consider it's most publishable point)... it will to me be a startling and unexpected convergence of good old pre-modern Wesleyan theology meets scholarly article in high academic style. I hope it pulls off and will revel in the irony.
It's been fun...
Stressful...
Exciting...
But alas, I must graduate from IWU and move on to who knows where. Thanks for everything
So I lay down, my last night at IWU, and try to get some sleep. For some reason, slumber is hard to come by so I open up some Scripture to have a little time with God. And stumble across Numbers 15. The immediate context is dealing with food offerings, but the passages within this chapter indicates over and over that both Jews and "foreigners residing among you" are to have the same rules. Not only that but "this is a lasting ordinance for generations to come. You and the foreigner shall be the same before the Lord. The same laws and regulations will apply both to you and to the foreigner residing among you." (15:15-16)
So, although Paul isn't introducing anything particularly crazy with his "law of love", he is changing Judaism...and he is going against the Law. All this time, I've always wondered "why do the Jews get so mad at Paul? Who cares about circumcision?" WELL...The Jews did. And not just because they wanted to, but because the LORD commanded it a few hundred years back. No wonder the Jews were confused, there had been a major shift.
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