These source excerpts all relate to a book proposal I was invited to make 11 months ago--Ouch! I figure I'm close to a sample for the proposal in a couple Saturdays of sources from the pre-Maccabean period (Apocalypse of Weeks, Ezekiel the Tragedian, Aristobulus, Demetrius, etc...).
Anyway, we were looking at the parallels between Wisdom 12-14 and Romans 1 today in Romans, so I thought I would excerpt important parts of those chapters here (translation is NRSV). As usual, I have put in bold things of particular interest to NT study.
__________
12:1-2
For your immortal spirit is in all things. Therefore, you correct little by little those who trespass, and you remind and warn them of the things through which they sin, so that they may be freed from wickedness and put their trust in you, O Lord...
12:12, 15, 18-19, 22-24
For who will say, "What have you done?" or will resist your judgment? ...
You are righteous and you rule all things righteously, deeming it alien to your power to condemn anyone who does not deserve to be punished...
Although you are sovereign in strength, you judge with mildness, and with great forbearance you govern us; for you have power to act whenever you choose. Through such works you have taught your people that the righteous must be kind, and you have filled your children with good hope, because you give repentance of sins...
So while chastening us you scourage our enemies ten thousand times more, so that, when we judge, we may meditate on your goodness, and when we are judged, we may expect mercy.
Therefore those who lived unrighteously, in a life of folly, you tormented through their own abominations. For they went far astray on the paths of error, accepting as gods those animals that even their enemies despised; they were deceived like foolish infants...
13:1-2, 8-10
For all people who were ignorant of God were foolish by nature; and they were unable from the good things that are seen to know the one who exists, nor did they recognize the artisan while paying heed to his works; but they supposed that either fire or wind or swift air, or the circle of the stars, or turbulent water, or the luminaries of heaven were the gods that rule the world...
Yet again, not even they are to be excused; for if they had the power to know so much that they could investigate the world, how did they fail to find sooner the Lord of these things?
But miserable, with their hopes set on dead things, are those who give the name "gods" to the works of human hands, gold and silver fashioned with skill, and likenesses of animals, or a useless stone, the work of an ancient hand...
14:12-14, 22-27
For the idea of making idols was the beginning of fornication, and the invention of them was the corruption of life; for they did not exist from the beginning, nor will they last forever. For through human vanity they entered the world, and therefore their speedy end has been planned...
Then it was not enough for them to err about the knowledge of God, but though living in great strife due to ignorance, they call such evils peace. For whether they kill children in their initiations, or celebrate secret mysteries, or hold frenzied revels with strange customs, they no longer keep either their lives or their marriages pure. But they either treacherously kill one another, or grieve one another by adultery, and all is a raging riot of blood and murder, theft and deceit, corruption, faithlessness, tumult, perjury, confusion over what is good, forgetfulness of favors, defiling of souls, sexual perversion, disorder in marriages, adultery, and debauchery.
For the worship of idols not to be named is the beginning and cause and end of every evil.
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