Rethinking the new perspective on Paul: justification by faith and Paul's gospel according to Galatians

[摘要] English: The aim of this study is to evaluate the New Perspective on Paul. One ofthe most important new contributions of the New Perspective, that is anew interpretation of Paul's view of justification by faith, is the mainfocus of this study. Especially, two New Perspective arguments that giverise to most of the objections voiced by the followers of the OldPerspective are noted: 1) Paul developed the notion of justification byfaith only at a later stage 2) to defend his gentile mission.In Part 1 an overview of the history of the New Perspective ispresented, and the problems of the New Perspective are pointed out.In Part 2 the origin of Paul's Christ-Torah antithesis is investigatedto find out when Paul 's notion of justification by faith originated. As aresult, the view of the New Perspective that Paul developed the n otion ofjustification by faith at a later stage is rejected.In Part 3, independent theological exegesis is done to evaluate theargument of the New Perspective that justification by faith must beunderstood not in general terms of how human beings can be saved, butin the context of Paul's gentile mission . The exegesis concentrates onthe concepts 'the works of the law' and 'the curse of the law' inGalatians. Romans 3, 4, and 7 are also investigated to confirm theexegetical results of Galatians. As a result, it is shown that the NewPerspective is quite correct in that it reads the notion of justification by faith in the context of Paul's gentile mission. However, it is al so pointedout that the New Perspective fails in properly evaluating Paul's gentilemission itself, because it marginalise s both the gentile mission andjustification by faith in Paul's theology.In Part 4, by means of the independent theological exegesis of theword eujaggevlion in Galatians in the redemptive historical context of theAbrahamic covenant, it is proved that for the unique apostle to thegentiles, Paul, his gentile mission was the climax of his gospel. In fact, itmust rather be regarded as his gospel itself. This means that, eventhough the interpretation of justification by faith by scholars from theNew Perspective has a better exegetical foundation and leads to validexegetical results, these results are interpreted wrongly by them.In Part 5, finally, it is concluded that when the interpretation of thePauline notion of justification by faith by scholars from the NewPerspective is reread in the light of the new understanding that Paul'sgentile mission is his gospel, the true meaning of justification by faith isrevealed.Afrikaans: Die doel van hierdie studie is om die sogenaamde Nuwe Perspektief opPaulus te evalueer. Een van d ie belangrikste bydraes van die NuwePerspektief, naamlik die nuwe interpretasie van die Pauliniese konsep'regverdiging deur die geloof', kry in hierdie studie die meeste aandag.Veral twee argumente van die Nuwe Perspektief word bespreek, naamlik1) dat die konsep 'regverdiging deur die geloof' 'n latere ontwikkeling inPaulus se teologie verteenwoordig, en 2) dat dit ontwikkel is om Paulusse heidensending te verdedig.In Deel 1 word 'n oorsig van die geskiedenis van die NuwePerspektief gegee en word die probleme van hierdie siening uitgelig.In Deel 2 word die oorsprong van die Christus- Torah-antitese inPaulus se teologie ondersoek om te bepaal wanneer Paulus se sieningvan 'regverdiging deur die geloof' ontwikkel het. Die gevolgtrekking isdat die siening van die Nuwe Perspektief dat dit eers op 'n later stadiumgebeur het, verwerp word.In Deel 3 word onafhanklike teologiese eksegese gedoen om tewys dat die argument van die Nuwe Perspektief dat 'regverdiging deurdie geloof' nie in algemene sin verstaan moet word nie, maar wel binnedie k onteks van die Pauliniese sending, korrek is. Die eksegesekonsentre er op die begrippe 'werke van die wet' en 'vloek van wet' inGalasiërs. Romeine 3, 4 en 7 word ook ondersoek om die eksegetiese resultate ten opsigte van Galasië rs te bevestig. Daar word aangetoon datdie Nuwe Perspektief heeltemal korrek is wanneer 'regve rdiging deur diegeloof' in die konteks van die Pauliniese sending gelees word. Daar wordegter ook aangetoon dat die Nuwe Perspektief nalaat om die Pauliniesesending self korrek te evalueer omdat dit sowel die heidensending as'regverdiging deur die geloof' in die Pauliniese teologie marginaliseer.In Deel 4 word deur middel van onafhanklike teologiese eksegesevan die begrip eujaggevlion binne d ie heilshistoriese konteks van dieverbond met Abraham aangetoon dat vir Paulus, die unieke apostel na dieheidene, sy heidensending die klimaks van sy evangelie was. Inwerklikheid moet dit as sy evangelie self beskou word. Dit beteken dat,alhoewel die Nuwe Perspektief se interpretasie van 'regverdiging deurdie geloof' 'n beter eksegetiese basis het en tot korrekte eksegetieseresultate aanleiding gee, die resultate self verkeerd gëinterpreteer word.In Deel 5 word ten slotte aangeto on dat wanneer 'n mens dieinterpretasie van 'regverdiging deur die geloof' deur die NuwePerspektief in die lig van die nuwe verstaan van Paulus se heidensendingherlees, die ware betekenis van 'regverdiging deur die geloof' na vorekom.

[发布机构] University of the Free State