How does Paul interpret the Hebrew Scriptures in Romans - after Derek Flood article

1. Apostolic
Hermeneutics
Simon Nash
Business Connect
2 October 2013
Or why Paul would
have flunked Hebrew
class for all the right
reasons

2. Romans 15: 5 – 13 NIV
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you
the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6
so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Accept one another, then, just as
Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 8 For I tell you
that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s
truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be
confirmed 9 and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for
his mercy. As it is written: Therefore I will praise you among the
Gentiles; I will sing the praises of your name. 10 Again, it says,
Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people. 11 And again, Praise the Lord,
all you Gentiles; let all the peoples extol him. 12 And again, Isaiah
says, The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over
the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope.13 May the God of hope
fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may
overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

3. Romans 15:8-10 (NIV)
8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant
of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the
promises made to the patriarchs might be
confirmed 9 and, moreover, that the Gentiles
might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written
Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I
will sing the praises of your name. 10 Again, it
says, rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.
Romans 15:8-10 (NIV)

4. Romans 15:8-10 (NIV notes)
8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews[a]
on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the
patriarchs might be confirmed 9 and, moreover, that the
Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written:
―Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;
I will sing the praises of your name.‖[b]
10 Again, it says,
―Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.‖[c]
Footnotes:
(a) Romans 15:8 Greek circumcision
(b) Romans 15:9 2 Samuel 22:50; Psalm 18:49
(c) Romans 15:10 Deut. 32:43

5. Psalm 18
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
38 I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet.
39 You armed me with strength for battle; you humbled my adversaries before me.
40 You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes.
41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them— to the Lord, but he did not
answer.
42 I beat them as fine as windblown dust; I trampled them like mud in the streets.
43 You have delivered me from the attacks of the people; you have made me the head of
nations. People I did not know now serve me,
44 foreigners cower before me; as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
45 They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds.
46 The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Saviour!
47 He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me,
48 who saves me from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes;
from a violent man you rescued me.
49 Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing the praises of your name.
50 He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing love to his anointed,
to David and to his descendants forever.

6. Deuteronomy 32
36 The Lord will vindicate his people and relent concerning his servants
when he sees their strength is gone and no one is left, slave or free.
37 He will say: ―Now where are their gods, the rock they took refuge in,
38 the gods who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offerings?
Let them rise up to help you! Let them give you shelter!
39 ―See now that I myself am he! There is no god besides me.
I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out
of my hand.
40 I lift my hand to heaven and solemnly swear: As surely as I live forever,
41 when I sharpen my flashing sword and my hand grasps it in judgment,
I will take vengeance on my adversaries and repay those who hate me.
42 I will make my arrows drunk with blood, while my sword devours flesh:
the blood of the slain and the captives, the heads of the enemy leaders.‖
43 Rejoice, you nations, with his people, for he will avenge the blood of his servants;
he will take vengeance on his enemies and make atonement for his land and people.

7. Romans 15:8-9 expanded
For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the
Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made
to the patriarchs might be confirmed and, moreover, that
the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is
written: He is the God who avenges me, who subdues
nations under me, who saves me from my enemies. You
exalted me above my foes; from a violent man you
rescued me.
Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I
will sing the praises of your name. He gives his king great
victories; he shows unfailing love to his anointed, to
David and to his descendants forever.

8. Romans 15:10 - expanded
10 Again, it says, As surely as I live forever, when I
sharpen my flashing sword and my hand grasps it in
judgment,
I will take vengeance on my adversaries and repay
those who hate me. I will make my arrows drunk
with blood, while my sword devours flesh: the blood
of the slain and the captives, the heads of the enemy
leaders.‖
Rejoice, you nations, with his people, for he will
avenge the blood of his servants; he will take
vengeance on his enemies and make atonement for
his land and people.

9. Apostolic Hermeneutics
What on Earth is Paul doing to the plain
sense of Psalm 18 and Deuteronomy 32?

10. Romans 15: 11- 13
11 And again, ―Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
let all the peoples extol him.‖[e]
12 And again, Isaiah says,
―The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule
over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope.‖[f]
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you
trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the
power of the Holy Spirit.
Footnotes:
(e) Romans 15:11 Psalm 117:1
(f) Romans 15:12 Isaiah 11:10 (see Septuagint)

11. Isaiah 11
6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with
the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling[a] together; and a
little child will lead them.
7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down
together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child
will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea.
10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the
peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be
glorious. 11 In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second
time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people from Assyria,
from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam,
from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the
Mediterranean.

12. Autobiography of the Apostle
―…a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee‖
―…as to righteousness under the law, faultless.‖ [Phil 3:5-6]
―… a violent man‖, ―…the worst of sinners‖. [1 Tim 1:13,15]
―… I do not deserve to be called a messenger of God because I
persecuted the church.‖ [1 Cor 15:9]

13. Theology after metanoia
Still “a Jew”, still in “the people of God”
Still practising Jewish daily prayer, rituals and
diet
Still worshiping at the Temple
Still reading the Hebrew Scriptures
BUT
Radically different interpretation…
-No longer divinely sanctioned superiority
-No longer insider / outsider exclusion
-No longer any religiously sanctioned violence
-Redefinition of the People of God around Jesus
and the presence of the Spirit…
-Redefinition of the power of God…

14. Reading Christologically
The ―God‖ we find in the text has to at least be as nice as
Jesus. [Tripp Fuller]
Love of enemies as the ethical goal of our reading.
Spirit of love, joy, peace… as our guide.
The foolishness of the cross. Reading the Bible as the
crucified rather than as the crucifiers.

16. Homework!
Romans 3:10 – 19
Chase down the six quotations from the psalms.
Identify how the plain reading of the text treats ―those
evildoers‖ (in comparison to ―us the righteous‖)?
Also, what are the common themes of evil in these texts?
Then how does Paul subvert the insider / outsider reading
when it comes to divine judgement?

17. Derek Flood