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A Comparative Study of Romans 13:8-14 and Matthew 22:34-40

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A Comparative Study of Romans 13:8-14 and Matthew 22:34-40 The Torah and Community Formation: A Comparative Study of Romans 13:8-14 and Matthew 22:34-40 by Endale Sebsebe Mekonnen Dissertation presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Theology at Stellenbosch University Supervisor: Prof Jeremy Punt Co-Supervisor: Prof Marius Johannes Nel March 2017 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Declaration By submitting this dissertation electronically, I declare that the entire work is my original work, that I am the sole author therefore (save to the extent explicitly otherwise stated), that reproduction and publication thereof by Stellenbosch University will not infringe any third party rights and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification. Endale Sebsebe Mekonnen March 2017 Copyright © 2017 Stellenbosch University All rights reserved ii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Abstract Previous studies on Romans 13:8-14 and Matthew 22:34-40 have indicated the centrality of love therein while downplaying the role of the Law in the two documents. These studies also did not consider the role of Romans 13:8-14 and Matthew 22:34-40 within the overall arguments of the two books and in respect to their specific communities of Jesus followers. To date, there has also not been a study specifically devoted to comparing these two texts in order to investigate the role of the Law in their different communities of Jesus followers. This research aims to fill this lacuna in New Testament studies. This study analyses the respective rhetorical units in Romans and Matthew in order to examine the role of the Law in the identity formation process of the Jesus followers as they saw it. It attempts to answer two specific research questions: (1) What is the role of the summary of the Law in Romans 13:8-14 and Matthew 22:34-40? (2) What are Paul’s and Matthew’s positions in regard to the role of the Law according to the letter to the Romans and the Gospel of Matthew? This study utilised the socio-rhetorical method developed by Vernon Robbins. However, only two aspects of his multidisciplinary approach, namely the study of the inner- and the intertexture are used. A text-focused hermeneutical approach is employed due to the length of the respective books and the complexity of the issues they raise. The argumentative texture of Romans 13:8-14 focusses on the underlying assumptions of the argument, the presupposed audience and the relationship between the Law and love. The study of Matthew 22:34-40 investigated the repetitive texture, the topical progression of νομός and ἁγάπη, the narrative pattern, and the opening, middle and closing argumentative texture of Matthew 22:34-40. The intertextual study investigated the intertexture of Romans 13:8-14 and Matthew 22:34-40 to the Hebrew Bible, LXX, and Second Temple Jewish and Greco-Roman literature. The texts were also compared to discern the convergence and divergence of the two books (Romans and Matthew) on specific topics. Finally, the role of Romans 13:8-14 and Matthew 22:34-40 was investigated and analysed. The research findings on Romans 13:8-14 and Matthew 22:34-40 is that for Jesus followers, Romans 13:8-14 and Matthew 22:34-40 present the commandments of the Law under the name of love to shape their perceptible identity. To love God or one’s neighbour means ultimately to obey the commandments of the Law. It is the commandments of the Law that are actually practised under the name of love, for love is avoiding evil and doing good as prescribed in the commandments of the Law. Furthermore, the iii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za research concluded that the Gospel of Matthew is not an anti-Pauline text, instead the two texts converge in important aspects of the Law while the divergence is accounted for in their specific genre and concern. iv Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Opsomming Vorige studies van Romeine 13:8-14 en Matteus 22:34-40 het op verskillende wyses op die sentraliteit van die liefde in beide geskrifte gewys en minder klem op die rol van die Wet geplaasHulle neem ook nie die plek van Romeine 13:8-14 en Matteus 22:34-40 in ag binne die algemene argumente van die twee boeke en in hul spesifieke gemeenskap van Jesus-volgelinge nie. Daar bestaan nog nie navorsing wat hierdie twee tekste vergelyk, ten einde die rol van die Wet in die verskillende gemeenskappe Jesus- volgelinge te kan ondersoek nie. Hierdie studie beoog om die gaping in Nuwe Tesament-studies aan te spreek. Die studie ontleed die twee retoriese eenhede in Romeine en Mattheus, met die doel om die rol van die Wet in die identiteitsvorming van Jesus-volgelinge, soos vanuit hul perspektief, in Romeine en Matteus te ondersoek. Dit sal verder onderneem word na aanleiding van twee spesifieke navorsingsvrae: (1) Wat is die rol van die opsomming van die Wet in Romeinse 13:8-14 en Matteus 22:34-40? (2) Wat is Paulus en Matteus se posisies met betrekking tot die rol van die Wet in hul onderskeie geskrifte? Die studie sal gebruikmaak van die sosio-retoriese metode soos ontwikkel deur Vernon Robbins. Daar sal egter slegs geselekteerde aspekte van sy voorgestelde multidimensionele metode benut word te wete die intra- en inter-tekstuur van die tekste. ‘n Teks-gefokusde hermeneutiese benadering sal verder in die studie benut word as gevolg van die omvang van die twee dokumente wat ondersoek word en die kompleksiteit van die kwessies wat hulle aanspreek. Die argumentatiewe tekstuur van Romeine 13:8-14 spreek die aannames onderliggend aan die argument aan, die veronderstelde gehoor daarvan en die verhouding tussen die Wet en die liefde. Die studie van Matteus 22:34-40 sal ‘n soortgelyke benadering volg deurdat dit op die herhalende tekstuur, die progressie rondom die onderwerpe van νομός en ἁγάπη, die narratiewe patrone, en die begin, middel en slot van die argumentatiewe tekstuur van Matteus 22:34- 40 sal let. Daar sal ook ‘n analise van die inter-tekstuur van Romeine 13:8-14 en Matteus 22:34-40 in die Hebreeuse Bybel, LXX, Tweede Tempel Joodse en Grieks-Romeinse literatuur onderneem word. Die twee tekse wat ondersoek is, is verder vergelyk ten opsigte van die konvergensie en divergensie van die twee boeke (Romeine en Matteus) aan die hand van spesifieke temas. Ten slotte is die rol van Romeine 13:8-14 en Matteus 22:34-40 ondersoek en ontleed. Die bevinding van die navorsing ten opsigte van Romeine 13:8-14 en Matteus 22:34-40 is dat dit vir die Jesus-volgelinge die bevele van die Wet onder die naam van die liefde saamgesnoer het ten einde hul unieke identiteit te vorm. Om God, of jou naaste lief te hê, beteken eintlik om die bepalings van die Wet v Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za te gehoorsaam. Dit is hierdie bepalings van die Wet wat beoefen moet word onder die naam van die liefde, want die liefde vermy die kwaad en doen eerder goeie dade soos wat deur die Wet voorgeskryf word. Verder het die navorsing tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat die Evangelie van Matteus nie 'n anti- Pauliniese teks is nie. Die twee tekste konvergeer naamlik ten opsigte van belangrike aspekte van die Wet, terwyl die divergensie tussen hulle aan hul verskillende genres en temas. vi Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Acknowledgements I owe my deepest gratitude to my supervisors Prof. Jeremy Punt and Prof. Marius Nel. Without their continued optimism concerning this work, insightful comments, gentle critique, encouragement, guidance and support, this study would hardly have been completed. I would also like to thank both my supervisors for providing me ample room to express my own voice. Therefore, for all the shortcomings in this study, I take full responsibility. I owe a great debt of gratitude to Shiloh Bible College Ethiopia and Fire Over Africa for granting me study leave and covering all my tuition, transportation, living expenses and one-year accommodation. I would like to thank Dr. Gary Munson, the president of Shiloh Bible College Ethiopia who supported me in his prayers throughout the years of my study, for his encouragement and advice and for raising the funds for my studies. I am also deeply grateful to George Whitefield College and Evangelical Research Fellowship in South Africa for granting me a bursary for accommodation, auspicious study facilities and a convenient environment where I could combine both rigorous academic work and a Christian walk. I am indebted to many of my colleagues who prayed, encouraged me and extended their warm fellowship to dispel my loneliness created by the many days of isolation from my family. Lastly, not least, my special gratitude goes to Meskerm Asefa, my wife, for lifting all family burdens from me and carrying all the responsibility of caring for our children, and for being patient with me while I was away, and for prayer and encouragementwithout ceasing in all the different seasons of my studies. I would also like to express my deepest appreciation to my children, Abiah, Amanuel, Elsa, Samuel and Selam for their prayers and understanding. vii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za List of Abbreviations General BCE Before Common Era CD The Cairo Damascus Document CE Common Era KJV King James Version LN Louw and Nida Greek-English Lexicon (in Bibleworks) LXX Septuagint (Ancient Greek Translation of the Old Testament) MT Masoretic Text Matt Matthew NAB New American Bible NAS New American Standard NIV New International Version NPP New Perspective on Paul RNPP Radical New Perspective on Paul NT New Testament OT Old Testament Rom Romans RSV Revised Standard Version SM The Sermon on the Mount TGL Thayer’s Greek Lexcon v.
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