Bogoslovska smotra, Vol. 76 No. 3, 2006.
Izvorni znanstveni članak
Testimonies of Letters to Justify Abraham with Faith (Rom 4:1-25)
Marijan Vugdelija
; Katolički bogoslovni fakultet Sveučilišta u Splitu, Split, Hrvatska
Sažetak
The entire fourth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans is focussed on an interpretation of Genesis 15:6. The aim of this broad interpretation is to Biblically justify and explain theories from the Romans 3:2lb, »But now without law righteousness of God is manifested, borne witness to by the law and the prophets«. Seeing that the proclamation of God's righteousness occurs outside the Law (χωρίς νόμου), it is particularly important to show that Torah is not opposed to this which Jewish collocutors certainly objected to Paul, but instead it infact testifies and found excluding »the acts of the Law« for righteousness.
Abraham's justification in Gen 15:6 responds to Christian justification in three ways: first, it occurs through faith (εκ πίστεως: Rom 3:22-28); secondly, because it occurs through faith it is real for all people without any limits as long as they believe in Christ (Rom 3:22-29s); thirdly, it occurs in such a way, and without exception, so that sinners and who are without the glory of God become righteous (Rom 3:22b-23). This triple determination of righteousness is now deliberately proven in the Letters to justify Abraham, because in Judaism, Abraham signifies the father of the righteous by Law. Paul begins in 1-8 with a third decisive direction and sharpens the Jewish theory of Abraham as the first converted pagan to Christianity according to the Christian theory of Abraham as the first righteous pagan out of faith, i.e. by »grace« (κατά χάριν). Based on this there are two philosophical directions (v. 9-12 & 13-16) universality of the righteousness of the faith of pagans as for the Jews and in keeping with the, »exclusion« of elitism (καύχησις) of the Jews compared to pagans with hints of signs of being the chosen people of lsrael and the Law. The Jewish theory of Abraham as the father of the Proselytes becomes the Christian theory of Abraham as the father »of all those who believe«, pagan and Jew (in that order!). Finally, in v. 17-22 Paul shows the very being of faith through Abraham's faith based on what occurs to all those who believe »counting on righteousness«. A significant feature of that faith is that it does not depend on anything on one's own but entirely and completely on God, on his mercy that he gives us unconditionally as promised. That unreserved confidence in God comes from faith in God's creational and resurrective power and is seen as hope against all hope; as trust in realising the promised against all odds. That this justification out of faith in this threefold determination is based on Christ's death and resurrection, that faith (ττίστις Ίησοΰ: Rom 3:26b) is therefore a hermeneutical horizon of the entire testimony of the Letter on Abraham is Christological founded; that that Christological view here too most narrowly connects with that in v. 1-22 a surpassing theological vies; is undoubtedly expressed in v. 23.25 and creates the presumption for the entire interpretation. Therefore, God's righteousness which was evident in the revival of Christ's death and resurrection has its own »witness« in the Letters.
It is unilateral therefore if the Romans 4 is understood as an interpretation of the theory of righteousness out of faith (Rom 3:28); by the same token, thejudgement that Paul deliberately works only on the universality of righteousness out of faith, that is, to destroy the historical salvational »vanity« of the Jews. It is no less unilateral to believe that the exclusive topic of the Romans 4 »righteousness of pagans« is (iustificatio impii). The topics in Paul's Midrash about Abraham are connected to each other and placed in relation to each other. Righteousness of the pagan is the fruit of faith, with the help that is deeply portrayed in its essence and raised from the nomistic realisation of righteousness. Just as the righteousness of faith connects all those who believe from Israel and paganism, at the same time it renders Judaism faithful to righteousness of the Law and the Church and excludes it from Abraham's fatherhood.
Ključne riječi
Abraham; Epistle to the Romans; righteousness; faith
Hrčak ID:
23831
URI
Datum izdavanja:
18.1.2007.
Posjeta: 2.455 *