Paul and the Vocation of Israel: How Paul's Jewish Identity Informs his Apostolic Ministry, with Special Reference to Romans

320 Pages·2014·2.584 MB·English

by  Lionel J. Windsor

Lionel J. Windsor
Paul and the Vocation of Israel
17-01-1409:49:36 TITEL4 U485 Format:155x230mm
Metaserver2(PKW) Release19.00xSOLAR09Jan14.1039onThuJan910:39:28GMT2014
Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die
neutestamentliche
Wissenschaft
Edited by
James D. G. Dunn, Carl R. Holladay,
Matthias Konradt, Hermann Lichtenberger,
Jens Schröter and Gregory E. Sterling
Volume 205
17-01-1409:49:36 TITEL4 U485 Format:155x230mm
Metaserver2(PKW) Release19.00xSOLAR09Jan14.1039onThuJan910:39:28GMT2014
Lionel J. Windsor
Paul and the
Vocation of Israel
How Paul’s Jewish Identity Informs his Apostolic
Ministry, with Special Reference to Romans
DE GRUYTER
17-01-1409:49:36 TITEL4 U485 Format:155x230mm
Metaserver2(PKW) Release19.00xSOLAR09Jan14.1039onThuJan910:39:28GMT2014
ISBN978-3-11-033188-2
e-ISBN978-3-11-033201-8
ISSN0171-6441
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
ACIPcatalogrecordforthisbookhasbeenappliedforattheLibraryofCongress.
BibliographicInformationpublishedbytheDeutscheNationalbibliothek
TheDeutscheNationalbibliothekliststhispublicationintheDeutscheNationalbibliografie;
detailedbibliographicdataareavailableintheInternetathttp://dnb.dnb.de.
©2014WalterdeGruyterGmbH,Berlin/Boston
Druck:Hubert&Co.GmbH&Co.KG,Göttingen
♾Printedonacid-freepaper
PrintedinGermany
www.degruyter.com
17-01-1409:49:36 TITEL4 U485 Format:155x230mm
Metaserver2(PKW) Release19.00xSOLAR09Jan14.1039onThuJan910:39:28GMT2014
For Bronwyn

Acknowledgements
This book is based on a PhD thesis completed at Durham University in 2012. I
cannotexpressenoughmygratitudeforBronwyn,my wifeandtruecompanion
offifteenyears,whosupportedandlovedme allthewaythroughthetrialsand
joysofthethreeyearsthatbeganwhenweuprootedourfamilyandmovedhalf-
wayaroundtheworldfromSydneytoDurham.Theendeavourwasverymucha
joint effort, and Bronwyn deserves as much credit as I.Our children, Adelaide,
HarryandEllie,committedmembersoftheAustralianDiaspora,wereajoyanda
delight.Our extended family, especially our parents,were a constant source of
support and care during our time in the UK—despite our being ten thousand
miles away.
Havingtimeandspacetostudyis,ofcourse,agreatprivilegewhichrequires
tangible support.We are grateful tothe trusteesof the Joan Augusta Mackenzie
TravellingScholarship,whichprovidedjustoverathirdofourexpenses.Wealso
wishtoextendmanythanksforthegiftsfrombrothersandsistersinchurchesin
the Sydney Diocese: Kurrajong Anglican Church, Unichurch / Campus Bible
Study at the University of New South Wales, St Augustine’s Anglican Church
at Neutral Bay, St Michael’s Anglican Church at Wollongong; as well as from
ChristchurchDurham.Somanyprayedforusandprovideduswiththefinancial
supportthathasenabledustoliveintheUK.SandyGrant,DeanofStMichael’s
Anglican Cathedral in Wollongong, provided me with valuable encouragement
and practical help in the period leading up to the commencement of the PhD,
andhascontinuedhisencouragementandbrotherlycaretothisday.Thesaints
at ChristchurchDurhamwereourchurchfamily,whoministeredtous andena-
bled me to keep my feet on the ground of Christian ministry while my head
sometimes felt like it was in the clouds.
Inwritingthisbook,Iamofcourseindebtedtomanyscholarsandteachers
whohavegonebeforeme.Manyoftheideasandmethodsinthisworkstemfrom
my experience at Moore College in Sydney; I greatly value the teaching and
friends made during my time there. Mark Thompson and John Woodhouse, in
particular, have been superb role models as pastor-theologians. I should also
mentiontheinvaluablelegacyofDonaldRobinson,apioneerofevangelicalbib-
licaltheologywhotaughtthestudentsatMooreCollegeabouttheimportanceof
theJew-GentiledynamicasaninterpretativekeytotheNewTestamentlongbe-
fore it became popular in mainstream scholarship. I owe a number of the key
ideas in this book to his remarkably fertile mind. I am also immenselygrateful
for the ministry of Phillip Jensen,whose teaching and training showed me the
importanceofkeepingin-depthscholarlytheologyandpracticalministryfirmly
intertwined,despitetheconstantpressuresto separatethem.I alsooweagreat
VIII Acknowledgements
deal to Brian Rosner, my Masters supervisor,whose insights have inspired me,
whoseencouragementledmetotakeupPhDstudy,andwhosehelpinsmooth-
ing the way (graciously letting me go as a potential PhD candidate at Moore)
contributed a great deal to the ease of transition from Sydney to Durham. I
would also like to thank Con Campbell,who graciously pointed me to Durham
as a potential place for further study.
Mydecision tocometo studyat Durham,whilecostly,was made in lightof
itsreputationasaplaceofsuperbscholarship.Iwasnotdisappointed.TheDe-
partmentofTheologyandReligionatDurhamUniversitywasastimulatingand
challengingenvironment,andI benefittedgreatlyfromtheexperience.Iames-
peciallygratefulformysupervisor,FrancisWatson.ProfessorWatsonisnotonly
adeeplytheologicalthinker,heisalsoanenormouslyinsightfulreaderoftexts.
Hissimultaneouslysympatheticandcriticalreadingofmyowntext(throughso
manyiterations) notonlyplayeda key rolein shapingthe final product, it also
provided me with an outstanding model of critical scholarly engagement. I
wouldalsoliketoextendspecialthankstoLutzDoering,mysecondarysupervi-
sor,whowent beyondthe call ofdutyin providingme with manyhours of per-
sonaltuitioninunderstandingthebackgroundtoancientJewishtexts.Myexam-
iners,JohnBarclayandWilliamCampbell,honouredmy workwithexceedingly
careful reading and invaluable further insights.
Iwouldalso like to express mysincere thanks toAlbrecht Döhnert andthe
editorialteamatWalterdeGruyter,whoprovidedmanyfurtherbeneficialrecom-
mendationsandsuggestionsforimprovementofthemanuscriptforthispublica-
tion in the BZNWseries.
Iholdfondmemoriesofthestudyroomsat37ABailey,Durham,wherethe
bulk of this work was written.We had a lot of fun, and I have benefitted enor-
mouslyfromthedepth ofspiritualand academic insightrepresentedbymyfel-
lowstudents.IparticularlyvaluethespecialfriendshipofPeterOrr,whosepas-
sionandcommitmenttothegospelofChristcontinuestoinformandencourage
myown teaching and ministry.
ἐξ αὐτοῦ καὶ δι᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν τὰ πάντα·
αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, ἀμήν. (Romans 11:36)
Contents
 Introduction 1
. Paul’s Jewish identity 3
. The vocational dimension of Jewish identity 9
. Romans: An exercise in Jewish vocation 15
. Preview of the argument 19
 Review of literature 22
. Paul’s apostolic mission and Israel’s vocation 22
.. “Patterns of religion” approaches 22
.. Albert Schweitzer 25
.. Johannes Munck 26
.. Krister Stendahl 27
.. Karl-Wilhelm Niebuhr 28
.. Stanley Stowers 29
.. James Dunn 31
.. N. T. Wright 32
.. Terence Donaldson 35
. Related issues 36
.. The relationship between Jewish identity and Christ-believing
identity 36
.. The debate over Jewish “mission” 40
. Summary 43
 Paul’s language of Jewish identity 44
. Jewish distinctiveness 45
.. “Jew” and “circumcision”: Terms of Jewish distinctiveness 45
.. Common objections to the notion of Jewish distinctiveness in
Paul 47
... Gentiles as the “seed of Abraham”? 48
... An inclusive use of “Israel” in Rom 9–11? 48
... Paul’s definition of “Israel” in terms of God’s “call” (Rom
9:6b–13) 49
... The metaphor of the olive tree (Rom 11:17–24) 51
... “We are the circumcision” (Phil 3:3) 53
... The “Israel of God” (Gal 6:16) 55
... Christians as “spiritual” Jews? (Rom 2:28–29) 61
.. An ethnic distinctiveness 61
.. A theological distinctiveness 64
X Contents
. Jewish identity and divine revelation 67
.. Jewish identity and the Law of Moses 68
.. “Israelites” and divine revelation 73
.. “Hebrews” and divine revelation 76
. Jewish identity and divine vocation 78
.. The Law of Moses: A basis for Jewish vocation 78
.. Abraham’s fatherhood / seed: A paradigm for Jewish
vocation 82
... In Paul’s letters 82
... In Paul’s Jewish context 84
.. “Judaism” / “zeal”: Paul’s former expression of Jewish
vocation 89
.. Paul’s opposition to alternative expressions of Jewish
vocation 93
. Summary: Paul’s language of Jewish identity 94
 TheJewishnessofPaul’svocation(Romans1:1–15&15:14–33) 96
. Paul and the Isaianic Servant 99
.. Paul’s identification with the Isaianic Servant: Evidence 100
.. Paul’s identification with the Isaianic Servant: Common
objections 104
... Δοῦλος: A term of humility? 104
... Δοῦλος: A common term for believers? 107
... Δοῦλος: An economic or political allusion? 109
.. Paul’s identification with the Isaianic Servant: Significance 111
. Paul and Israel’s priesthood 112
.. Paul’s consecration 112
.. Paul’s priestly ministry 114
. Paul and contemporary expressions of Jewish vocation 119
.. “Proselytism”? 121
.. Accommodation? 126
.. Apologetics? 127
.. Israel asa global priesthood? 129
.. Eschatological expectations 130
.. Apparent anomalies 135
. Summary: Paul’s fulfilment of Israel’s eschatological
vocation 137
 Paul’s contest over Jewish identity (Romans 2:17–29) 140
. Romans 2:17–29 asan argument about Jewish identity 140