Nomos

How do I work out the meaning of a Greek text? How can I best understand the forms and vocabulary in this particular text?
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Marc Possoff
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Joined: January 24th, 2013, 2:31 pm

Nomos

Post by Marc Possoff »

Most of the sources I have access too have nomos as; custom, tradition or norm, Jewish practices. So I'm seeing that nomos can be very broad not necessarily meaning Torah/Jewish practices every time.

Romans 10:4 as an example....

"For Christ is the end of the NOMOS for righteousness to everyone who believes"

How do we know it means the Torah/commandments/Jewish practices?

"For Christ is the end of the custom/ tradition/norm/Jewish practices for righteousness to everyone who believes"

Could this pertain to the righteousness that Paul also has written? That the nomos(whatever it means in context) pertains to the end of righteousness? Perseus has righteousness as righteousness, justice. Does righteousness also mean justice as in a 'judicial' sense if it also means justice? Is righteousness and justice one in the same?

So can it also mean...?

" For Christ is the end of the custom/tradition/norm/Jewish practices for justice to everyone who believes" in a 'judicial sense? Why do I think it's 'judicial'. Because Christ paid the penalty for sin for those that believe.

So it can go either way. Either Christ is the end of the Jewish practices for those that believe or Christ is the end of the penalty for those that believe.
Jason Hare
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Re: Nomos

Post by Jason Hare »

This is surely too steeped in theology for us to engage here. I'll contact you by PM to let you know some online places that you might be interested in bringing this up at.

As per a more appropriate topic, you might ask about the general uses of νόμος in the New Testament - without all of the theological implications that go with it. How did Paul use νόμος? Did it always take a generalized meaning akin to "custom, etc."? How can we tell if he is referring specifically to the Mosaic law (Torah) in a given context? Et cetera.
Jason A. Hare
The Hebrew Café
Tel Aviv, Israel
Marc Possoff
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Joined: January 24th, 2013, 2:31 pm

Re: Nomos

Post by Marc Possoff »

Jason Hare wrote:This is surely too steeped in theology for us to engage here. I'll contact you by PM to let you know some online places that you might be interested in bringing this up at.

As per a more appropriate topic, you might ask about the general uses of νόμος in the New Testament - without all of the theological implications that go with it. How did Paul use νόμος? Did it always take a generalized meaning akin to "custom, etc."? How can we tell if he is referring specifically to the Mosaic law (Torah) in a given context? Et cetera.
With all due respect I'm not sure the question is about theology.
Devenios Doulenios
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Re: Nomos

Post by Devenios Doulenios »

Hi Marc,

I suggest you try some concordance searches of the Greek NT itself to see how Paul uses nomos in various contexts. You can at least draw some preliminary conclusions that way and then ask more questions as they occur to you.

You could start with The Online Greek Bible, http://www.greekbible.com/, which has a searchable Nestle-Aland 26th ed./ United Bible Societies 3rd ed. Greek NT.

All the best,

Δεβἐνιος
Devenios
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Marc Possoff
Posts: 17
Joined: January 24th, 2013, 2:31 pm

Re: Nomos

Post by Marc Possoff »

Devenios Doulenios wrote:Hi Marc,

I suggest you try some concordance searches of the Greek NT itself to see how Paul uses nomos in various contexts. You can at least draw some preliminary conclusions that way and then ask more questions as they occur to you.

You could start with The Online Greek Bible, http://www.greekbible.com/, which has a searchable Nestle-Aland 26th ed./ United Bible Societies 3rd ed. Greek NT.

All the best,

Δεβἐνιος
Devenios
Thank you! greekbible.com says nomos doesn't always mean Law of Moses. It has many definitions.
Jason Hare
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Joined: June 2nd, 2011, 5:28 pm
Location: Tel Aviv, Israel
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Re: Nomos

Post by Jason Hare »

Marc Possoff wrote:
Devenios Doulenios wrote:Hi Marc,

I suggest you try some concordance searches of the Greek NT itself to see how Paul uses nomos in various contexts. You can at least draw some preliminary conclusions that way and then ask more questions as they occur to you.

You could start with The Online Greek Bible, http://www.greekbible.com/, which has a searchable Nestle-Aland 26th ed./ United Bible Societies 3rd ed. Greek NT.

All the best,

Δεβἐνιος
Devenios
Thank you! greekbible.com says nomos doesn't always mean Law of Moses. It has many definitions.
Be advised, though, that this doesn't mean that it never refers to the Torah either.
Jason A. Hare
The Hebrew Café
Tel Aviv, Israel
Marc Possoff
Posts: 17
Joined: January 24th, 2013, 2:31 pm

Re: Nomos

Post by Marc Possoff »

Jason Hare wrote:
Marc Possoff wrote:
Devenios Doulenios wrote:Hi Marc,

I suggest you try some concordance searches of the Greek NT itself to see how Paul uses nomos in various contexts. You can at least draw some preliminary conclusions that way and then ask more questions as they occur to you.

You could start with The Online Greek Bible, http://www.greekbible.com/, which has a searchable Nestle-Aland 26th ed./ United Bible Societies 3rd ed. Greek NT.

All the best,

Δεβἐνιος
Devenios
Thank you! greekbible.com says nomos doesn't always mean Law of Moses. It has many definitions.
Be advised, though, that this doesn't mean that it never refers to the Torah either.
I agree only the context would tell you what nomos means.
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