Re: Romans 1:16,17 - The antecedent of EN AUTW

From: Joe A. Friberg (JoeFriberg@email.msn.com)
Date: Mon Feb 14 2000 - 11:10:09 EST


----- Original Message -----
From: "Eric S. Weiss" <eweiss@gte.net>
Sent: Monday, February 14, 2000 9:52 AM

> Does ruling out "to them" for EN AUTWi - i.e., a dative of reference -
> still allow for the earlier suggestion that EN AUTWi is a locative with
the
> antecedent being PANTI TWi PISTEUONTI - i.e., "the righteousness of God is
> revealed IN HIM (i.e., each one who believes)..."?
>
> I personally feel this is not what Paul is saying. I agree with the usual
> translation (i.e., TO EUAGGELION is the antecedent) - as in 1:18 God's
> wrath is revealed FROM HEAVEN (i.e., a place/thing), so in 1:17 God's
> righteousness is revealed in/by a thing (i.e., the Gospel).

Just to play the adversarial role here, let me ask why the parallel between
1.17 and 1.18 could not be developed this way:

EN AUTWi [PANTI TWi PISTEUONTI]
as the target realm of revelation parallel w/:
EPI PASAN ASEBEIAN KAI ADIKIAN ANQRWPWN

and

EK PISTEWS EIS PISTIN
as the motivating attitude/action for the revelation, parallel w/:
TWN THN ALHQEIAN EN ADIKIAi KATEXONTWN

This leaves AP OURANOU unparalleled, unless it to finds its parallel in EK
PISTEWS; but semantically this is a stretch.

I might add that my theology already holds that 'the righteousness of God'
is actually established and worked into a believer's life in the present
(based on other passages), so this reading of this verse does not add
anything there, but is simply consonant with those other passages. Further,
if I read EN AUTWi as referring back to TO EUAGGELION, even in this passage
I would essentially understand the semantics of this verse (1.17) as
implying the righteousness is actually worked out in the life of the
believer. And with this alternate reading (with EN AUTWi as locative), I
still understand the 'faith' as connected with 'the gospel' mentioned in the
previous verse. So, all in all, I'm not sure that the semantics of the
verse is changed by either reading, except for a slight change in empahsis.

Still thinking!
Joe A. Friberg

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