- Copyright Page
- List of Abbreviations
- List of Contributors
- Introduction: Vistas in the Study of Biblical Law
- Covenant
- Social Justice
- Offenses Against Human Beings in Private and Public Law
- Litigation: Trial Procedure, Jurisdiction, Evidence, Testimony
- Women, Children, Slaves, and Foreigners
- Ritual Law: Sacrifice and Holy Days
- Purity and Sancta Desecration in Ritual Law
- “An Eye for an Eye” and Capital Punishment
- The Decalogue
- The Book of the Covenant
- Priestly Law
- Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomic Reform
- Law and Narrative
- Determining the Date of Biblical Legal Texts
- The Role of Law in the Formation of the Pentateuch and the Canon
- The Law and the Prophets
- Law in the Wisdom Tradition
- Ancient Near Eastern Law Collections and Legal Forms and Institutions
- Ancient Near Eastern Treaties/Loyalty Oaths and Biblical Law
- Monarchy and Law in the Pre-Exilic Period
- Law in the Persian Period
- The Law in the Late Second Temple Period
- The Bible and the Sources of Rabbinic Law
- The Law and the Gospels, with Attention to the Relationship Between the Decalogue and the Sermon on the Mount/Plain
- Ethical and Moral Duties in Rabbinic Judaism
- Paul and the Covenant
- Rabbinic Law
- Ritual Law in Rabbinic Judaism
- Women, Children, and Slaves in Rabbinic Law
- Women, Children, Slaves, and the Law in the New Testament Period
- Social Justice in Early Christianity
- Social Justice in Rabbinic Judaism
- Index of Citations
- Index of Modern Authors
- Index of Subjects
Abstract and Keywords
This chapter examines the ways in which Paul utilizes the concept of covenant in his writings. It situates Paul’s usage of the term “covenant” (diathēkē) within the legal and religious contexts of covenants among ancient Israel. In noting the large variety of covenants in the Hebrew Bible, this chapter suggests that Paul’s use of covenant language and imagery reflects that same variety, and thus full treatments of Pauline texts dealing with covenant must be seen broadly in light of ancient Israelite covenant theology. Ultimately, this approach to Paul and the covenant requires a re-examination of his explicit references to covenant, and also a re-analysis of his writings for the sorts of language, concepts, and imagery that are regularly associated with covenants in the Hebrew Bible.
Keywords: Paul, covenant theology, covenant typologies, treaty, analogy, Abraham, new covenant, testament, Pauline epistles, Hebrew Bible
John W. Welch is the Robert K. Thomas Professor of Law in the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University.
Jacob Rennaker is the John A. Widtsoe Fellow at Chapman University’s Fish Interfaith Center.
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- Copyright Page
- List of Abbreviations
- List of Contributors
- Introduction: Vistas in the Study of Biblical Law
- Covenant
- Social Justice
- Offenses Against Human Beings in Private and Public Law
- Litigation: Trial Procedure, Jurisdiction, Evidence, Testimony
- Women, Children, Slaves, and Foreigners
- Ritual Law: Sacrifice and Holy Days
- Purity and Sancta Desecration in Ritual Law
- “An Eye for an Eye” and Capital Punishment
- The Decalogue
- The Book of the Covenant
- Priestly Law
- Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomic Reform
- Law and Narrative
- Determining the Date of Biblical Legal Texts
- The Role of Law in the Formation of the Pentateuch and the Canon
- The Law and the Prophets
- Law in the Wisdom Tradition
- Ancient Near Eastern Law Collections and Legal Forms and Institutions
- Ancient Near Eastern Treaties/Loyalty Oaths and Biblical Law
- Monarchy and Law in the Pre-Exilic Period
- Law in the Persian Period
- The Law in the Late Second Temple Period
- The Bible and the Sources of Rabbinic Law
- The Law and the Gospels, with Attention to the Relationship Between the Decalogue and the Sermon on the Mount/Plain
- Ethical and Moral Duties in Rabbinic Judaism
- Paul and the Covenant
- Rabbinic Law
- Ritual Law in Rabbinic Judaism
- Women, Children, and Slaves in Rabbinic Law
- Women, Children, Slaves, and the Law in the New Testament Period
- Social Justice in Early Christianity
- Social Justice in Rabbinic Judaism
- Index of Citations
- Index of Modern Authors
- Index of Subjects
