Table of Contents
Dedication v
Abbreviations xiii
Introduction 1
Part 1 Creation
Chapter 1 The Apostle of Creation 7
The Gods and the Cosmos in Ancient Thought and Worship 9
A Different God 11
A Different Cosmos 14
Creation, Reason, and Argument 15
The Creator God as the Foundation of Pauline Theology 20
Conclusion: Apostle of a Different God 23
Chapter 2 The Good News of the Fall 24
The Origin of Evil, Suffering, and Death 24
Pauline Anthropology: Human Beings as Originally Created 26
The Body 27
The Soul 27
Body and Soul 28
Sex and Gender 29
The Image of God 30
Pauline Anthropology: Human Beings as Fallen 31
Paul's Doctrine of Original Sin in Its Ancient Context 34
Creation and Fall as the Map for Paul's Theology 35
Conclusion: The Fallen Creation and the Good Creator 38
Part 2 Incarnation
Chapter 3 The Two Streams of Expectation 43
The Exodus and Its Climax: The Name and Presence of God 44
The First Major Stream of Jewish Expectation 46
The Second Major Stream of Jewish Expectation 49
The Name and Presence of God in Paul's Theology 51
1 Corinthians 8:4-6 51
Colossians 1:16-17 53
Romans 10:12-13 54
Philippians 2:9-11 54
Paul's Incarnational Christology 56
The Two Streams of Expectation in Paul's Letters 56
Conclusion: The Secret of Paul's Christology 60
Chapter 4 Paul's Gospel of the Incarnation 62
The Incarnation in Its Ancient Pagan Context 62
Incarnation and Creation 65
The One Lord of the Old Testament in Paul's Gospel 65
A Divine but Not an Incarnational Christology? 70
God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ 73
An Anachronistic Reading of Paul? 74
Conclusion: Paul's Incarnational Christology 75
Chapter 5 The Epicenter of Paul's Theology 76
Union with the Creator God in Pauline Theology 77
Participation as the Key to Pauline Christology 79
Participation within the Larger Narrative of Paul's Gospel 81
Participation in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit 83
The Spirit of God's Son 85
The Epicenter of Paul's Theology 88
Conclusion: The Heart of Paul's Gospel 90
Part 3 Covenant
Chapter 6 Paul and the Law in Full Perspective 95
The Problem of the Law in Paul: The Challenge of the "New Perspective" 96
Three Proposed Solutions to the Problem of the Law in Paul 98
The "New Perspective" Solution 98
The "Two Covenants" Approach 99
A Modified Return to the "Old Perspective" 99
The Three Proposed Solutions: Why They Do Not (Fully) Work 100
The "New Perspective" Solution 101
The "Two Covenants" Approach 102
A Modified Return to the "Old Perspective" 103
The Solution to the Problem of Law and Covenant in Paul 104
Law and Covenant in Psalm 143 105
Psalm 143:2 in Covenanted Context 106
Righteousness Apart from the Covenant in Jewish Thought 107
Romans 3:20 in Its Jewish and Covenantal Context 108
Conclusion: The Law in Paul in Covenantal Perspective 110
Chapter 7 The Covenant and the Cross 113
Abrahamic Covenant and New Covenant in the Old Testament 114
The Covenant of Abraham and the Cross of Christ 116
The Cross of Christ and the Love of God 117
Covenant and Communion 120
Faith and the Covenant 121
Conclusion: Covenant, Cross, and Communion 124
Chapter 8 Justification within the Covenant 126
Righteousness and Justification in Paul 126
The Righteousness of God: Belonging to God or Given to Human Beings? 127
The Righteousness of God: Forgiveness or Sanctification? 129
Faith and Ethics in Paul 132
The Fulfillment of the Law 133
Conclusion: Paul's Covenantal Theology of justification 135
Part 4 Kingdom
Chapter 9 Easter in Ancient Context 139
The Everlasting Sorrow-Death and the Afterlife in Ancient Paganism 139
Ancient Philosophy 140
Popular Thought and Religion 141
Coping with Death in Antiquity 142
A Powerful Yearning 143
A Different Promise from a Different God 145
The Good News of Jesus's Resurrection 147
The Interim State 149
Cosmic Judgment and Cosmic Renewal 150
The "Good News" of the Resurrection in Ancient Context 151
The God Who Gives Life to the Dead 152
Jesus's Resurrection and the Mystery of God 154
Conclusion: The Good News of a Different God and His Victory 156
Chapter 10 The Resurrection of the Body in Paul's Gospel 158
The Good News of the Resurrection: The Church's Historic Reading of 1 Corinthians 15 159
Less Than Good News: Contemporary Mis readings of 1 Corinthians 15 160
The Structure of Paul's Argument in 1 Corinthians 15:36-54 162
The Analogy of the Seed in 1 Corinthians 15:36-41 165
The "Spiritual Body" in 1 Corinthians 15:44 165
Does 1 Corinthians 15:50 Preclude the Resurrection of the Flesh? 167
The Central Verb for the Resurrection Event in 1 Corinthians 15 169
The Resurrection of the Body Elsewhere in Paul 171
The Importance of the Resurrection of the Flesh in Paul's Theology 171
Conclusion: The Easter Gospel of 1 Corinthians 15 173
Chapter 11 The New Life 175
Creation's Renewal Now Come in Christ 176
A Sacramental New Life 179
The Transformation of the Intellect 181
Conclusion: The Creation-Renewing Power of Easter 181
Chapter 12 The New Law 183
The Law of Christ 183
A Revolution of Love 185
Love for God 186
Love of Neighbor 188
Marriage and Sexuality 189
Conclusion: The New Law of Christ in the Teaching of Paul 196
Part 5 Paul and Christian Origins
Chapter 13 The Gospel of the Eyewitnesses 201
Our Earliest Historical Sources 203
Our Most Valuable Source: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 205
The Apostolic Origins of the Body of Teaching in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 207
Further Evidence from Paul's Letters 211
Conclusion: The Evidence of Paul's Letters for Christian Origins 215
Chapter 14 Paul and Peter among the Apostles 217
Paul within the Apostolic College 217
The Twelve as the Nucleus of the Apostolic College 218
Paul's Unique Place among the Apostles 219
Peter among the Apostolic Pillars 221
Paul among the Apostolic Pillars 222
Peter and Paul in the Ancient Church 226
Paul's Distinctive Role among the Apostolic Pillars 227
The Apostolic Pillars and the New Testament 228
Reading Paul's Letters within the New Testament 232
Conclusion: Paul among the Apostles and in the New Testament 233
Acknowledgments 235
Bibliography 237
Index of Authors 247
Index of Subjects 249
Index of Scripture and Other Ancient Texts 254
