From: Iver Larsen (alice-iver_larsen@wycliffe.org)
Date: Sun Jan 28 2001 - 06:57:15 EST
Moon wrote:
> Dear b-greekers,
>
> I wonder if we can interpret Rom 6:14b
> OU GAR ESTE hUPO NOMON ALLA hUPO CARIN
>
> to mean:
> For you (Gentiles) are under Grace although you are not under Law.
>
> This interpretation was motivated by my attempt to
> understand ESTE hUPO NOMON to mean "are Law-people",
> i.e. "are the Jewish people". hUPO NOMON has such a meaning
> in many places in Paul's letters. Moreover, it is the most
> obvious meaning of the phrase.
I would consider that interpretation of hUPO NOMON questionable.
> So, I would like to apply that
> meaning here as well, rather than taking it to mean "under the
> condemnation of the Law", for instance.
>
> My concern is whether the syntax allows such an interpretation.
> Let me try to paraphrase Paul along this line as follows:
>
> Paul: 6:14a Do not let sin be the master of you (Gentiles).
> Questioner: why? We (Gentiles) do not have Law, which tells not to sin.
> Paul: I know you are not under Law. But you are under Grace.
> That's why.
>
> So what I want to say is: Paul does not make a direct contrast between
> hUPO NOMON and hUPO CARIN.
>
> If we render 6:14b as
> "For you are not under Law but you are under Grace",
> wouldn't it possible to take "you are not under Law" as
> subordinate to "you are under Grace", rather than
> as parallel?
>
> Moreover, I have noticed that we do not have
>
> (a)
> GAR ESTE OU hUPO NOMON ALLA hUPO CARIN
>
> but
> (b)
> OU GAR ESTE hUPO NOMON ALLA hUPO CARIN.
>
> Does it make a difference? Would (b) allow my interpretation,
> whereas (a) would not.
>
> Any comments?
Your (a) would be incorrect Greek syntax, since GAR always takes up slot no. 2
in the clause. The negative OU really belongs in the first slot, because the
focus lies on the negation. Again, if I use capitals in English to show
highlighting, Paul is saying "You are NOT under law, instead you are under
grace."
I suppose Paul might possibly have said: ESTE GAR OU hUPO NOMON ALLA hUPO CARIN,
but that looks very strange and questionable to me. That is bad Greek, I
believe. If Paul had wanted to focus on his readers and contrast them with other
people, I think he could have said: hUMEIS GAR OU hUPO NOMON ALLA hUPO CARIN
ESTE or OU GAR hUMEIS hUPO NOMON ALLA hUPO CARIN ESTE. But he didn't.
Because the strong contrastive ALLA is used in OU ... hUPO NOMON ALLA hUPO
CARIN, it seems very unlikely that a clear contrast is not intended.
I think the problem has to do with some assumptions you may have concerning the
interpretation of the whole context, especially chapter 7. (This could lead to a
huge theological discussion, which is beyond this list, so I'll try to stay away
from that, if possible.) However, certain passages in the immediate context seem
important for understanding the intended meaning of 6:14.
I doubt that Paul is here contrasting the Jews and Gentiles. I don't see any
indication of that in chapter 6. It seems to me that Paul is saying in chapter 7
that even those who live under law are under the power of sin, because the law
can only point to sin and not overcome the power of sin. A key expression in
6:14 is hAMARTIA hUMWN OU KURIEUSEI (sin will have no dominion over you). The
following GAR further explains what that means. Only those who truly live under
grace, are released from the dominion of sin. Those who still live under law,
whether Jews, or Proselytes or Gentiles who have adopted the law, are still
under the dominion of sin. Personified sin is using the law as instrument for
its own evil purposes (7:7-11), even though the law in itself is good (7:12-13).
Confer also chapter 8:1-4 which introduces and focuses on the power which was to
replace the powerless law, namely the power which comes from the grace of God
through redemption in Christ Jesus and the power inherent in the Holy Spirit.
Iver Larsen
Kolding, Denmark
alice-iver_larsen@wycliffe.org
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