Paul’s hermeneutical Art in Explaining the New Creation
Abstract
In order to understand Paul we have to comprehend the Jewish paradigm of hermeneutics. Paul seems to presuppose that his readers knew Scripture too and while building his exposition of the new creation on Biblical creation narratives he felt no need to explain it in detail.
The tradition alone does not explain the ideas of Paul, but one is fortunate to find in his epistles autobiographical elements. He builds his case on his encounter with Christ that forced him to abandon his “former way of life in Judaism”. It appeared to have been a transformative encounter of pivotal significance. Paul recognised that it is only total fellowship in Christ, a shared destiny with him that matters and effects changes in human life. Paul expresses his personal commitment to Christ by stating that he now feels himself as having been crucified with Christ. On this basis the terms like transformation, metamorphosis, becoming another, becoming a new man, and new creation become far more understandable.
The new creation applies to the community as well as to the individual. Participation in Christ is corporate and the renewed image of Christ in individual human beings means the appearance of a new humanity who lives by the Spirit and walks by the Spirit.
Paul finalises his hermeneutical construction in Rom 8:29–30 with the hope for a change for the whole of creation. His eschatological point of view is not easy to explain. On one hand, on an individual and ecclesial basis, the outer nature of humans is wasting away. At the same time the inner nature – new creation – is being renewed day by day. On the other hand, resurrection of human beings is still ahead and creation is waiting to be set free from its bondage. New creation is at the same time an ongoing process and an event in the future.
It is highly probable that Paul looked at the new creation through Christ as the lens. Christ is the agent of the new creation and thus the source of Paul’s views on the new creation.
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References
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