The Meaning of "Works of the Law" in Galatians and Romans

Paul's orientation toward the Law of Moses and the Judaism of his day, and the resulting impact upon his theological thought, have remained perplexing issues in New Testament and specialized Pauline studies. This book examines the meaning of Paul's expression «works of the law» in Galatians and Romans as a means toward resolution of these difficult areas. Robert Keith Rapa suggests that rightly apprehending Paul's perspective on «work», his use of rhetorical and epistolographical communication mechanisms, and his concept of the place of the Law in the redemptive program of God, leads to a coherent, consistent understanding of Paul's polemical argumentation and his approach to the Law of Moses. This understanding will in turn lend clarity to our interpretation of these epistles, which are key for grasping Paul's theology.

Autorentext

The Author: Robert Keith Rapa is Associate Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology at Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary of Cornerstone University, Grand Rapids, Michigan. He earned his Master of Theology degree from Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary and his Doctor of Theology degree from the University of South Africa in Pretoria, while living and teaching in Southeast Asia.

Zusammenfassung
«'The Meaning of 'Works of the Law' in Galatians and Romans' is a judicious treatment of an age-old and vitally important issue in the understanding of the theology of the apostle Paul - an issue that continues to be very much alive in the scholarly world and the church today, and whose reconciliation determines much in the working out of contemporary Christian thought and practice. Setting the expression in its historical, epistolary, and rhetorical contexts, Dr. Robert Keith Rapa's exegesis of 'works of the law' in these two major Pauline letters is highly significant and must not be ignored by either New Testament scholars or Christian theologians.»
(Richard N. Longenecker, Distinguished Professor of New Testament, McMaster Divinity College, McMaster University and Professor Emeritus of New Testament, Wycliffe College, University of Toronto)