Paul’s view of the law in Romans and the Ethiopic tradition

ABSTRACT This dissertation examines Paul’s view of the law in Romans, interacting with modern exegetical traditions addressing the Old, New, and Radical New Perspectives, aiming to show how the three ways of understanding the law of God in the Ethiopian tradition enable one to grasp Paul’s complex presentation of the law in Romans and help clarify the diverse interpretations of the modern exegetical traditions. Paul’s view of the law written in the heart (2:12-16), the Torah (2: 12-29, 3:21-31; 7:7-25), the law of faith, and the law of the spirit of life (3:27-8; 8:2-11) might be understood as one Law of God in redemption history revealed in threefold manifestations. This thesis contends that within exegetical debates, there is little recognition or coherent articulation of such a perspective, where the presence of the unwritten law of God prior to the law of Moses, and the reception of the Torah with its relation to the law in the era of the NT is clearly presented as one law revealed in a three-pronged way (the unwritten law, the Torah, and the law in the NT). However, the interpretation of the law in the Ethiopian Church’s scriptural tradition is confirmed in a three-pronged way, demonstrating the unwritten law, the Torah, and the law of the gospel, and claiming these as the threefold law of God in the salvation history that frames creation to redemption. Therefore, the dissertation argues that the three-pronged interpretation of the law in the Ethiopian Church tradition as Həgga Ləbbunā (the law of the heart), Həgga Oritə (the Law of Moses), and Həgga Wanəgēlə (the law of the gospel) sheds light on how to grasp Paul’s complex use of the law in Romans and helps clarify the existing modern exegetical traditions on the interpretation of the law of God in Romans. Insight into the use of the unwritten law in Paul can be gained through examining the use of the law in the Ethiopian tradition, as Həgga Ləbbunā, because the tradition makes a substantial contribution in its claim of the presence of such a law before the time of Moses, which carries universal significance to be applied to all humanity. The unwritten law of God in the Ethiopian tradition, as Həgga Ləbbunā, is significant, clarifying the interpretation of the law in Romans attested in Rom 1:32 and 2:12-16, which is proven to be God’s decree and the law written in the hearts, respectively. In addition, interpreting the law as Həgga Oritə can be argued to be essential for grasping Paul’s view of the Law of Moses, because the Ethiopian Church tradition applies this law with universal implications, claiming its continuity in the era of the New Testament. The understanding of the law as Həgga Oritə in the interpretation of the Ethiopian tradition sheds light on Paul’s view of the Torah in Romans as having universal significance, because this law is claimed to have been given to the Ethiopians as well, with the implication of its universal validity for humanity. Further, the law in the Ethiopian tradition, as Həgga Wanəgēlə – the law of the gospel – is unique in placing within this not only the law of Christ and the gospel but also equally the law of faith and the law of the spirit of life, seeing all as the law of the gospel and the climax of the law of God. This interpretation implies continuity between the law of God in the NT and that from the OT without antithesis, harmonizing the three-pronged law as the unified law.