Das schriftgemässe Evangelium des Paulus nach dem Zeugnis des Römerbriefes: Funktionalität und Legitimität des Schriftgebrauches = Paul's gospel according to Scripture: Paul's use of the Old Testament in his letter to the Romans : the function and legitimacy of Paul's use of Scripture

Abstract

In the presentation of his Gospel in his letter to the Romans Paul often quotes from the Old Testament. This indicates the functional significance of the OT as the foundation of Paul´s argumentation. However, is Paul´s use of Scripture legitimate? Does Paul change and misinterpret Scripture to fit his own ends? If Paul´s argumentation with Scripture follows contemporary, legitimate early Jewish methods of interpretation, then he could be cleared of the charge of manipulatively changing and interpreting Scripture. This thesis examines the textual basis of these quotations, the interpretive methods employed and the function of such quotations for Paul´s argumentation. The results suggest that Paul has not manipulated the textual basis. He employs the interpretive techniques of early Judaism and refers to Scripture mainly to affirm his presentation of the Gospel. A final section raises the issue what contemporary Biblical studies might learn from Paul´s use of Scripture.