Contextualising The Gospel by DR - JJLHope

Copyright© Dr. James Jerry L. Hope | email: jjl.hope@gmail.com | web: http://jerryhope.blogspot.
com/
Exegetical Perspectives of
Pauline Contextualisation of
Theological Concepts with
Selected Jurisdical Imagery In
Romans and it's Contextual
Application.
Dr. James Jerry L. Hope

Copyright© Dr. James Jerry L. Hope | email: jjl.hope@gmail.com | web: http://jerryhope.blogspot.com/
Introduction
The central problem statement in this
discussion has to do with the following
exegetical questions:
How did Paul explain the Gospel to his

Roman addressees (Jews, Gentiles in

Rome, who have become Christians)?

How may the Word of God be explained
to modern communities, urban societies,
who are highly politicised, live in a
culturally diversified country. As Paul's
addressees did during that period.
Purpose and Aim

The purpose and aim of this discussion
is to show by means of an exegetical
process how Paul went about to explain
the Gospel to his addressees who were
also highly politicised, lived in a culturally
diversified country and whose daily lives
were controlled by Roman law.
History

Various exegetical methods have been
applied by expositors in the past.

Since the 1970's new theories and
methods have been developed.

Some of these are:
•
Rhetorical analysis: analysing a text
with specific regard to Graeco-Roman
rhetorical techniques.
History

Structural analysis: taking note of the
structure of a text.

Conversational analysis: taking note of
the conversation engaged by the author.

Interactional model: incorporating all
the different methods.

Social scientific methods: analysing
from a social scientifical point of view.
History

Historical analysis: taking note of the
history of a text.

Grammatical analysis: analysing a text
grammatically.
History

A comprehensive description of each
method may be found in the work of
McKenzie and Haynes (An Introduction
to Biblical Criticism and their Application:
To Each Its Own Meaning”). John Knox
Press
Definitions

What is Exegesis?
The word “exegesis” is from a Greek
word which means “to unfold”; “to
narrate”; “to declare” (Luke 24:13; Acts
10:8; 15:12, 14; John 1:18) or “to tell
fully”; “to make known”; or “to provide
detailed information in a systematic
manner”. It also means to expose the
meaning of a text.
Definition

Exegesis has to do with the exposition or
interpretation of any literary production,
but more particularly the interpretation or
exposition of Scripture.

Exegesis is closely related to
Hermeneutics. However, these two
methods of interpretation are like two
sides of the same coin.
Definitions

Hermeneutics being the science and
exegesis, being the art of interpretation.

A distinction is usually made between
general and special hermeneutics:
general hermeneutics being
interpretation of all kinds of writings while
special hermeneutics is applied to the
interpretation of specific kinds of literary
productions.
Definitions

A further distinction may, however, be
made between secular literary
productions and interpretation of the
Bible.

Interpretation of the Bible is then known
as Hermeneutica Sacra: the science of
interpreting sacred scriptures.

This discussion has to do with
Hermeneutica Sacra.
Definitions

The hypothesised method to be applied
to Biblical Interpretation (Hermeneutica
Sacra) is the following:
A contextual interactional analysis which
includes rhetorical techniques, structural
analysis, conversational or grammatical
analysis, figures of speech and the
history of a word.
Definitions
This method may be applied to the Old
and the New Testament to ascertain the
true meaning of a text.
Definitions

What does “contextual” and “contextual
application” mean?
Definitions

The term “contextual” may be
understood in two different ways:

Firstly, in terms of “context” as in
linguistics where it refers to the literary
position of a word(s), phrase(s) or
statement(s) in relation to or in
connection with other words, phrases or
statements.
Definitions

Secondly, “contextual” may refer to the
connection within which words, phrases
and sentences are to be understood in
their relation to circumstances in real life.

In this presentation, the second meaning
of “contextual” is under discussion, with
regard to Paul's contextualisation of the
Gospel.
Definitions

The method of contextualisation was not
new in the time of Paul.

Jesus Christ Himself used
contextualisation as a method of
explaining the Kingdom of heaven by
connecting with the daily issues of his
audience.
Definitions

For this reason Jesus used parables,
similes, metaphors and comparisons to
explain the Gospel. He could, for
example say:
•
“For as Jonah was three days and three
nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the
Son of man will be three days and three
nights in the heart of the
earth.” (Matthew 12:40)
Definitions

“The Kingdom of heaven is like a good
man who sowed good seeds in his
field...” etc. (Matthew 13:24)

“The Kingdom of heaven is like a
mustard seed, which a man took and
planted in his field.” etc. (Matthew 13:31)

“The Kingdom of heaven is like treasure
hidden in a field.” etc. (Matthew 13:44)
Definitions

Paul contextualised the Gospel by
conveying or connecting the meaning of
a concept, used in the theological sphere
to the daily issues of the community. In
the letter to the Romans per se.

Paul connected with the juridical imagery
which was familiar to his addressees.
Paul's Method

Paul's addressees were Roman
Christian Jews and Christians who were
Roman citizens during a period called
the Principate, an era during which
Roman law reached its highest peak of
development.
Paul's Method

The date of writing was AD55 or 56
when Paul was in Corinth and writing
from there to his addressees. Paul
stayed in Corinth (Acts 20:1-3) in the
house of Gaius (Romans 16:23) and
dictated the contents of the letter to
Tersius (his secretary/scribe) who wrote
every word down (Romans 16:22).
Paul's Method

Paul's connection with juridical imagery
in the letter to the Romans is very clear
in the letter.

Paul could have connected with any
daily issue with which his addressees
were confronted, as he does in his other
letters.

However, in the case of Romans, he
chose to contextualise the Gospel with
juridical imagery.
Paul's Method

Probably, because Roman law imagery
was the best connecting point under the
circumstances (An Evangelist, Pastor or
Preacher must always seek the most
appropriate connecting point to explain
the Gospel.)
Paul's Method

The following are a few examples of
instances in Romans where Paul
contextualises theological concepts with
juridical imagery, in other words with
figurative illustrations by means of
concepts that have to do with law.
Paul's Method

But, firstly, what do you we mean when
we say Paul contextualised theological
concepts with juridical concepts?

We mean Paul connected the Gospel
concepts with juridical concepts to
explain the Gospel.
Paul's Method
The relationship between slave and

master (Romans 4:1).
The juridical concept of
“witness” (Romans 1:9).
Juridical imagery relating to the law of
contract and commercial law: the
concept “bound” (Romans 1:14).
Paul's Method

He uses a legal concepts such as
“righteousness” (Romans 1:17); “without
excuse” (Romans 1:20);
“acquittal” (Romans 1:27);
“unrighteousness” (Romans 1:29); “a
righteous judgement” (Romans 2:5);
“justification” (Romans 3:20); “obligation”
(Romans 4:4); “principal of
legality” (Romans 5:12-18)
Paul's Method
“the legal relationship between husband
and wife” (Romans 7:1-6).

He uses the concepts of “adoption” and
“succession” (Romans 8:14-17).

In Romans 14:10-13, Paul refers to the
“judgement of God”.

All these verses contain examples
concepts from Roman law which Paul
used to explain the Gospel.
Paul's Method

Paul uses many other concepts with
Roman law implications in his letter to
explain the theological concepts in the
Gospel in order to reach out to his
Roman law orientated addressees.

In the process of applying this method,
Paul uses various techniques:
Paul's Method

Techniques from rhetoric. During Roman
times the word rhetor referred to a
lawyer, attorney or public speaker (Acts
24:1). The Pauline era lawyers,
attorneys and public speakers were
renowned for their skill in articulate
speech in using legal hermeneutical
principles.
Paul's Method

In all these functions the public speaker
or preacher had to comply with Gaeco-
Roman rhetoric or oratory which
included:
Paul's Method

The ethos: a positive picture which the
listeners were suppose to have about
the writer or speaker, his quality and his
character (ethos). The idea was to
proclaim popularity, to recommend
himself (Romans 1:4).
Paul's Method

The pathos: The appeal to the emotions
of his listeners or addressees (pathos),
which was usually applied at the end of
the discourse (Romans 1:6, 7).

The logos: The logical presentation of
his speech or sermon (logos). The logos
was used interactively throughout the
speech.
Paul's Method

The demonstrative part relating to the
showing or proving a case by strong
exhibition of feelings.

Inventio which means “to come to the
point”.

The dispositio which means “the manner
in which the speech or letter was
arranged.
Paul's Method

The alocutio which means “speaking
out”.

The memorial which means “memorising
of the speech in toto”.

The pronuntiatio which means the
presentation.
Paul's Method

In the process of using all these
techniques of rhetoric, the speaker or
writer had to use figures of speech, such
as, comparison, simile, metaphor,
parable, and many others.

Paul uses all these techniques in
Romans, including structural
composition of his pericopes in which he
makes use of syllogism.
Paul's Method

A syllogism consists of two propositions
from which a third statement is reached.

Paul made frequent use of this type of
reasoning in his letter to the Romans, for
example in Romans 5:12, Paul states:
Structural Example
Graphical Examples
Typical Pauline Propositions Embedded
in Pauline Argumentations

Example 1: Romans 3:9, 10 “We have
already made the charge that Jews and
Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is
written: “There is no one righteous, not
even one”. Paul’s conclusion in verse
10 may be reconstructed by applying the
tree diagram used by philologists (Leech
[sa] 12 and Chomsky, 1957) as follows
(cf Du Plessis 1982):
Graphical Examples
Graphical Examples
The previous tree diagram serves as an

example of a proposition, which may
form part of a syllogism embedded with
other compound propositions in a
pericope.
Graphical Examples
This is the simplest analytical structure

of a proposition, which may be deemed
to be the smallest part of a syllogistic
argument.
Graphical Examples
Example 3
Graphical Examples
A more complex structure than the

above may be illustrated as follows, with
reference to Romans 7:7.
Graphical Examples
This is an indication of how complex
arguments may be syntactically
analysed into smaller and simpler
constituents through the technique of
embedding. The embedded propositions
1a, 1b and 1c have varied syntactic
realizations. There may be further
embeddings depending on the
complexity of the argument.
Contextual Application, e.g.

Romans 1:1-8

At this stage of the process the whole
text must be contextually analysed by
applying the method mentioned earlier:
“Examining the original texts, rhetorical
techniques, logical and grammatical
constructions of sentences, analysing
verbs critically according to tenses and
moods, the author's conversation,
figures of speech whether similes,
parables, comparisons or metaphors.”
Contextual Application, e.g.

Romans 1:1-8

Romans 1:1-8 may be approached as an
example as follows:

[micro structure]
Tools for Exegesis


Constant Prayer

The Bible

Knowledge of original languages

A reliable Hebrew/English or
English/Hebrew lexicon, in the case of
OT exegesis

A reliable Greek/English or
English/Greek lexicon, in the case of NT
exegesis
Tools for Exegesis


One or two analytical commentaries
whether OT or NT
Recommended Training and

Proposed Curriculum

Hebrew (Classical) 
Homiletics

Greek (Hellenistic) 
Science of Missions

Old Testament Cannon 
Pastoral Councilling

New Testament Cannon 
Liturgics

Dogmatics 
History of NT Revelation

Exegesis O T 
History of OT Revelation

Exegesis N T 
Hermeneutics

Church History 
Apologetics
Recommended Training and

Proposed Curriculum

A financially strong church or co-
operation of churches could consider
establishing a theological school for
training.

Existing theological schools may be
considered.
Contextualisation of OT
Prophecy
‫כֽי־כ ה׀ אמר יהוה הנני נ טֽה־אליה כנהר של ום‬
‫וכנחל ש וטף כב וד ג וים וֽינקתם על־צד תנשאו‬
‫ועל־ברכים תשע(שֽעו׃‬
‫כאיש א*שר אמ ו תנ *חמנו כן אֽנ כי א*נחמכם‬
‫חֽמו׃‬-‫ובירֽושל ם תנ‬
Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia : With Westminster Hebrew Morphology. 1996, c1925; morphology c1991 (electronic
ed.) . German Bible Society; Westminster Seminary: Stuttgart; Glenside PA
Definition of Prophecy

The word “prophecy” is derived from the
Greek word προφῆται which consists
of prefix προ “before” and φάναι which
means “to speak”, “to interpret”, “words
spoken by a spokesman of God”.

προφητεία, ας, ἡ prophecy; (1) as the
gift (χάρισμα) of inspired speaking granted
to believers by the Spirit prophecy, ability to
prophesy (RO 12.6); (2) as the utterance of a
prophet prophetic words, inspired saying,
prophecy (1C 14.6); (3) as a foretelling of
future events prediction, prophecy (MT
13.14); (4) as the work of a prophet
prophetic activity, prophesying (RV 11.6)
 Friberg, T., Friberg, B., & Miller, N. F. 2000. Vol. 4: Analytical lexicon of the Greek New Testament. Baker's Greek New
Testament library . Baker Books: Grand Rapids, Mich.

Same method for interpreting New
Testament.

Interpret keywords.

Interpret grammatically.

Contextualise
End

Continue the discussion online at:
http://jerryhope.blogspot.com
Email: jjl.hope@gmail.com

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Copyright© Dr. James Jerry L. Hope | email: jjl.hope@gmail.com | web: http://jerryhope.blogspot.

Dr. James Jerry L. Hope

Roman addressees (Jews, Gentiles in

Purpose and Aim

The relationship between slave and

The previous tree diagram serves as an

This is the simplest analytical structure

A more complex structure than the

Contextual Application, e.g.

Contextual Application, e.g.

Tools for Exegesis

Tools for Exegesis

Recommended Training and

Recommended Training and

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