Baptism and Cognition in Romans 6-8: Paul's Ethics beyond 'Indicative' and 'Imperative'

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Baptism, for Paul, is a christological event that he also uses in his ethical argument. The discussion of the relationship between Paul's theology and ethics has made use of the terms 'indicative' and 'imperative' since Wernle and Bultmann. As subsequent discussion has shown, these terms are problematic not only because of their rigidity and ambiguity. In this study, Samuli Siikavirta focuses on Romans 6-8, the key text for the interplay between Paul's theological and ethical material. He brings the discussion back to what he sees as central to this interaction: baptism and its cognition. Both elements are examined in their Jewish and Stoic settings. Death to sin, slavery to God, holiness and the indwelling of the Spirit are all seen as integral parts of the baptismal state that is deeply christological rather than symbolical. Paul's cognitive language is then viewed in light of his desire to remind his addressees of who and whose they are because of their baptism. Cover Preface Table of Contents Abbreviations General Abbreviations Journals, Major Reference Works, Series etc. Non-Christian Greek and Roman Writings Jewish Apocryphal, Pseudepigraphal and Other Extrabiblical Writings Early Christian and Reformation Writings Chapter 1: Introduction 1. The Thesis and Its Significance 2. Method and Procedure 3. Definition of Terms Chapter 2: Paul’s ‘Indicative’ and ‘Imperative’: A Review of Scholarship 1. The Birth of the Problem Paul Wernle: ‘Indicative’ of Sinlessness and Superfluous ‘Imperative’ 2. Early Solutions to the Problem Rudolf Bultmann: A Paradoxical Dichotomy Understandable through Faith Günther Bornkamm: Baptismal ‘Imperatives’ Unveiling the Hidden New Life Victor P. Furnish: Gift and Demand in Paul’s Theological Ethics 3. Denials of the Dichotomy that Accept the Terms Wolfgang Schrage: Summary Statements of Paul’s Christological Ethics Søren Agersnap: The Natural ‘Imperative’ in Paul’s Baptismal Paraenesis Rudolf Schnackenburg: Sacramental-Eschatological Ethics as the Solution to a Protestant Problem Anders Klostergaard Petersen: No Dichotomy in Paul’s Contractual Ethics John Barclay: Obliging Gift and Imperatival Grace 4. Re-configurations of the Schema Friedrich W. Horn: A Lutheran Criticism of the New Perspective View of the ‘Imperative’ Christof Landmesser: The ‘Imperative’ as a Christological Performative Troels Engberg-Pedersen: Descriptive ‘Indicative’ and Prescriptive ‘Imperative’ Udo Schnelle: Transformation and Participation David G. Horrell: Group Identity Preserved by Ethics Knut Backhaus: Locative Being in Christ instead of Imperatival Doing 5. The End of the Problem? Ruben Zimmermann: A Complete Rejection of the Old Schema 6. Conclusion: The Nature and Relevance of the Debate Chapter 3: Paul’s Ethics in Context 1. Ritual and Ethics in Paul’s Jewish Context Ritual and Moral Purity in the Jewish Scriptures Miqwa’ot and Purity during Second-Temple Judaism Ritual and Moral Purity at Qumran Ritual and Moral Purity in Rabbinic Texts Ritual and Moral Purity according to John the Baptist and Jesus Paul’s Jewish Heritage: Purity through Water 2. Cognition and Ethics in Paul’s Stoic Context Why Stoicism? Cognitive Similarities between Roman Stoics and Paul Theological Differences between the Stoics and Paul Paul’s Stoic Heritage: Cognition of Being in Christ 3. Paul’s Paraclesis in Light of the New Perspective 4. Romans 6-8 in the Wider Pauline Baptismal Context Galatians 3:27 1 Corinthians 1:13-17; 6:11; 10:2; 12:13 and 15:29 Colossians 2 : l l - 1 4 Ephesians 4:5 Titus 3:4-8 Some Cognitive Comparisons in the Pauline Corpus 5. Conclusion Chapter 4: Baptismal Status and Identity 1. Baptism in Romans 6: Metaphor, Real Rite and Self-Identification Setting the Scene for Paul’s Baptismal Paraclesis Baptismal Metaphor or Concrete Rite? Insights from Verbal Aspect and Voice Baptismal Self-Identification 2. Baptismal Death to the Old Master Death as the Problem Death as the Solution 3. Baptismal Life to the New Master Life in Free Slavery under God Life in Us: the Indwelling Christ and His Spirit Life Now and Not Yet 4. Sanctification in Romans 6 as Status and Identity-Forming Tool Sanctification: Ambiguity of Meaning Paul’s OT Background: ΄Αγιασμός as Divine Separation From Slavery to Slavery: ΄Αγιασμός as a Relationship The NT Context of εἰς ἁγιασμόν: Holiness as a God-Given Status The Significance of the εἰς Holiness as Identity-Forming Tool: Cognition of the Baptismal Identity 5. Conclusion Chapter 5: Cognition of the Baptismal State 1. Reminding as a Purpose of Romans 2. Paul’s Cognitive Language Rhetorical Questions as a Cognitive Tool Knowing, Understanding and their Opposites (γινώσκω, ἀγνοέω, γνῶσις,ἐπίγνωσις, οἶδα, συνίημι) Mind and Mindset (φρονέω, φρόνημα, νοῦς) Reckoning and Reasoning (λογίζομαι, διαλογισμός) 3. Conclusion Chapter 6: Conclusion: The Baptismal Foundation of Paul’s Ethics Bibliography Non-Christian Greek and Roman Writings Jewish Apocryphal, Pseudepigraphal and Other Extrabiblical Writings Early Christian and Reformation Writings Reference Works Commentaries Works Cited Index of References Old Testament New Testament Non-Christian Graeco-Roman Literature Early Jewish Literature Early Christian and Reformation Literature Index of Modern Authors Index of Subjects