These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute. Lecture 20 Outline of Last Lecture II. Paul’s mission III. The community in Corint Outline of Current Lecture IV. Ethics now and then V. Pauline criteria for behavior Current Lecture I. Ethics Now and then - The problem of re-contextualizing ethics o we have certain views now that are commonsensible to us but wouldn’t be commensensible to the ancient world and vice versa. Hard to take ancient texts dealing with ethics and applying them to the modern period without modernizing them o with respect to women, if you take NT ethics on women would broadly say they cant go to church unless they wear a heard wrap and cant speaknot okay today but was back then in context o ethics in context  Night sailing: don’t ever sail at night (book in ancient context)-makes sense: didn’t have sonar and lights; if you sail in the dark that’s crazy. But in modern period that’s a irrelevant command b/c we have lights and stuff that makes it safe to sail at night. If you put something in new context, old rules may not apply  head coverings: don’t know exactly whats going on with head coverings; doesn’t say that its b/c doesn’t want them to look like prostitues, but b/c of the angels; is it b/c of the bad angels? Or good angels?  Same sex relations: in antiquity, these were seen as usually wrong depending on context but not always wrong. In ancient Greece, accepted practice that an adult man upperclassman would have a boy lover (pederasty)-this boy lover would hang around man so he could teach him the way of society in exchange for sexual favos. Thought okay b/c it was society that enhanced dominance. Dominance was ethically right. Men are superior to women, men superior to boys-ideology of dominance. So why are they condemned? Problem is not the problem today-today people say its contrary to nature (physiology-isnt designed to receive sex). Ancient people thought it Reli 104 1st Editionwasn’t natural for man to be nominated from another man-shouldn’t be dominated by another dominant man cause then your acting as subordinant when your supposed to be a dominant. Guy on top is not being unethical-it’s the guy on bottom b/c not natural for a man to behave like a women.*whats natural to them isn’t whats natural to us-don’t look at world same way we look world o Problem of recontextualizing anything-have to understand what it meant in original context to see if its relevant to us. If you want to apply bible to your life, have to recontextualize it. Have to take bible out of that context and make it applicable to this context - ultimate concerns o how can I be a good person?  most of us want to be a good person. What does it mean to be a good person and how can I do it o how can we get along for the long haul?  what ethical decisions can I make to help us in long haul-environmental **Paul didn’t think about these - Ultimate concerns: Paul o how does justification apart from the law not lead to “lawlessness”-central question for Paul. Apart form the Jewish law. Had to explain why you should be ethical if you behavior isn’t what makes you right with God o How does the future redemption affect my present behavior (does the body matter)-at end of age going to be resurrection of dead people-brought back to life in bodies (bodies going to live forever)body matters to god, if it matters then it matters what you do with your body (that has ethical implications). *Paul’s ethics aren’t our ethics II. Pauline Criteria for behavior - how do we know how to behave? Behave in way that gives you least pain and most pleasure-don’t give a second thought to it. Other people are more thoughtful and want to figure out ethical guidelines for your life. Ethical issues are everywhat - Paul’s views are rooted in understanding that Christ has brought salvation to the world. His criteria that he used in order to establish how a Christian out to live: o scripture  thought scripture could tell people how they ought to live to an extent.  meant the Hebrew bible (OT). Little tricky talking about Paul’s use of scripture b/c he thought that laws given to Jews by Moses arnt necessary for salvation-gentiles don’t need to follow all Jewish laws (circumcision). Clearly thought that laws we would call ethical laws should be followed-doesn’t make differentiation btw ethical laws and ritual laws but seems like some distinction is simplicit  ritualistic: kosher, circumcision-what makes a Jew Jewish ethical: don’t commit adultery, ect o the teachings of Jesus  complicated b/c Paul says hardly anything about teachings of Jesus-says little about this in his 7 letters. Why? Only quotes 2 teachings of Jesus in 1 Corinthians:  pay your preacher  shouldn’t get a divorce *why: didn’t think it was relevant? Weird b/c people would give a teaching (Roman 13) and a quote from Jesus would work perfectly. not much ethical essence: maybe more when preached to people outside of letters o The example of Christ: clearly on Paul’s mind  can see this in 1 Philipians ch26:11-most studied passage in all of Paul’s writings. Poetic passage; think he is quoting some kind of poem. Tells readers that they should follow christs example. Was a divine being how gave that up to be a regular being and was cruxified. Understands he was a divine human before he became a human being (not in Matt and luke-nothings to suggest that he was something before he was born). Telling them they should follow that example-Christ gave up everything for sake of others-you must do the same if you want to be a Christian o the apocalyptic moment  understanding of end times had ethical implications for Paul  the imminence of the end (1 Thess. 4:14-18)-upset b/c people are dying before Jesus comes back. They know that when Christ returns they will be given eternal reward-have people that died missed out? NO-when Christ returns, the dead in Christ will rise first, then those who are alive will raise up and must meet them in the air. Thought he would be alive for it  ethical implications: how your supposed to be living your life-the urgency of the momenturgent to get people on board; focus on this so that people can receive reward from Christ when he