Freed From the Law to be Led by the Spirit: Echoes of the Exodus Narrative in the Context and Background of Galatians 5:18 - Hardcover

Wilder, William N.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0820445797 ISBN 13: 9780820445793

Publisher: Peter Lang Inc., International Academic Publishers, 2001

Synopsis

In Galatians 5:18 Paul declares that «if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.» In this study William N. Wilder departs from conventional interpretations by arguing that the language of Galatians 5:18 represents Paul’s new exodus understanding of the Christian experience. According to Wilder, Paul consistently uses the phrase «under the law» to refer to a bondage he understood as particular to the Jews, with strong connotations of a specifically Egypt-like slavery attached to this phrase in Galatians. Wilder also argues that the typological association of the Spirit and the exodus cloud, found elsewhere in Paul in a comparison of 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 and 1 Corinthians 12:13, is likewise assumed in the phrase «led by the Spirit» and may be traced back to the Old Testament prophetic literature and Psalms (Hag 2:4-5; Isa 63:11-14; Neh 9:19-20; Ps 143:10). The author gives special attention to the influence of Psalm 143 on Paul’s theology, contending that it provides an Old Testament source both for the new exodus assumptions in Galatians 5:18 and for the apocalyptic flesh-Spirit antithesis that dominates the larger context of that verse.

About this title

About the Author

The Author: William N. Wilder received his Ph.D. in Biblical studies from Union Theological Seminary in Virginia. For two years he was Lecturer in Biblical Studies at the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary in Ogbomosho, Nigeria. He is now Director of Graduate Ministries at the Center for Christian Study in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Review

«Arguing on the basis of a fresh interpretation of some key Old Testament texts, Wilder proposes a background in the exodus narrative for a key passage in Galatians 5-6. In the course of the exposition, Wilder provides a number of unique insights into the way Paul structured his theological thought. Clearly written, well organized and persuasively argued, this book will inform future considerations of Paul's theology as it finds expression in his letter to the Galatians.» (Paul J. Achtemeier, Herbert Worth and Annie H. Jackson Professor of Biblical Interpretation (Emeritus), Union Theological Seminary in Virginia)
«Clearly written and carefully argued, Wilder's work is an important contribution at an important time. By exposing in detail the 'second exodus' and apocalyptic framework of Paul's thought as encapsulated in the maxim of Gal 5:18, Wilder not only drives to the heart of Paul's worldview but also casts in a new light the age-old questions of divine justification and the human will that have surrounded this text ever since Augustine. As a result, this needed study plays a crucial part in the current reassessment of Paul's theology in view of the history of redemption.» (Scott J. Hafemann, Gerald F. Hawthorn Professor of New Testament Greek and Exegesis, Wheaton College)

Edition details

• Publisher: Peter Lang Inc., International Academic Publishers
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0820445797
• ISBN 13: 9780820445793
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 310