JSNTSup Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement Series JSP Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha. LNTS The Library of New Testament Studies LSTS Library of Second Temple Studies MNTC Moffatt New Testament Commentary NAC New American Commentary. NICNT New International Commentary on the New Testament NICOT New International Commentary on the Old Testament NIGTC The New International Greek Testament Commentary NovTSup Supplements to Novum Testamentum.
SNTSMS Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series STDJ Studies on the Texts of the Desert of Judah. First and foremost, I am eternally grateful for the unwavering encouragement, prayers, and financial support of my family, without whom this dissertation would not have been possible. Rod Elledge, who encouraged me to pursue my PhD and has been a resource of encouragement, advice, and wisdom throughout my time in the program.
I am also deeply indebted to the faculty and my fellow PhD students at SBTS with whom I have had the privilege of communicating during my PhD period. I am grateful to all the teachers who challenged and honed both my thinking and writing skills through seminars and individual conversations.
INTRODUCTION
Especially in the Sermon of the Two Spirits, God's act of predestination plays an important role in walking in obedience. Rather, the Spirit replaces the law as a mark and guide of the people of God in the new age. With the advent of the new age comes a transition from the law to the Spirit.
Sermon, there are different views on the relationship between God's determinism and the role of the human agent. God's predeterminism appears in the overlapping acts of creation and the giving of the two spirits. Those who walk in the ways of the spirit of truth (in obedience) will receive rewards at the visitation of God.
The author makes the same connection between walking the paths of the spirit of deception and punishment. In the Sermon of the Two Spirits, the human agent appears to be active in walking in obedience. In The Two Spirits, the actions of the divine agent are emphasized, especially through predestination.
Spirits, call attention to the divine agent's role in walking "perfectly" (walking in obedience). The Mosaic Law and God's commandments seem to be the foundation of the community. Both the two spirits and the rest of the rule constitute an active divine agent.
Similarly, both in the sermon and in the rest of the community rule, the human agent plays an active role in walking in obedience. Through this moral choice, the author reveals the active nature of the human actor in walking in obedience. The author notes twice that the death of the martyrs brought about the purification of the homeland.
The relationship between the human agents' actions and rewards suggests an active human agent. The cross brought an end to the age of law for those in Christ. Galatians 5:16-25 reveals most of Paul's understanding of the role of the divine and the human in walking in obedience.
With the change of ages and the coming of the indwelling Spirit, the divine agent (Spirit) plays an active role in the human agent who walks in obedience.
(4) that with the passing of the ages came a transition from the law (representing old age) to the Spirit (representing the. Only by walking in the Spirit will the Galatians most certainly not (οὐ μὴ) of the flesh.62 Lutjens does not think that 5:17 explains why the Galatians will not fulfill the lust of the flesh if they walk in the Spirit (5:16).
Verse 17 therefore explains why walking by the Spirit will prevent the Galatians from fulfilling the desire of the flesh. Since the desires of the flesh and the Spirit are in conflict, the Galatians cannot choose to follow both the flesh and the Spirit. To avoid giving the flesh an opportunity, Paul tells the Galatians to "walk by the Spirit" so that they "will not fulfill the desire of the flesh" (5:16).
The result of the opposition of the flesh against the Spirit and vice versa is that the Galatians cannot use their freedom to do what they want. Indeed, because the desires of the Spirit oppose those of the flesh, walking by the Spirit means walking in opposition to the flesh. Galatians to do the things of the flesh, nor the Galatians who have to choose sides in the war/conflict between the flesh and the Spirit.
If walking by the Spirit means that the Galatians will not fulfill the desire of the flesh, then they do not need the law to fight the flesh. In contrast to the works of the flesh, Paul mentions the fruit of the Spirit. Specifically, the Spirit empowers the Galatians to enable them to refrain from fulfilling the desire of the flesh.
In verses 19–23, Paul contrasts the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. 113 DeSilva (The Letter to the Galatians, 457n52) and Russell (The Flesh/Spirit Conflict, 151) also note Paul's alignment of the flesh and the law against the Spirit. Others argue for the active role of the human agent in producing the fruit of the Spirit.
In connection with the conflict between flesh and spirit in verses 16-25, Paul demonstrates the active role of the Spirit in the Galatians' walk in obedience. 123 Martyn makes a similar point, but he does so in connection with the war between the flesh and the spirit (Galatians, 532).
CONCLUSION
The author focuses on the actions of the human agent not making the divine agent passive. Paul's focus on the active role of the human agent in walking in obedience does not mean that the divine agent is passive. Instead of competing against each other, the divine agent guides and empowers the human agent to walk in obedience.
Rather, to some extent, the divine agent sets or helps the human agent to walk in obedience. In 1QS, the divine agent helps and enables the human agent to walk in obedience through predestination and the giving of knowledge. The divine agent in 4 Maccabees also motivates the human agent to walk in obedience through the promise of compensation.
In verse 17, the divine agent enables the human agent to walk in obedience by limiting how he uses his freedom. Moreover, the divine agent enables the human agent to produce the fruit of the Spirit (5:22). In both Galatians 5:16–25 and the Sermon of the Two Spirits, the divine agent enables the human agent to walk in obedience by giving him an s/Spirit.
As noted, in 1QS the divine agent enables the human agent to walk in obedience by predestination (primarily by the giving of the two spirits), by the giving of knowledge, and (implicitly) by the law. The divine agent also motivates the human agent to walk in obedience through the promise of reward for their actions. The divine representative also gives the human representative the law to guide him in walking in obedience.
In contrast, the divine agent himself indwells the human agent and empowers him to walk in obedience in Galatians. In chapters 2 and 3 I examined the role of the divine and the human agent in walking in obedience in 1QS and 4 Maccabees respectively. I have argued that both the divine and the human agent play an active role in walking in obedience in both 1QS and 4 Maccabees.
