A psychological ynooei of rape for victim ank offender
4.2 AN OUTLINE OF RELEVANT ASPECTS OF PAUL'S THEOLOGY
4.2.1 THE LIFE IN SIN
According to Ridderbos (1977: 92 ), Paul's theology of sin, focusses on the "redemptive - historical and collective points of view, rather than focussing on the individual and personal".
Paul sets this up by repeatedly referring to the life - context "before and outside of Christ".
He describes human existence in that context. According to Ridderbos, Paul's idea of "world"
(K6a|iOQ) and "this present aeon" corresponds' to this life. Life in this cosmos and aeon is dominated by sin and is outside of Christ. In Ephesians 2:2, Paul talks of the "world- aeon" as
"following the course of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the sons of
disobedience". Rom 8:38,1 Corinthians 15:24 etc., indicate that Paul sees the "world" totally dominated by demonic powers whom he refers to as "the world rulers of this darkness".
Although K6G}10<; for Paul can be used to describe "the created world" (Rom 1:20) and "as human living- space" (Rom 4:13, ICor 14:10), it is now "the world turned away from God, rebellious and hostile towards Him", (Rom 3:16,19; 2 Cor 5: 19) (Ridderbos: 1977:92). He says, Paul shows that the world "does not acknowledge God" (1 Corl:21). It withstands God in its wisdom and "is without prospect" (2 Cor 7:10). Believers on the other hand are
considered as no longer living in the cosmos" (Col 2:20) \
Ridderbos (1977:93) goes on to interpret Paul in the following way : he says that for Paul sin is not primarily about individual acts of sin "but rather about the supra-individual mode of existence in which one shares in the human-life context".
1 Note Ridderbos does not comment on the validity of Pauline authorship of Col 2:20, but takes Paul's authorship as a given. Further comment on authorship can be seen in
Bornkamm (1975:241- 243), "Authentic and Inauthentic letters of Paul."
His interpretation of Paul is that the conception of the "world" connects to a "universality" of human sin (Ridderbos 1977:93). For Paul, "...There is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:22,23). The universality of sin in humankind is made more striking by Paul's use of the word "flesh" when he uses it to refer to "human weakness"
and "perishableness". For Ridderbos, Paul also uses it to describe "man in his sin".
In various references, (Rom 8:6, Gal 5:19, Eph 2:3 etc.), "sin" and "flesh" are identified with each other (Ridderbos 1977:95). For Ridderbos, this is an indication of the universality of sin,
"in that flesh on the one hand is a description of all that is man and on the other of the sinful in man". The idea of the universality of sin is crystallized by Paul in Romans 5:12, when he says," Therefore as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all men sinned..."
Ridderbos (1977:97 - 98) is at pains to explain that Paul repeatedly points out that "the one transgression" committed by the one Adam, turns out to be "the sin of all". The sentence passed for Adam's sin is now shared by all his descendants. Out of this domination of sin over the "world", sin is able "to manifest in all its force" (Rom 7:13). The sin of Adam thus becomes personal sin. For Ridderbos this universal dominion of sin for Paul, cannot be used as an excuse for personal sins though, since "...Everyone will have to give an account of himself to God (Rom 14:12) and each man will bear his own load" (Gal 6:5). According to Bornkamm (1975:122), the universality of law and the fact that all men are guilty in God's sight is the radical and revolutionary aspect of Paul's gospel, which distinguishes Paul from the theologies of his time.
Ridderbos (1977:105) says that Paul sees sin in its essence as "rebellion against God" and
"enmity against God" (Rom 5:10, Rom 8:7 etc). Romans 8:6 refers to "the flesh" as being in enmity against God. (I will comment further on this "enmity between God and man" in my exegesis of the texts.)
This enmity is expressed in man's transgressions of God's Law. Ridderbos (1977:106) explains that "the Law is the norm appointed by God and for true manhood." He says when Paul refers to the "Law" he uses it "in the wider sense of norm, binding and so forth..." or in reference to certain parts of the Pentateuch and Old Testament. He says Paul's use in general refers to the Law of Moses (1 Cor 9:9, Rom 10:5). While Israel is privileged to have received
the Law, "it is not confined to Israel". The Gentiles may not have received the Law in the form that the Israelites received it but they do "by nature ((^CEl)" what is required by the Law. Their "knowledge of the Law cannot be denied" (Rom 2:14 ff). So all men have a sense of responsibility to God (Rom 1:20 - 21) even though they suppress it. Sin then "in essence"
is "transgression of the Law appointed by God for man". Its strength then is the Law (1 Cor 15:56).
4.2.1.1 THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN.
Ridderbos (1977:108) interprets Paul in the following way: since man takes part in sin voluntarily, his destruction is not merely a natural consequence but rather "punishment decreed on him by God". According to Ridderbos there are various terms to describe God's judgement but "the wrath of God" is the most frequent expression. This term carries the idea of "punishment" as well as a "personal expression of God". This "wrath" predominates above that of other emotions. God's wrath is determined by his righteousness and his holiness.
Frequently Paul puts both in the same context, when he says for example, "God's wrath" and
"righteous judgement"(5iK0CiOKpiaia) or when he uses "God's wrath" and "righteousness"
(8iKaioa<)VTi) as synonyms (Rom 2:5, cf w. 2,11 ; 3:5) (:109).
For Ridderbos (1977:112) the consequences of God's wrath can be viewed both from a theological and an anthropological point of view. From a theological point of view God's wrath consists of a disturbance in the relationship in which God has placed man to himself.
This breakdown in relationship consists in "alienation" (Col 1:21; Eph 2:12 etc.) and
"enmity". This enmity is in the sense that human enmity raises itself against God but also that for man God has become an enemy (Rom 5:10,11:28 ). In the anthropological sense, it means the destruction of human existence because to be truly human, means to be in communion with God. The punishment of sin is two-fold. Firstly, according to Ridderbos, it brings death (Rom 6:23), "in the most inclusive sense of the word". Secondly it brings about moral impotence because of the "inner discord", created by the "bondage of sin".
4.2.1.2 SIN AND THE LAW.
For Ridderbos (1977:134), Paul sees the Law as offering no relief from death which has come
from Adam's sin. In fact it makes the man who would be saved by the Law, sink down still more deeply into sin and its corruption. While Jewish doctrine held the belief that "in the Law it has received life" and it poses the Torah as "a protective and saving resource against the power of the evil impulse", Paul rejects the Law as a means of salvation. For Paul though,
"the Law is holy and the commandment (Rom 7:12) is holy, just and good ", if one could in fact keep the Law one would in fact live (Rom 10:5 , Gal 3:12). According to Ridderbos,
"Paul sees in the light of Christ's death and resurrection, the absolute inadequacy of the Law as a means of salvation"(:135).
Ridderbos (1977:143) understands Paul's seeking to be righteous on the basis of the Law, as essentially a display of "proud and carnal character". The law is also insufficient in the following sense : it is impotent in breaking the power of sin and conquering "the flesh", so that sin no longer reigns in the material body (Rom 6:12). The strength to overcome sin, does not lie in the Law but rather in the Spirit (Rom 7:6 ; 8:2). For Paul the Law goes further and even provokes sin! In Romans 5:20 he refers to the Law as increasing sin because sinful passions want to assert themselves when "they encounter the resistances of the Law"(: 149).
One is tempted to ask then, "What is the purpose of the law for Paul?". Ridderbos'
(1977:149) interpretation is that in a negative way it serves to "ban" man's way to salvation and "vindicate in a negative way the indispensability of the way of faith". Bultmann (1952-
1955,1:267) agrees with Ridderbos but expresses it in another way. He says, "...The ultimate purpose of the Law is to lead man to death..."