Text in English / The purpose of this dissertation was to establish the rhetorical function of Romans 7 within the context of Romans 5-8. Chapter 1 involved a survey of the problem that led to the investigation and a discussion of a number of approaches offered as an interpretation for understanding Romans 7. Chapter 2 centred on an investigation into the nature of Paul's audience in Rome. Chapter 3 investigated the purpose of the letter as a help to understanding the rhetorical function of Romans 7. Chapter 4 dealt with the rhetorical function of Romans 7. The causa underlying Paul's rhetoric in Romans 7 was a tendency among Gentile Christians to want to return to the law. Paul set out strongly to counter this tendency because it was incompatible with their position in Christ and would foil his plans in respect of the Gentile Christians in Rome and of the Gospel to the West. / Biblical & Ancient Studies / M.A. (Biblical Studies)

This dissertation attempts to illuminate the significance of what has been called the "coworkers" for Paul's mission. At the same time it revises the traditional portrait of Paul as a "lone ranger", not properly understood and appreciated by others. Thus the focus is on the way in which Paul together with his co-workers as his missionary partners achieved the various tasks of early Chrisian mission, namely the proclamation of the gospel and the consolidation of churches. This phenomenon is best described with the German term Kollegialmission, i.e. a mission carried by a team of colleagues. A survey of research is followed by a detailed analysis of this phenomenon in the letters commonly recognised as written by Paul himself. In additon to explicit statements on the co-workers, attention is also given to implicit references, e.g. verb forms in the first person plural which appear in some letters and contribute to understanding this Kollegialmission. Then the same methodological procedure is applied to the disputed letters of Paul. A final chapter examines the portrait of Paul and his co-workers in the Book of Acts. This dissertation demonstrates that this understanding and practice of Kollegialmission was a central point in Paul's mission and self-understanding. His co-workers receive their commission and authority from God, to whom they are responsible. The gospel constitutes the foundation for this cooperation between Paul and his co-workers. Thus the co-workers perform the same duties as Paul himself, though his special apostolate remains in place. The picture of the Kollegialmission in the Deuteropauline letters differs only slightly from that of the letters generally recognised as Paul's own. As the author of Acts is mainly interested in the person of Paul, his co-workers appear increasingly on the backstage as the story unfolds. This examination closes with an application of some principles of Paul's Kollegialmission to present day congregational ministry and mission work. / Theology / M.Th.

In the presentation of his Gospel in his letter to the Romans Paul often quotes from the Old Testament. This indicates the functional significance of the OT as the foundation of Paul´s argumentation. However, is Paul´s use of Scripture legitimate? Does Paul change and misinterpret Scripture to fit his own ends? If Paul´s argumentation with Scripture follows contemporary, legitimate early Jewish methods of interpretation, then he could be cleared of the charge of manipulatively changing and interpreting Scripture. This thesis examines the textual basis of these quotations, the interpretive methods employed and the function of such quotations for Paul´s argumentation. The results suggest that Paul has not manipulated the textual basis. He employs the interpretive techniques of early Judaism and refers to Scripture mainly to affirm his presentation of the Gospel. A final section raises the issue what contemporary Biblical studies might learn from Paul´s use of Scripture. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / M.Th.(New Testament)

This study investigates the meaning of Paul's expression 'works of the law' ( tpycx vOμou) • A survey of representative scholars regarding Paul's attitude toward the Mosaic law demonstrates that confusion over this issue continues as a difficulty in Pauline studies. It is suggested that ascertaining the meaning of this expression will help alleviate that confusion. This study indicates that Paul's use of tpyov is ethically neutral: 'work' itself is neither positive nor negative for Paul. The ethical orientation of a given 'work' is determined by the descriptors Paul attaches to it. Paul speaks positively and negatively about the law itself, yet only negative descriptors are used with tpycxvOμou. This gives significant direction for the interpretation of 'works of the law.' The historical backgrounds of Galatians and Romans support this negative orientation for tpycx vOμou. These letters were written to confront separate crisis situations in different churches. Yet they share common situational elements. Paul was faced in both churches with a form of 'judaizing' opposition that insisted that Gentile converts become 'practical Jews' in order to 'complete' the Abrahamic covenant through the Mosaic. Paul addresses this threat to these churches by means of epistolographical and rhetorical mechanisms. He uses these persuasive communication devices powerfully, insisting that these converts recognize what it means to be 'in Christ,' and what it means and does not mean to be 'Jewish.' 'Works of the law' are not necessary for salvation, and were never intended for redemption. Likewise, identity as one who performs 'works of the law' does not provide any claim upon God. One does not have to become a 'practical Jew' to have a right relationship to God, and a Jew has no redemptive status before God on the basis of ethnicity. 'Works of the law,' then, serve as a factor in Paul's polemics because the continuing validity of the Mosaic law is the issue being addressed by Paul and his opponents. They are a feature in Paul's view of the law because he is both positive and negative toward the law, depending upon one's intended salvific orientation to God through it / Psychology of Education / D. Th. (New Testament)

Text in English / The purpose of this dissertation was to establish the rhetorical function of Romans 7 within the context of Romans 5-8. Chapter 1 involved a survey of the problem that led to the investigation and a discussion of a number of approaches offered as an interpretation for understanding Romans 7. Chapter 2 centred on an investigation into the nature of Paul's audience in Rome. Chapter 3 investigated the purpose of the letter as a help to understanding the rhetorical function of Romans 7. Chapter 4 dealt with the rhetorical function of Romans 7. The causa underlying Paul's rhetoric in Romans 7 was a tendency among Gentile Christians to want to return to the law. Paul set out strongly to counter this tendency because it was incompatible with their position in Christ and would foil his plans in respect of the Gentile Christians in Rome and of the Gospel to the West. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / M.A. (Biblical Studies)

The thesis, entitled “From Self-Praise to Self-Boasting: Paul’s Unmasking of the Conflicting Rhetorico-Linguistic Phenomena in 1 Corinthians,” examines the rhetorical conventions of “boasting” and self-praise among those vying for social status and honor within the Greco-Roman world. While the terminological options for “boasting” and self-praise frequently overlap, a survey of these conventions demonstrates that the ancients possessed a categorical distinction between “boasting” and self-praise, which oftentimes conflicted with Paul’s distinction. Clear examples of this conflict appear in 1 Cor 1:10-4:21; 5:1-13; 9:1-27; 13:1-13; and 15:30-32, where Paul addresses the Corinthians’ overestimation of wisdom and eloquence, redirects the Corinthians’ attention away from loyalties to specific leaders to loyalty to Christ, redefines the standards by which the Corinthians should view themselves and their leaders, counters the Corinthians’ tendency to engage in anthropocentric “boasting,” and affirms his own apostolic ministry. It is the Corinthian community’s inability to grasp the application of theocentric “boasting” which leads Paul to address certain aspects and values of secular Corinth that have penetrated the Corinthian community. Thus, operating from an eschatological perspective, Paul critiques both the Corinthians’ attitudes and the Greco-Roman cultural values upon which their attitudes are based. Through irony, self-presentation, imitation, differentiating between theocentric and anthropocentric “boasting,” and distinguishing between personality and gospel rhetoric, Paul challenges the secular notions of social status, power, wisdom, leadership, and patronage and exhorts the Corinthians to focus their attention on their relationship with the Lord rather than on improving their social status or on increasing their honor.