Volker Rabens

Volker Rabens answers the question of how, according to the apostle Paul, the Holy Spirit enables religious-ethical life. In the first part of the book, the author discusses the established view that the Spirit is a material substance which transforms people ontologically by virtue of its physical nature. In order to assess this "Stoic" reading of Paul, the author examines all the passages from the Hebrew Bible, early Judaism, Hellenism and Paul that have been put forward in support of this concept of ethical enabling. He concludes that there is no textual evidence in early Judaism or Paul that the Spirit was conceived as a material substance. Furthermore, none of these or any of the Graeco-Roman writings show that ethical living derives from the transformation of the "substance" of the person that is imbued with a physical Spirit. The second part of the study offers a fresh approach to the ethical work of the Spirit which is based on a relational concept of Paul's theology. Rabens argues that it is primarily through initiating and sustaining an intimate relationship with God the Father, Jesus Christ, and with the community of faith that the Spirit transforms and empowers people for ethical living. The author establishes this thesis on the basis of an exegetical study of a variety of passages from the Pauline corpus. In addition, he demonstrates that Paul lived in a context in which this dynamic of ethical empowering was part of the religious framework of various Jewish groups.

The Holy Spirit and Ethics in Paul

Peter Wick

Religions and Trade carves new pathways into the world of religious dynamics. In this array of essays a number of international scholars investigate the ways in which eastern and western religions were formed and transformed from the perspective of “trade.”

Religious Formation, Transformation, and Cross-cultural Exchange Between East and West

Religions and Trade

I. Howard Marshall

Max Turner

Cornelis Bennema

This volume gathers writings about the Spirit and Christ by notable scholars including Richard Bauckham, D. A. Carson, James Dunn, and many others. Covering topics that are relevant for the worldwide church today -- the life-giving work of the Spirit, the Spirit in Luke and Acts, the gift of the Spirit in John 19 20, pneumatology and justifi cation, community life through the Spirit, and more -- the twenty essays included will be a welcome resource for scholars and ministers. The Spirit and Christ in the New Testament and Christian Theology is also a fitting tribute to honoree Max Turner, whose outstanding scholarship has focused on pneumatology and Christology. Contributors: Richard Bauckham Cornelis Bennema D. A. Carson James D. G. Dunn Conrad Gempf Joel B. Green Desta Heliso Veli-Matti Krkkinen Anthony N. S. Lane John R. Levison I. Howard Marshall Graham McFarlane Robert P. Menzies Steve Motyer Andr Munzinger Volker Rabens Mark L. Strauss John Christopher Thomas Chris Tilling Robert W. Wall Steve Walton

Volker Rabens

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