The Law, the Covenant and God's Plan

Paul's treatment of the law and the covenant has attained considerable scholarly attention during the past two decades and the debate shows no marks of settling down. This book defends the thesis of H. Räisänen and E. P. Sanders that Paul's treatment of the law is very problematic, for his different statements of the law are difficult to harmonize with each other. The christological starting point of his thinking means that his arguments against the law are of secondary nature and therefore artificial. Paul's difficulties with the law reflect the basic problem of his soteriology. It is impossible to argue credibly on the basis of Jewish premises that, in accordance with his plan of salvation, the God of the scriptures sent his Christ and canceled the Sinaitic covenant.