Perspectives on Paul / Ernst Ksemann Ernst Ksemann (12 July 1906 17 February 1998), was a Lutheran theologian and

d professor of New Testament in Mainz (1946-1951), Gttingen (1951-1959) and Tbingen (1959-1971).1 Introduction) The book, Perspectives on Paul, is a collection of seven articles based on four lectures in the U.S. during 1965 and 1966. Ernst Ksemann disagreed with responses his theological (and critical) position to the his other contemporary streams, such as institutional orthodoxy, individual idealism, and existentialism. Basically, what he tries to argue about is is the meaning of eschatology in the bible in that his reading on Paul leads him to the a very different understanding to other theological discourses, from those about the human being, history, and church. Ksemann insists, one we must understand read those three concepts in Pauls eschatological Christology. Otherwise, we keep losing the points that of which Paul and the biblical text fundamentally have argued with. Short summary for seven chapters) For Ksemann, Christology is subsuming subsumes all other theological matters, salvation, church, history and human beings. Christology means a totally different event of the death of Christ in a way which the human being finds reconciliation with the world in eschatological horizon. The place of salvific proclamation would not be to the church, but the worldThis proclamation is salvation and the church is not the place of salvation, but the place, where the Word would be revealed. Between new aeon and old aeon, human history is a kind of the battle fieldbattlefields in which people could recognized recognize Christ as the only hope. What might be interesting in Ksemann is, he does not separate eschatology from Christology, vise versa. Therefore, the meaning of Christ, Messiah would not be understood without regarding the discourse of end-time. Moreover, the end-time should be the advent from out of the human history. Ksemann did not follow his teacher, Rudolf Bultmann. Theology is not antropology. Ch. 1 On Pauls Anthropology Basically, Pauls anthropology is Christology. Ksemann is suspicious of which how individualism and existentialism focus human consciousness as the focal point of Pauls anthropology. What Paul is presenting in Christology reveals to us not the human situation situation or possibility of transformative power for the world, but fallen human dignity and the necessity of an eschatological break out of the history. Ch. 2 The saving significance of the death of Jesus in Paul Salvation does not means primarily the forgiveness (44). It is liberation (44). It only couldcould only happen in the death of Christ and it is revealeding only in the proclamation of the Word in preaching (50). Therefore, if someone talks about a decision between belief and unbelief, it is simply the loss of a theology of the Word (51). Ch. 3 Justification and Salvation History in the Epistle to the Romans Justification and salvation history must not be limited or understood in neither as either a individual decision nor a supra-history and inner aspect of a historicity (68-69). It is a horizon

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Comment [MMC1]: This doesnt make sense, possibly rewrite as E.K. responds to the other contemporary streams, institutional orthodoxy, individual idealism, and existentialism with his theological (and critical) position. Comment [MMC2]: Clarify those. I do not understand what those are in this sentence.

Comment [MMC3]: I think the sentence makes sense without this. This proclamation is that the church is not the place of salvation, but the place where the Word would be revealed.

Ernst Ksemann - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, n.d., http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_K%C3%A4semann.

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which reaches from creation to parousia, in other words, the whole of history through Christology (69). Ch. 4 The Faith of Abraham in Romans 4 Faith is not the a matter of proving faithfulness by an individual. It is obedience to the Word, which we cannot perceive one and for all (81-83). In the obedience people keep being confronted with the Lord who justifies the ungodly (101). Ch. 5 The Theological Problem presented by the Motif of the Body of Christ The church is neither a group of individuals who embodyies the body of Christ nor a kind of incarnation of the body of Christ (117). The church is only participating in the body of Christ as an eschatological instrument for service in the glory of the exalted Lord (117). Ch. 6 The Cry for Liberty in the Worship of the Church Experience of the spirit is neither the power of ecstasy and miracle (122) nor realized wisdom (125). Through reading Romans 8:26-272, Ksemann argues that the Spirit reveals itself in the liturgy as crying out for the liberty (136) in eschatological horizon. Ch. 7 The Spirit and the Letter For Paul, the letter (grammar) is basically any kind of tradition.s This includesing the Torah and , other religious traditions or wisdom in which people recognize the power of God (150-152) and the spirit (pneuma) is as the power which makes wo/man confront with the Christ (152). Any tradition of the church could be the letter, when it loses the eschatological tension in which wo/man are living in. Conclusion) Eschatological Christology is the core of Christianity!

Comment [MMC4]: Might work better as Faith is not a matter of an individual proving faithfulness

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (ESV)
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