T. Lim

Abstract: "Studying the Qumran Scrolls and Paul in their Historical Context"

Timothy H. Lim

This paper will attempt to suggest a way of studying the Qumran scrolls and Pauline letters that takes account of their historical context. Beginning with a discussion of methodological problems associated with what is known as the "Strack-Billerbeck" approach, I will examine the concept of "the new covenant" in the Damascus Document and Paul's letters to the Corinthians and Galatians to show that they are fundamentally different. The second part of the paper will suggest that while it cannot be proved that the Qumran community was directly linked to the Early Church, the number of terminological and conceptual parallels are impressive. The final section of the paper will suggest that the scrolls and the letters belong to the matrix of Jewish sectarianism in the late Second Temple period and to illustrate my approach with a discussion of "justification by faith" in Galatians and the recently published 4QInstruction.

(c) 2001
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