Practices of Power

Revisiting the Principalities and Powers in the Pauline Letters

Robert Ewusie Moses

• Publisher: Fortress Press
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN:
  9781451476644
• eBook ISBN:
  9781451479935
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Criticism & Interpretation

How did the powers "work" in the Pauline community? Robert Ewusie Moses argues that Paul's conception of the powers is best understood through examining the practices he advocates for the early believers. In this detailed study, Moses shows that Paul believed certain practices guarded believers from the dominion of the powers while others exposed humans to the powers of darkness. Moses traces the distinct function of "power-practices" in each of Paul's letters and draws illuminating comparisons with traditional African religious practices.

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Practices for Engaging the Powers in the Pauline Communities

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Baptism as Deliverance from the Powers: Romans

Paul presents in Romans the most sophisticated account of the powers of any of his letters. We will discover later on in our study that Paul makes similar arguments in his other letters, even if his arguments in the other letters appear in polemical contexts and do not represent the kind of sober reflection we encounter in Romans.^[1] Romans is, thus, a good place to begin. As in his other letters, readers are ushered in Romans into a drama in which God, by means of his invasion of the world in Christ, rescues humans from anti-God powers that hold them in thrall.^[2] But in Romans the focus is rarely on figures such as Satan, demons, and the rulers of this age; rather, the powers mostly consist of figures that are not otherworldly, but more pervasive: Sin and Death. This observation should in no way downplay the presence of supernatural forces in Romans; we do encounter them in 8:38-39 and 16:20. However, the main players are Sin and Death. These actors, together with their supernatural counterparts, are evidence of how pervasive the powers are. The powers operate across all facets of human existence and the cosmos. The battlefield in Romans is much broader but also much closer to home. Thus, God’s rectifying act must encompass all the spheres into which the powers have penetrated.^[3]

Attempting to pin down the source of Paul’s terminologies may well require some supernatural ability. Yet if we pay close attention, we may hear echoes in Romans of terminologies and concepts in the Jewish Scriptures in which Paul was deeply immersed. In this chapter, we will focus on Romans 5–8.^[4] We hope to set Paul’s presentation of the powers alongside the author of Ps. 18:8-14 OG (Ps. 19:7-13 MT). The terminological and conceptual convergences make it probable that Paul was either giving an extensive reflection on this psalm in Romans 5–8 or responding to other interpretations of this psalm. While we remain cautious about positing direct dependence, we contend that it is likely that Paul was in dialogue with the Jewish tradition behind Psalm 18 OG, one that expressed delight in the Law of God and yet puzzled at human transgression. It is our hope that a careful treatment of the psalmist’s presentation of some of the same concepts and vocabulary encountered in Romans will help to sharpen Paul’s own message. Thus, in the following sections, we begin with a treatment of the message of Psalm 18 OG, and then proceed to a discussion of Paul’s own presentation in Romans 5–8 of the themes present in Psalm 18.

Psalm 18:8-14 OG: The Law of the Lord and Tree of Knowledge

We begin our treatment of Psalm 18 with an extensive quotation of the pericope germane to our treatment of Romans 5–8: vv. 8-14. We have underlined key terms that feature prominently in Romans 5–8. Other conceptual overlaps will be noted in due cause.

ὁ νόμοςτοῦ κυρίου ἄμωμος ἐπιστρέφων ψυχάς
ἡ μαρτυρία κυρίου πιστή σοφίζουσα νήπια
τά δικαιώματακυρίου εὐθεῖα εὐφραίνοντα καρδίαν
ἡ ἐντολήκυρίου τηλαυγής φωτίζουσα ὀφθαλμούς
ὁ φόβος κυρίου ἁγνός διαμένων εἰς αἰῶνααἰῶνος
τά κρίματακυρίου ἀληθινά δεδικαιωμένα ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό
ἐπιθυμητὰ ὑπέρ χρυσίον καὶ λίθον τίμιον πολὺν
καὶ γλυκύτερα ὑπὲρ μέλι καὶ κηρίον
καὶ γὰρ ὁ δοῦλός σου φυλάσσει αὐτά
ἐν τῷ φυλάσσειν αὐτὰ ἀνταπόδοσις πολλή
παραπτώματα τίς συνήσει
ἐκ τῶν κρυφίων μου καθάρισόν με
καὶ ἀπὸ ἀλλοτρίων (MT זדימ) φεῖσαι τοῦ δούλου σου
ἐὰν μή μου κατακυριεύσωσιν τότε ἄμωμος ἔσομαι
καὶ καθαρισθήσομαι ἀπὸ ἁμαρτίας μεγάλης.

D. J. A. Clines has argued forcefully that Psalm 19 (18 OG) is a poetic reflection on Genesis 1–3.^[5] The first part of the psalm (vv. 1-7) is a poetic meditation on the wonder of creation, reminiscent of the creation narrative of Genesis 1. The second part of the Psalm (vv. 8-15) reflects on the depiction of the tree of knowledge in Genesis 2–3.^[6] According to Clines, the psalmist shows how the Law of the Lord supplies the benefits that the tree of knowledge failed to provide for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Though the tree of knowledge looked good for food (Gen. 3:6), it failed to refresh the souls of those who ate of its fruit. For the psalmist, however, the Law of the Lord refreshes the souls (ἐπιστρέφων ψυχάς) of those who keep it. While the tree of knowledge may have been desirable to make one wise (Gen. 3:6), it is the witness of the Lord that makes the simple (or children) wise (σοφίζουσα νήπια).^[7] Adam and Eve’s eyes were opened after they ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge (Gen. 3:7); but, according to the psalmist, the true enlightening of the eyes (φωτίζουσα ὀφθαλμούς) comes from the commandment of the Lord. Finally, Clines notes that while the eating of the tree of knowledge denied Adam and Eve access to the tree of life that they might “live forever” (Gen. 3:22), the fear of the Lord endures forever (διαμένων εἰς αἰῶνα αἰῶνος). With these claims, the psalmist elevates the Torah to a position far superior to the tree of knowledge.

In addition to Clines’s findings, we note also that the personal prayer at the end of the psalm may echo the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4.^[8] Having extolled God’s majestic creation (vv. 1-7) and the beauty and necessity of the Law for life (vv. 8-12), the psalmist petitions God for strength to live a life that is pleasing to God (vv. 13-15). When the psalmist in prayer turns to God for help, he evinces puzzlement at the surprising outcome of human actions: παραπτώματα τίς συνήσει (“Who will understand transgressions”?). He acknowledges something sinister on the scene seeking to “rule” him (κατακυριεύω; MT משׁל), the result of which would be to cause him to commit great sin (ἁμαρτίας μεγάλης).^[9] In the Hebrew, the verb משׁל establishes a link between Psalm 19 MT and Genesis 4. In Gen. 4:7, sin is portrayed as a crouching animal waiting to pounce on its prey. Sin desires to have Cain, and God admonishes Cain to “rule over” (תמשׁל) sin. As the story unfolds, however, it becomes clear that Cain has not ruled over sin; the reverse is true: Cain is ruled by sin, causing him to commit murder (Gen. 4:8).

Similarly, in Psalm 19 MT, the psalmist prays for God to preserve him from that which seeks to rule him: the זדים. When God has preserved him from the זדים, the psalmist will be clean from the Great Transgression. We agree with Mitchell Dahood that “the Great Transgression” (פשׁע רב; 19:14 MT) is idolatry, because it is a fitting parallel to the Great Sin (חטאה גדלה) of Exod. 32:30-31.^[10] Against, Dahood, however, we contend that if the Great Transgression is idolatry, then the זדים that seek to rule over the psalmist are not “idols,” but rather the “demons”^[11] behind the idols who were perceived to be the cause of idolatry.^[12]

It seems to us highly plausible that the OG translator of the psalm understood the Great Sin to be idolatry for a number of reasons. First, the Greek counterparts of the MT contain the same vocabulary in Exod. 32:30 and Ps. 18:14: ἁμαρτίαν μεγάλην (Exod. 32:30); ἁμαρτίας μεγάλης (Ps. 18:14). Second, Ps. 18:14 is the only place in the OG Psalm where זדים is translated with ἀλλότριοι. The translator’s preferred word for זדים is ὑπερήφανοι (cf. Ps. 119:21 [118:21 OG]; 119:51 [118:51 OG]; 119:69 [118:69 OG]; 119:78 [118:78 OG]; 119:85 [118:85 OG]; 119:122 [118:122 OG]); the only exception is 85:14 (86:14 MT), where παράνομοι is used. Third, the word ἀλλότριος is often coupled with θεός in the LXX and OG to refer to the “alien/strange god(s)” of idolatry (e.g., Deut. 31:16, 18; 32:12, 16; Josh. 24:14, 23; Judg. 10:16; 1 Sam. 7:3; 1 Kgs. 9:9; 2 Chron. 34:25; Ps. 43:21; 80:10; Jer. 1:16; 11:10; 13:10; 16:11; 19:4; 22:9; 25:6; Dan. 11:39). Crucially, the word stands alone as shorthand for “alien god” in Isa. 43:12. Thus, the word, as used in its context in Psalm 18 OG—especially its connection with the Great Sin—should be understood as “alien powers.” These observations are crucial, since Paul is dependent on the Greek translation; and Paul also held the view that demonic powers stood behind idolatry (1 Cor. 10:19-21).

In sum, there is acknowledgement in both Psalm 19 (18 OG) and Genesis 4 of powerful forces in the face of which humans seem powerless. The psalmist terms these forces זדים, which the OG renders as ἀλλότριοι (“alien powers”). Alternatively, the author of Genesis personifies “Sin” as the powerful force.

Paul’s Version of Themes Present in Psalm 18 OG

It is always difficult to posit direct dependence, even if it is tempting in this case: not only does vocabulary from the rather brief pericope (Ps. 18:8-14 OG) echo resoundingly in Paul’s diction in Romans 5–8,^[13] but there are also many conceptual overlaps that make the convergences seem more than sheer coincidence. In addition, Paul explicitly quotes Ps. 18:5 (OG) in Rom. 10:18; this shows conclusively that Paul was well aware of this psalm and had it mind while writing this letter.^[14] Thus, it is possible that with such ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Table Of Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Abbreviations
• Hermeneutical Issues
• Practices for Engaging the Powers in the Pauline Communities
• A Cross-Cultural Perspective
• Reference Works
• Bibliography
• Index of Authors
• Index of Scripture and Ancient Author