Law, Sin, And Death: An Edenic Triad? An Examination With Reference To 1 Corinthians 15:56 -- By: Chris Alex Vlachos

Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 47:2 (Jun 2004)
Article: Law, Sin, And Death: An Edenic Triad? An Examination With Reference To 1 Corinthians 15:56
Author: Chris Alex Vlachos


Law, Sin, And Death: An Edenic Triad?
An Examination With Reference To
1 Corinthians 15:56

Chris Alex Vlachos

[Chris Vlachos is a doctoral student at Wheaton College Graduate School, 801 E. College Avenue, Wheaton, IL 60187]

It is understandable that Friedrich Horn in his examination of 1 Cor 15:56 would entitle his article, “1 Korinther 15, 56—ein exegetischer Stachel” and that Ulrich Wilckens in his study of Paul and the law expressed the now classic statement regarding the passage, “Im dortigen Kontextist dieser Satz in seiner gedrangten, sentenzhaften Kürze rätselhaft.”1 The verse appears at the end of Paul’s lengthy apologetic for the resurrection of the believer. After two quotations triumphantly describing the eschatological defeat of death (vv. 54–55) and before an outburst of gratitude for this victory (v. 57), Paul makes an unexpected and unexplained statement regarding the relation between law, sin, and death: τὸ δὲ κέντρον του̑ θανάτου ἡ ἁμαρτία, ἡ δὲ δὐναμις τη̑ς ἁμαρτίας ὁ νόμος; (v. 56). The verse appears abrupt and seems to be oddly situated. Its omission would seem to give a far smoother and more logical reading with the thanksgiving in verse 57 following immediately after the declaration of victory in verses 54–55.2 As it appears, verse 56 “bulges awkwardly out of its context and is uncomfortably anticlimactic.”3 Compared to the lyrical expressions of verses 54–55 and the exuberant doxology of verse 57, the verse seems wooden, and since Paul to this point had expressed no connection in the letter between law, sin, and death, his statement here might appear to have been spontaneously generated.4

1 Cor 15:56 thus is puzzling, or, to use Horn’s pun, it is like a scorpion that rises to sting the approaching exegete. The difficulty is not only in understanding the verse, though the interpreter can turn to You must have a subscription and be logged in to read the entire article.
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