Journal for the Study of Paul and His Letters (2020) 10 (2): 138–159.
Explanatory Note
The abstract and the penultimate paragraph presenting my translation of Romans 9: 6-8 are provided below. The full published paper is available via the link following.
Abstract
One of the key texts used to validate the supersessionist reading of Paul is Rom 9:6b: “For not all Israelites truly belong to Israel.” That reading was challenged in 2004 by Klaus Wengst, who proposed that Rom 9:6b should be read as a rhetorical question: “Are not all out of Israel, even Israel?” The affirmation that “all Israel” is Israel is completely consistent with Rom 9:4–5 and fully coherent with Rom 9:7–13 read as the genealogy of Jacob/Israel as children/sons of God. Wengst’s proposal avoids all the interpretive difficulties and incoherence of the traditional reading of 9:6b, which sees an “Israel” within Israel. Wengst’s reading transfers 9:6b from the supersessionist side to the post-supersessionist side of the debate, with significant implications for the interpretation of Romans and Paul’s theology of Israel and the gentiles. Yet Wengst’s reading has remained virtually unknown within the English-speaking theological community. The purpose of this essay is to make Wengst’s reading better known by presenting a summary of Wengst’s reading, adducing additional supporting arguments, and proposing a fresh post-supersessionist translation of the key verses 9:6–8.
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A Proposed Translation of Romans 9:6–8
Although Wengst’s reading influences the interpretation of the entire passage of Rom 9:6–13, it directly affects translation only of vv. 6–8. Wengst’s rendering of those verses is:
6 Keineswegs aber ist es so, als wäre das Wort Gottes hinfällig geworden. Sind denn nicht alle aus Israel eben Israel? 7 Aber es ist nicht so, dass Nachkommenschaft Abrahams alle sind, die er als Kinder hat. Vielmehr: “In Isaak wird dir Nachkommenschaft berufen werden” (Gen 21,12). 8 Das heißt: Nicht die leiblichen Kinder sind Kinder Gottes, sondern die verheißenen Kinder werden zur Nachkommenschaft gerechnet.
For reference, the Greek text is:
6 Οὐχ οἷον δὲ ὅτι ἐκπέπτωκεν ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ. οὐ γὰρ πάντες οἱ ἐξ Ἰσραήλ, οὗτοι Ἰσραήλ· 7 οὐδ’ ὅτι εἰσὶν σπέρμα Ἀβραάμ, πάντες τέκνα, ἀλλ’· Ἐν Ἰσαὰκ κληθήσεταί σοι σπέρμα. 8 τοῦτ’ ἔστιν, οὐ τὰ τέκνα τῆς σαρκὸς ταῦτα τέκνα τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐπαγγελίας λογίζεται εἰς σπέρμα·
I now propose a translation of Rom 9:6–8 based on Wengst, taking account of my observations noted throughout, explicitly translating the γὰρ of v. 6, adopting the sense of logical development indicated by the leading δέ of v. 7 and the fronting of σπέρμα Ἀβραάμ, clarifying the distinction between children of the flesh and of the promise, and using a more fluid style:
6 But it is by no means as if the Word of God has fallen: for are they not all Israel who are descended from Israel? 7 Now they are the seed of Abraham not because they are all children of Abraham, but because “through Isaac your seed will be called.” 8 That is, it is not the merely biological children who are children of God, but the promised children are counted as seed.
Full Paper
Access the full published paper at this link: Are They Not All Israel_JSPL_10.2