Law and Life: Leviticus 18.5 in the Literary Framework of ... - Clover

230 Preston Sprinkle Be Afterlife in Romans 21
Secondly, Paul connects the ideas of "sonship" and glory in ways
that differ from the Apocalypse of Moses and 2 Baruch. We observed
that the glorification of the saints in Romans 8 is a means to an end:
God desires that his children would "be conformed to the image of his
son" and the purpose is that Christ "would be the firstborn among
many brothers and sisters" (8:29). The glorification of his children is a
necessary step to complete their sonship. Thus, we have argued that
Paul highlights the relational aspect of glory with his use of filial language.
For 2 Baruch, the concept of glory seems to lack this relational
aspect. The glory of the righteous is not explicitly stated in terms of
participating in God's own glory. In 2 Baruch eschatological glory is a
reward for righteous behaviour (5 I :7; 5 2:7; 5 4:15 b-16) and gives the
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saints the ability to live in the transformed world (51:j; cf. 48:50).
Thus, the idea that the righteous must be transformed in order to participate
in heavenly fellowship seems apparent. Nevertheless, the author
comes short of expressing this in terms of becoming "sons of
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God" as in Paul nor in terms of sharing the "glory of God". In the
Apocalypse of Moses, however, there is sense in which the glory of the
protoplasts was a sharing in God's own glory (esp. Apoc. Mos. 21:6),
and yet this is not explicitly returned to them in the afterlife (though
immortality is). Furthermore, in the Apocalypse of Moses, physical
transformation is not mentioned as a prerequisite for participation in
the heavenly "paradise" or the afterlde. Here, it is the restoration of
Adam's immortality and his ability to eat once again from the tree of
life (28:4) that is given upon his resurrectionror. This is similar to Paul's
association of glory with immortality (I:23; 2 :7; 8 :21) and yet different
from Paul since the Apocalypse of Moses does not explicitly apply the
term glory to the restoration of Adam (=righteous Jews). For Paul, the
bridge between believers and the divine quality of life is sharing in
God's glory; for the Apocalypse of Moses, this bridge is the immortali-
ty gained through the tree of life.
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"son of man" (cf. 60:1o). In I En. go:j7-38 where the Messiah is represented as a
"snow-white cow" and has lundred who also are "transformed, and became snowwhite
cows". See too 3 En. 4:r where Metetron identifies hunself as Enoch.
Apoc. Mos. 13:r-5 seems to imply this as well. Here, Adam wishes to partake of
the heahg oil that flows from the tree of life in order to cure his sickness (death?).
He is denied this oil but promised that he will receive it in the resurrection. The
implication seems that though the Adam is stripped from his immortality in this
Lfe and is subject to sickness and death, he will be restored to this life of immortality
in the resurrection.
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Thirdly, and again hke 2 Baruch, Paul connects the idea of the tran:
formation of believers with the idea of a transformed world. 2 Barucl
however, envisions a new world that will replace the oldr0', while Pa1
hopes for the renewal of the earth, not its replacement. This is becaw
for Paul there is a connection between corruption of creation and h~
mankind, and both long for their redemption. This is clear with Paul
use of ttrcoxaea6oxia ("eager longing") with regard to creation in 8:1
and to believers in 8:23. Both the believer and creation join in longin
for the day of redemption when both will be transformed from the
present state of corruption. For 2 Baruch, however, creation will be rc
placed, not redeemed.
Fourthly, Paul in Romans speaks of glory both as something th;
was lost or exchanged and as an eschatological blessing that awaits fin;
redemption. The Apocalypse of Moses also speaks of glory as some
thing that was lost (~o:I-2; 21:6), but does not explicitly apply 665a t
the restoration of Adam/believers. Here, Adam is promised resurrec
tion, immortality and the placement on the "throne of his seducer" bu
there is no explicit glorification in the manner of 2 Baruch 5 I or Ro
mans 8 :17-3 o. Again, glory for the Apocalypse of Moses indicates pri
marily immortality, not an afterlife glorifcation. Paul uses similar lan
page as the Apocalypse of Moses to refer to the lack of glory amon
mankind (esp. Rom. 3 :23), but his interest is primarily in its eschato
logical restorationro3. Paul looks forward to the glorification of believer
while the author of the Apocalypse of Moses reserves 665a to the pri
mordial condition of man. Furthermore, Paul's use of 6650: includes th
idea of a visible luminous splendour, as does 2 Baruch, while the Apoc
alypse of Moses does not give the impression that 665a is a visible stat
of being much different from this present earthly life.
Lastly, we should note that none of our authors speaks explicitl;
about the physical splendour of a pre-lapsarian Adam being restored tc
the righteous. Paul at best may allude to the loss of Adam's glory i
3 :23 and yet this is speculative. Furthermore, the restoration of this 10s
glory is not expressed in terms of regaining what was once lost, but ex
periencing something far greater than this world has ever seen. Indeed
Paul, like 2 Baruch, does not exhibit any speculations concerning th
pre-lapsarian nature of Adam in a manner similar to the rabbis or othe
Jewish worksro4. Paul's Adam is the father of sin, death and corruptioi
102 SO Stemberger, Der Leib (s. note 30) 86-91.
103 Paul does refer to a present glory that believers possess in Christ in 1 Cor. 3 :I 8.
104 See e.g. Gen. Rab. 8:1; 12:6; r En. [J] jo:10-14.