Discussion Starter- New Testament

“[Y]ou are slaves of the one whom you obey, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness” (Romans 6:16). Throughout the New Testament, Paul introduces a dichotomy between that which is righteous and holy, and that which is misguided and fruitless. He emphasizes a shift from the heavy establishment of the written law to a model that prioritizes faith.

How does Paul’s philosophy complicate the community and system of traditions set in the Hebrew bible? Paul certainly recognizes that the switch away from the traditional rituals of the Israelites does not necessarily mean that the covenant has been broken; he notes that the covenant is nuanced where Abraham and his descendants “did not strive for it on the basis of faith, but as if it were based on works” (Romans 9:32). He remarks the law as an intermediary source of morals necessary before the appearance of Christ. Even if Paul is set on this particular interpretation that favors obeisance to God instead of to human laws, is there room for a model that accounts for obeisance to both?

It is posited in Matthew that “no one can serve two masters,” which goes on to specify that one “cannot serve God and wealth” at the same time (Matthew 7:24). Using the definition of ‘God’ as an abstract depiction of moral judgement and the source of righteous virtue, we get a system where material objects and money are in direct conflict with the ideal good. How does this fit into Aristotle’s philosophy which sees resource accrual as necessary for household management? Is it reasonable to reject all material objects in pursuit of a higher power? The New Testament plays with the imagery of slaves. How does the text’s description of slaves differ from that of the Greek philosophers? It appears as if the New Testament creates a structure that heavily contrasts with the relatively stratified communities posed by Aristotle and Plato. In Galatians, Paul writes that under Christ “there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female” (Galatians 3:28).

Instead of posing ‘slaves’ as inferiors, the New Testament suggests a more level community with more equality among its members. It states that “through love [people should] become slaves to one another” (Galatians 5:13). What does it mean to create a community that is centered around loving one’s neighbor as their own? Is a community with this subset of beliefs enough to create a functioning society? What else does it need?