Texts in Conversation
In 4Q398 from the Dead Sea Scrolls, obeying the letter’s rulings is counted as righteousness. Galatians uses the same language for Abraham’s belief, making faith the basis for belonging among his descendants.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
4Q398 14–17 ii 7
4QMMT/The Halakhic Letter
Dead Sea Scrolls, Torah and Temple Practices
3 some of the works of the Torah that we judged good for you and for your people, for we saw 4 in you prudence and knowledge of the Torah. Understand all these things and seek from him that he may set right 5 your counsel and put far from you the plans of evil and the counsel of Belial, 6 so that you may rejoice at the end of the time, when you find that some of our words are true. 7 And it will be reckoned to you as righteousness when you do what is upright and good before him, for your good 8 and for Israel.
Galatians 3:6
New Testament
5 Does God then give you the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law or by your believing what you heard? 6 Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, 7 so then, understand that those who believe are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the gospel to Abraham ahead of time, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.” 9 So then those who believe are blessed along with Abraham the believer.
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Notes and References
“... While for Paul “faith” (in contrast to observing the Law) is “counted as
righteousness,” the Qumran text again says that the fulfilling of the Law
(“doing what is right and good before him”), obeying the precepts earlier
outlined, is counted in this way [...] The contrast
between Paul and MMT in using this expression55 is quite parallel to
what was found already in Paul’s and Qumran’s understanding of Hab
2:4 (see C 1, above).56 [...] 55. Abegg, Jr., “4QMMT,” 207–8; he also correctly remarks that the Hebrew text
of Ps 106:31 is closer to 4QMMT than Gen 15:6 is. The Masoretic text in Gen 15:6
has “and he [the LORD] counted it to him [Abraham] as righteousness,” while LXX,
Qumran, and Paul (Gal 3:6) use the passive, as does the Hebrew text of Ps 106:31. ...”
Kuhn, Heinz-Wolfgang
"The Impact of Selected Qumran Texts on the Understanding of Pauline Theology" in Charlesworth, James H. (ed.) The Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls, Volume Three: The Scrolls and Christian Origins
(p. 172–173) Baylor University Press, 2006
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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