God´s creative activity "in the beginning" is important to many aspects of Paul´s theology. Jonathan Worthington explores Paul´s protology by analyzing his interpretation of scripture concerning creation, mainly the beginning of Genesis. By examining Paul´s exegetical manoeuvres within 1-2 Corinthians and Romans, and by comparing these with the contemporary but more detailed treatments of the same texts by Philo of Alexandria in his formal commentary on Genesis 1-2,De Opificio Mundi, the author uncovers an approach to creation that is fundamental to both ancient interpreters. Paul´s interpretation of creation, like Philo´s in his commentary, contains three interwoven aspects: the beginning of the world, the beginning of humanity, and God´s intentions before the beginning. Recognizing this basic hermeneutical interplay between "the Beginning" and "the Before" facilitates a more appropriate comparison between Paul and Philo as well as a more adequate treatment of difficult and debated passages in both interpreters regarding creation.weiterlesen