“내가 무엇을 하여야 영생을 얻으리이까”의 번역 문제(마 19:16; 막 10:17; 눅 18:18; 10:25)

Abstract

Jesus ’ conversation with the rich man in the synoptic gospels could not be correctly understood and translated until one realizes the Jewish and Christian soteriological questions in the Hellenistic Judaism that was under debate. The question “what good thing must I do to obtain/get eternal life?” in Matthew 19:16 brings up a fundamental debate: for whom is such a question qualified? The questioner is a Jew. This is also the case of Jesus’ conversation with a scribe in Luke 10:25-28. The premise of his question is not how he becomes God’s chosen people (Israel), but how he lives as the people of God. God’s promise to Israel is maintained and depends upon the observance of the commandments of the Torah. At the same time, however, the whole inheritance of eternal life remains at the final judgment also for Israel. Matthew 19:16 eliminates the term ‘inherit’ (‘κληρονομ?σω’) in the question of the rich, young man, and substitutes it with ‘σχ?’(have). Instead he adds that term to the eschatological statement on 19:29 given to Jesus’ disciples who have left everything to follow him.<BR> It means that early Christianity shared the heritage of Jewish soteriology from the perspective of so-called ‘covenantal nomism’, but just with a changed point of view in the understanding of eschatological salvation: God’s promise is now given to the disciples of Jesus as delegates to Israel, and furthermore, its new prospect will be extended to the Gentiles. However, at the same time, it is clear that the Gentiles also can never forsake the commandments of the Torah (Mt 5:17-19) because they are also supposed to face the final judgement. The Jews and Gentiles seek the will of God revealed in the law and “should live by doing it”(το?το πο??ικα? ζ?οη Lk 10:28). The first-century Judaism and Christianity were standing on this common ground.<BR> Without missing such a complex theological meaning, it will be suggested that the current Korean translation “obtain/get the eternal life”(Mk 10:17; Lk 18:17; Mt 19:16; Lk 10:25) should be revised to “inherit the eternal life” in Mark and Luke as well as to “have the eternal life” in Matthew respectively.