Paul’s Anthropology – Pessimistic and Optimistic Vision of the Human Being

Istražujući Pavlov govor o čovjeku u njegovim izvornim spisima, uočavamo da je on najviše određen njegovom pesimističkom i optimističkom vizijom čovjeka. Takva se vizija korijeni u starozavjetnoj antropologiji, a odražava se u pojmovlju kojim se izražava konstitutivno‑strukturalna stvarnost čovjeka a jasno dolazi do izražaja u nekim tekstovima koje smo optikom tipologije Adam – Krist (usp. Rim 5,12‑21) istražili (Rim 1,18 – 3,20; 7,14‑25; 1 Kor 15,45‑49). Pavlov pesimistički pogled na čovjeka plod je njegova realnoga gledanja na povijest, uočavanja čovjekove izgubljenosti i otuđenja, ali u svjetlu svoje vjere i iskustva onoga što je Bog već izveo u Kristu. Povijesni čovjek, premda stvorenje Božje, živi u »Adamovoj sjeni«, osobno ratificira Adamov neposluh Bogu i pokušaj da se ostvari mimo i bez Boga. Taj stari čovjek nužno postaje idolopoklonik i biće rascijepljeno između svojeg htijenja i djelovanja. Bez ispravne relacije s Bogom Stvoriteljem i Spasiteljem u Isusu Kristu, on gubi svoj temelj i svrhu, a time i mogućnost svojeg ostvarenja po Božjoj zamisli. Vjerom u Boga, kristološkom osvjedočenošću i soteriološkim iskustvom, Pavao optimistički gleda na čovjeka, na njega kao biće posebne Božje brige i zauzetosti koja se vrhunski objavila u povijesti uskrsnućem Isusa, koji je vjerom prepoznat kao Božji Sin i Mesija – Krist. Bog se u Kristu u potpunosti zauzeo za izgubljenog i protivnim silama izručenog čovjeka, izvukao ga iz vlasti grijeha i smrti, oslobodio ga njegova egoizma i uvukao ga u dinamizam proslavljene, uskrsle egzistencije. Taj novi dinamizam izvor je spasenjskog optimizma ili optimizma spasenja, koji ima svoje posljedice i u povijesnom životu čovjeka. Već sadanji povijesni čovjek može ući u dinamizam svojeg ostvarenja vjerničkim oslanjanjem na Božje djelo u Kristu, odnosno životom u Kristu koji se u povijesti očituje kao život novog stvorenja. Pavlov antropološki optimizam je kristološko‑soteriološki utemeljen i tiče se svekolikog čovječanstva, što on izražava tipologijom Adam – Krist.U ovom radu krećemo od uvodnih zapažanja o Pavlovoj ukorijenjenosti u starozavjetnu antropologiju, o osloncu njegove antropološke terminologije na starozavjetnu, a potom dvama tekstovima (Rim 1,18‑3,20; 7,14‑25) ilustriramo najprije njegovu pesimističku viziju čovjek, a potom i optimističku (1 Kor 15,45‑49), koju smo odredili kao optimizam spasenja čovjeka u Kristu i prikazali ga kao Pavlov govor o životu u Kristu, odnosno biću i životu novog čovjeka.By studying Paul’s discourse on the human being in his original writings, one notices that what characterises it the most is its pessimistic and optimistic vision of the human being. Such a vision is rooted in the Old Testament anthropology and is reflected in the terminology that expresses the constitutive‑structural reality of the human being that is clearly manifested in some texts that the author studied (Rom 1:18‑3: 20; 7:14‑25; 1 Cor 15:45‑49) through the lenses of Adam‑Paul typology (Rom 5:15‑21). Paul’s pessimistic view of the human being is a fruit of his realistic view of history, his observation that the human being is lost and alienated. He, however, reaches these conclusions in the light of his faith and experience of what God already did in Christ. The historical human being, although created by God, lives in »the shadow of Adam«, personally ratifies Adam’s disobedience to God and attempts to realise himself/herself apart from God. That old human being becomes necessarily an idolater and a being that is torn between his/her wanting and acting. Without the correct relation to God the Creator and Saviour in Jesus Christ, he/she loses his ground and purpose and, through that, the possibility of his/her realisation according to the mind of God. Through faith in God, through Christological witness and soteriological experience, Paul sees the human being optimistically as a being of God’s special care and commitment that has been fully revealed in the history through the resurrection of Jesus, who is recognised in faith as the Son of God and Messiah – Christ. In Christ, God has committed himself fully for the lost and human being who has been previously given over to adversarial forces. God pulls out the human being from the reign of sin and death, liberates him/ her from his egoism, and inserts him/her into the dynamism of the glorious, resurrected existence. That new dynamism is the source of salvific optimism or optimism of salvation that also has consequences in the historical life of the human being. The current historical human being can already enter into the dynamism of his/her realisation by relying in faith on God’s work in Christ, i.e., by living in Christ who is historically manifested as the life of the new creation. Paul’s anthropological optimism is Christologically‑soteriologically grounded and concerns the whole humanity, which he expresses through Adam‑Christ typology. In this article, the author starts with the introductory observations on Paul’s rootedness in the Old Testament anthropology, on reliance of his anthropological terminology on the Old Testament terminology, and then on two texts (Rom 1:18‑3: 20; 7:14‑25) the author illustrates, first, his pessimistic vision of the human being and then optimistic (1 Cor 15:45‑49), which the author calls optimism of salvation of the human being in Christ and presents as Paul’s discourse on life in Christ, i.e., on the being and life of the new human being