“ Cursed is Everyone who is Hung on a Tree”
Paul’s use of the phrase “the works of the law” (ergon nomou) in Romans 2 raises intriguing questions about the cultural, religious, and political dynamics of Jewish identity within the Roman Empire. Scholar Mark Nanos argues that this phrase doesn’t encompass the entire Torah but rather refers to specific practices like circumcision, dietary laws, and Sabbath observance that served as boundary markers of Jewish identity. These markers allowed Jews to maintain their distinctiveness within a pluralistic Roman society where Judaism was a tolerated yet marginalized religion. However, the Roman practice of crucifixion introduced a new layer of tension to this dynamic, as it exploited Jewish beliefs to disempower and delegitimize the Jewish community.
Judaism held a unique legal status in the Roman Empire as a religio licita (a permitted religion), which granted Jewish communities the autonomy to preserve their distinct laws and practices while minimizing obligations to Roman religious and civic customs. This autonomy transformed “the works of the law” beyond mere religious observance—they embodied the markers of Jewish identity in a pluralistic and often hostile Greco-Roman world. These practices reinforced the separation between Jews and Gentiles, ensuring the survival of Jewish culture and religion within a dominant imperial society.
In Romans 2, Paul addresses both Jews and Gentiles, emphasizing that outward adherence to “the works of the law” alone is insufficient for righteousness before God. He critiques the notion that identity as God’s covenant people is solely secured by external markers, highlighting the need for an inward transformation of the heart. Paul famously asserts that a true Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, guided by the Spirit (Romans 2:28-29). Paul’s argument reframes the role of the Torah: it is not abolished but its function as a boundary marker is redefined in light of the gospel’s inclusive message.
Nanos contextualizes this argument within the specific historical and social dynamics of Roman Jewry. Jewish communities in Rome faced pressure from both internal and external forces. Internal pressures stemmed from the need to uphold their traditions, while external pressures arose from the expectation to conform to the broader Roman social order. The inclusion of Gentiles in the Jesus movement further complicated matters, as Gentile converts who refrained from adopting Jewish practices challenged traditional notions of covenant identity. Paul’s message in Romans 2 serves as a response to these tensions by redefining what it means to belong to God’s people. Covenant identity is no longer solely determined by ethnic and cultural practices but by faith and obedience to God, making it inclusive of both Jews and Gentiles.
One pivotal verse, Galatians 3:13, alludes to the Jewish belief that “everyone who hangs on a tree is cursed” (Deuteronomy 21:23). For Jews, this curse signified exclusion from the covenant and the afterlife. The Romans comprehended the symbolic significance of this teaching and employed crucifixion—a public form of execution and humiliation—to suppress Jewish resistance and undermine Jewish identity. By crucifying individuals, the Romans not only eliminated political dissidents but also rendered them ritually cursed in the eyes of their own community. This deliberate tactic aimed to control the Jewish population, as the stigma of crucifixion permeated their theology and communal identity.
Paul’s theology delves into the complex intersection of Jewish law, Roman power, and the scandalous crucifixion. In Romans 2, he critiques the reliance on external “works of the law” as indicators of covenant identity, emphasizing that genuine righteousness emerges through faith and internal transformation. For Paul, the crucifixion of Jesus—despite its status as a Roman tool of humiliation and a Jewish curse—becomes the path to redemption. Jesus, despite being “cursed” by hanging on a tree, fulfills the law and absorbs the curse, thereby nullifying its power and extending the covenant to all, regardless of Jewish or Gentile background.
This redefinition of covenant identity challenged both Jewish and Roman paradigms. Jewish communities in Rome utilized the “works of the law” not only as religious observances but also as acts of resistance and solidarity against Roman cultural dominance. These practices fostered a sense of belonging in a hostile empire. However, Paul argued that such markers no longer held the defining characteristics of God’s covenant people. Instead, faith in the crucified and risen Christ transcended these boundaries, redefining righteousness and inclusion based on belief and obedience to God rather than adherence to specific identity markers.
The Roman practice of crucifixion further underscores the profound and radical nature of Paul’s argument. By embracing the crucified Christ, Paul reinterprets a symbol of Roman oppression and Jewish exclusion as the cornerstone of God’s redemptive plan. This transformative act undermines both the Roman use of crucifixion to suppress Jewish resistance and the Jewish reliance on boundary markers that excluded Gentiles. Paul’s vision dismantles the rigid categories of cursed and uncursed, insider and outsider, and instead proclaims the inclusive embrace of all who place their faith in Christ.
The Roman practice of crucifixion, which involved manipulating Jewish theology, provides a deeper understanding of Paul’s message in Romans 2. “The works of the law” were not just religious observances but profound identity markers deeply intertwined with the Jewish struggle for survival within the Roman Empire. By redefining covenant identity through faith in Christ, Paul offers a radical alternative to both Roman oppression and Jewish exclusivism. This transformation transforms the curse of the tree into the path to salvation, uniting Jews and Gentiles within the inclusive framework of the gospel.
Roman crucifixion, not just a means of execution, was a calculated strategy of domination that exploited Jewish theological beliefs to instill fear and suppress rebellion. As per Deuteronomy 21:23, anyone who hung on a tree was deemed “cursed by God,” which Jews interpreted as a denial of participation in “the world to come,” the ultimate hope of eternal life and restoration. This theological understanding gave crucifixion a stigma beyond physical suffering—it symbolized a spiritual and communal rejection. By employing this form of execution, the Romans weaponized Jewish religious beliefs against the Jewish people, transforming crucifixion into not only a physical punishment but also a theological death sentence. It stripped its victims of honor, dignity, and the hope of posthumous restoration, creating a potent deterrent for those who dared to challenge Roman authority.
In this context, Roman crucifixion served as a form of psychological and spiritual warfare, undermining Jewish identity and resistance. By crucifying rebels and public figures, the Romans conveyed a clear message that defiance would not only result in death but also eternal exclusion from God’s promises. This added a unique layer of shame and terror to the act of crucifixion, making it an even more effective tool of control. However, Paul’s gospel radically subverts this narrative. In Galatians 3:13, Paul proclaims that Christ, who was “hung on a tree,” became a curse for humanity, thereby redeeming Jews and Gentiles alike from the curse of the law. This redefinition of the cross transforms a Roman instrument of oppression into the ultimate symbol of God’s redemptive power, reclaiming the hope of the world to come for all who believe. In doing so, Paul dismantles the Romans’ theological manipulation and offers a vision of salvation that transcends the boundaries of fear, shame, and exclusion.
