EXEGESIS OF THE GREEK NT November 23, 4-4:50 pm Bond 155: Tom Phillips
1.
Content/function outline:
I. An Apostolic Introduction: 2 Corinthians 1:1-11 II. An Apostolic Ministry: 2 Corinthians 1:12—7:16 [This section along with chapters 10-13 belongs to the larger genre of forensic or judicial rhetoric and is focused on the past.]
Paul Reveals His Intentions (1:12—2:13) B. Paul Characterizes His Ministry (2:14—6:10)
Thanksgiving for Triumph in Christ (2:14-17) A Ministry of the Spirit (3:1—4:6) 3. A Ministry of Suffering (4:7—5:10) 4. A Ministry of Reconciliation (5:11—6:10)
a. The Fear of the Lord and the Love of Christ (5:11-15) b. The Perspective of Reconciliation (5:16-21) c. The Life of an Apostle (6:1-10) Paul Has Confidence in the Church (6:11-7:16)
III. The Grace of Christian Giving: 2 Corinthians 8:1—9:15 IV. Vindication of Paul’s Authority: 2 Corinthians 10:1-13:14
2.
Grammatical Structure
Relating to vv. 11`-15
v. 16: hōste . . . ei kai . . . alla . . .
v. 17: hōste . . . kainē ktisis ta . . . idou . . .
v. 18: ta de . . . tou kattallaxantos . . . kai dontos . . .
v. 19: hōs hoti mē . . . kai themenos
v. 20: . . .oun . . . deomai katallagēte
v. 21: ton mē . . . hina . . .
3.
Syntactical and lexical (theological), structural, and rhetorical issues, the questions that need to be answered for exegesis (to write a commentary?) There are no doubt more!
5:16
hōste--How is verse 16 and what follows related to vv. 11-15?
What does apo tou nyn . . . ouketi refer to? Time of . . . ?
How should we understand ei kai gnōskamen kata sarka. . . ? Did Paul know the historical Jesus, etc.?
And then nyn oukei ginōskomen?
5:17
What do you do with hōste here in relation to the previous verse(s)? Is there any significance to the repetition—hōste . . . hōste?
The first clause has no verbs. What do you add in English translation? Most importantly how should kainē ktisis be translated? “he is a new creation” (NIV)” or “there is a new creation” (NRSV)? What about the KJV “he is a new creature)?
What does Paul have in mind by en Xristōi? By kainē ktisis? Background of ktisis? kainē in New Testament and Paul. What are the implications of the last clause in relation to it? Note the verb tenses.
Need one translate idou? NIV doesn’t. NRSV has “see.” Does it do anything, if so what?
5:18
How does v 18 (and what follows) relate to vv 16-17? That is, its function in the paragraph?
Note the big verb katallazantos (aorist participle, so when?), basic meaning, significance in Paul’s theology, and its function in the paragraph. Who is the subject of its action here? What is the relation of the action to Christ (dia)?
What does the parallel clause add, that is what is it doing here? Define what Paul means by diakonian (see chapter 3) and its relation to the following noun in the genitive case.
5:19
What is v 19 doing in relation to v 18? How should we translate hōs hoti? NIV has “that” seeing it as simply a discourse marker. Others see the force of “because” here and translate “to the effect that” (Turner), NEB has “what I mean is,” and NRSV translates “that is.”
Should the first clause be translated directly as “God was in Christ, reconciling” (KJV) or periphrastically as “God was reconciling . . . in Christ” (NIV, etc.). The first speaks of an ontological Christology, the second of a soteriological Christology. Which punctuation is correct? If the latter how does one interpret en Xristōi, agency only (instrumental en, or incorporation as well (v 17)? Are we talking about an event or a process here?
What is the relation of the second clause to the first clause? What in the world does Paul have in mind with mē logizomenos? Briefly, what are paraptōmata? “Sins” as the NIV translates?
How does the third clause of the verse relate to the first one? What is the significance to the shift from diakonian in v 18 to logon here. Is its meaning only “message” (NIV)? Interpret the genitive.
5:20
Now with oun, how does one define the connection to vv 18-19?
What is the imagery behind presbeuomen?
What is the meaning of hōs here? NIV translates “as though.” Plummer suggests “seeing that.” NRSV translates “since God is making his appeal through us.” Note function of parakalountos in relation to presbeuomen. Note the word family of the former verb.
What is the relation of the last clause of the verse to the verse as a whole, that is, its function?
Interpret in context the significance of the mood, tense, and voice of katallagēte.
Who is invited?
5:21
Again the relation to what precedes needs definition. Who is ton mē gnonta hamartian? How do you know that?
What are the lexical implications of mē gnonta?
The big question is how to understand hyper hēmōn hamartian epoiēsen, Paul’s understanding of the atonement. Do we understand the second hamartian as the first occurrence, or does it have as some insist the meaning of “sin offering” as in the Old Testament? Or, when was Christ hyper hēmōn hamartian epoiēsen?
What does Paul’s use of hyper here indicates as to his understanding of the atonement (see vv 14-15)? In what categories should the atonement be understood in terms of this verse? Personal, justice, relational, forensic?
Hina introduces what kind of a clause?
Is it simply positional, treat or view as? What does Paul mean by dikaiosunē theou? Who does en autōi refer to?
4.
Describe the structure (logic) of Paul’s presentation theologically, that is, what is going on, that is, what is Paul doing most of all and how is he doing it?
What is the essential witness of the text to the Church and to us? Or are there as many “witnesses” as there are individuals here because of the unique work of the Holy Spirit?
16From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. 17So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 20So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Because of vv 14-15: “14For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. 15And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.”
hōste . . . hōste (See paragraph in NBBC, 199).
Or, ???
6.0 DATE \@ "M/d/yyyy" 11/23/2009