Notes for Life of Holiness 11:00 – 11:50 am Monday 2/23 RH 108 & 109 1:30—2:45 pm 2/24/09 RH 109
Class is reading Henri Nouwen’s The Way of the Heart: Desert Spirituality and Contemporary Ministry.
Class has read The Cross and the Spirit: Peter and the Way of the Holy
Class Procedure
Handout, Read Silently:
A MORNING RESOLVE
I will try this day to live a simple, sincere, and serene life, repelling promptly every thought of discontent, anxiety, discouragement, impurity, and self-seeking; cultivating cheerfulness, magnanimity, charity, and the habit of holy silence; exercising economy in expenditure, generosity in giving, carefulness in conversation, diligence in appointed service, fidelity in every trust, and a childlike faith in God.
In particular I will try to be faithful in those habits of prayer, work, study, physical exercise, eating, and sleep which I believe the Holy Spirit has shown me to be right.
And as I cannot in my own strength do this, or even with a hope of success attempt it, I look to thee. O Lord God my Father, in Jesus my Savior, and ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit (Forward Day by Day).
Pray:
Privilege to be here: Appreciation of Steve
--mostly miss you guys, yet generation gap unmistakeable
--Ask old professor a question—you get a lecture --Ask old man a question—you get a story
Which do you want, lecture or stories??
Hand out roll sheet
Introduction: family (60th), career
Why are you taking this course?
This Room: How course came into being—Fall 1983 (Catalog 84-85)..
The Cross and the Spirit: Peter and the Way of the Holy(1987)
Ask for responses/questions
History of: The second edition of Peter: The Rock-Man (1973—so written in Pasadena
The Way of the Heart: [From history of the Rule]
Anyone read it yet?
My experience with: Wait until I introduce Rule (?)--I encountered the writings of Henri J. M. Nouwen through the gift of a friend. Most crucial for me among Nouwen's writings was his The Way of the Heart: Desert Spirituality and Contemporary Ministry with its three simplistic yet profound chapters on Solitude, Silence, and Prayer, just off the press. During the Spring Quarter break of 1981, a particularly dark moment in my spirits, I gave myself to the meditative reading of The Way of the Heart, remaining alone and in silence as much as humanly possible. That week, into what seemed to be a long black and endless tunnel, a hopeful ray of light began to shine from the opening in the distance. The end was in sight! The three emphases of that brief document continue to impact me as I have exposed myself to more of Nouwen's writings and to the stream of spiritual writing out of which he was working.
The Devotional Life and my Rule
“Why” a devotional life? “How” do I conduct it?
Brief beginning in 1964-66, at least 42 years ago; where was I in life?
What I did this morning—retirement old age, Betty asleep, etc Write out outline—forgot details last time. Losungen www.moravian.org/daily/texts
Handout Rule
History: Rule introduction: One, Two--The third development, most pertinent to this essay, came as I was working through Kenneth Leech's True Prayer, loaned to me by my teaching-brother since 1961, Reuben Welch. As I read I began to sense the need of a "rule" for myself to follow in my devotional discipline, one tailored just for me. So I began the construction of what I labeled "Towards a Rule of Devotion" consisting only of an outline with each point illustrated by a quotation from Scripture or some classical Christian writer. My "Rule" continues to be an integral part of my devotional experience to the present. So I present it in its latest form for the Spirit to illumine as he wills! [My practice varies somewhat from this but still divided between reading, reflection, and prayer.]
The Burning Heart: The Devotional Experience (1980-?): Read from, talk about?
The Secret
Remembrance
Renewal
The “One Book”
Other Books
My Books A Rule of Devotion
Prevenient Grace
The Hidden Christ (1): Adapted from 5.2.3 “Grace and the Hidden Christ” [see4.3.2]
From these texts (John 5:39-47; 8:39-43, 46-47), along with my Wesleyan understanding of the grace of God by his Spirit “at work in the hearts of every person everywhere all the time, ” is that I identify prevenient grace with the voice of the “hidden Christ.” I believe that what we do with this voice of the “hidden Christ” who has been knocking on our heart’s door all along with the true meaning of the life of Jesus determines whether or not we accept or reject the witness of the “historical Christ” as it encounters us from his people (the church) and the Scriptures.
This grace, the Spirit of God at work in our hearts is bottom line the “hidden Christ” calling us to an “other-centered” life rather than a “self-centered” life. The issue is primarily moral and spiritual, rather than intellectual. As the great Johannine New Testament scholar Father Raymond Brown commented on John 5:41-47, “The failure to accept Jesus is really the preference of self.” A contemporary devotional writer expresses the same understanding of grace another way:
God sends us message after message, in his word and through his Holy Spirit. None of us are left out as far as the message is concerned. Even those who have never heard of Christ or the One God Yahweh get messengers, get the word that only love matters. And when time after time we reject the message and the messengers and choose death, he respects our choice and provides the appropriate consequence. Because God will not be mocked forever, his kingdom will produce fruit.
John 10:25-30 is best understood in the above manner rather than in terms of any rigid predestinarianism:
Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”
In conclusion there are some who respond to the Spirit of Christ in the inner and outer quality of their lives all the while unable to affirm intellectually for various reasons the orthodox historic Christ. And there are others who aggressively affirm with mind and mouth the historical Christ but who are nonetheless rejecting the hidden Christ by in the inner and outer quality of their lives. These folk are atheist in their hearts and “Christian” in their heads. And then there are others who are “atheist” in their heads, but due to their response to the hidden Christ are Christian in their hearts. Not only can we affirm that “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16) but there is a sense in which it is also true that “love is God”!
“My sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me” (John 10:27). John Wesley: Prevenient Grace (2): From 4.3.2 “The Essence of Wesleyanism”
“The essence of Wesleyanism” is simply and profoundly FREE GRACE! Wesley understood the grace of God in two key ways. First like the Reformers, he understood grace as the “undeserved favor” of God, enabling our acceptance with Him. This, Wesley writes is
favour altogether undeserved, man having no claim to the least of his mercies. It was free grace that “formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into him a living soul,” and stamped on that soul the image of God, and “put all things under his feet.” The same free grace continues to us, at the day, life and breath, and all things.
Second, out of his immersion in the Greek Christian heritage, Wesley understood grace as the “power of the Holy Ghost” enabling us to walk in the ways of God. The former of these two understandings “accents the divine/human relation; the latter, human participation and renewal.” For Wesley the Holy Spirit was “the mediator of all graces—sufficient grace in all, irresistible grace in none.”
H. Ray Dunning’s title for his “Wesleyan Systematic Theology,” Grace, Faith and Holiness, is appropriate for our theme. For in Wesley, and in truly Wesleyan theology, graces issues first in faith, then in holiness! Foundational for Wesleyanism in Wesley’s own language is
Grace Free In All, Grace Free For All The word for this in Wesleyan theology is “prevenient grace.” “Prevenient” or “preventing” grace sets every person free to respond to the call of God. In his sermon “Working Out Our Own Salvation,” Mr. Wesley writes:
For allowing that all the souls of men are dead in sin by nature, this excuses none, seeing there is no man that is in a state of mere nature; there is no man, unless he has quenched the Spirit, that is wholly void of the grace of God. No man living is entirely destitute of what is vulgarly called “natural conscience.” But this is not natural; it is more properly termed “preventing grace.” Every man has a greater or less measure of this, which waiteth not for the call of man. Everyone has sooner or later good desires, although the generality of men stifle them before they can strike deep root or produce any considerable fruit. Everyone has some measure of that light, some faint glimmering ray, which sooner or later, more or less, enlightens every man that cometh into the world. . . . So that no man sins because he has not grace, but because he does not use the grace which he hath.
In the Conference Minutes of 1745, Wesley asks, “Q. 23. Wherein may we come to the very edge of Calvinism? A. (1.) In ascribing all good to the free grace of God, (2.) In denying all natural free-will, and all power antecedent to grace. And, (3.) In excluding all merit from man; even for what he has or does by the grace of God.”
In his Sermon on “Free Grace” from 1739, Wesley defined prevenient grace simply: “The grace or love of God, whence cometh our salvation, is FREE IN ALL, and FREE FOR ALL.” As Collins summarizes: “Wesley’s doctrine of prevenient grace allows him to hold together, without any contradiction, the four motifs of total depravity, salvation by grace, human responsibility, and the offer of salvation to all.”
Out of the operation of prevenient grace, grace free in all, and grace free for all, as it brings us to faith, come Wesley’s two unique emphases, so needed in his day and in no way irrelevant to ours, the twin spiritual graces of the assurance of salvation, and the transformation of life—morality and spiritually. They are
The Assurance of Grace The Grace of Perfect Love Notes for Class in Biblical Theology 10:00am – 11:40 Bond #156
Introduction
Ask an old man a question, you get a story Ask an old professor a question, you get lecture
Ask an old professor a question . . . ?? So stories and a lecture! I am here to tell you “more than you want to know” about biblical theology! Naïve ranch background, small town country high school, rural Methodist Church.
Went to college pretty much as an intellectual ignoramus—some still think so!
Taylor University—Majored in Sociology--no reason, Minored in French—no reason
Felt the call to ministry, took two small Methodist churches after car accident before finishing college in 1950. After graduation pastured Methodist churches near Omaha while recovering from more surgery.
Joined the Church of the Nazarene in 1950 and attended Nazarene Theological Seminary, 1951-54, B.D.
While pasturing a home mission Nazarene Church in Kimball, Nebraska, felt the call to go on to graduate work and prepare for a teaching career. Wanted to go to the New College, University of Edinburgh, was advised to get a Master’s degree first—NTS unaccredited at the time.
Left Nebraska in 1956 to attend Princeton Theological Seminary and obtain a M.Th. while pasturing the Church of the Nazarene in Edison, New Jersey.
Along the way somewhere, beginning perhaps before NTS, while convinced of the truth of my holiness heritage, was very unconvinced of the manner in which I had heard the Scripture used to support it. So the urge to biblical studies.
Began to feel during my years at Princeton that if I could just really understand 1 John 1: 7 in context I would have my answer—several sermons—I was doing “biblical theology”!
Graduate work in the heyday of biblical theology in biblical studies in the aftermath of the work of the bomb from Basel, Karl Barth and his Römerbrief.
Princeton Theological Seminary M.Th. 1956-1958 New College, University of Edinburgh Ph.D. 1958-1961 (degree received 7/3/64)
Influenced by the works of
Karl Barth Alan Richardson Kristar Stendahl John Bright Brevard Childs—date?
Arrived at PC in fall 1961: Oscar Reed --knew more than I about the age of my studies --Put biblical theology, new and old into curriculum for me to teach (Bill McCumber!! insisted on the adding of BT Holiness, later paralleled by Life of Holiness.
Definition
Class notes on theological methodology—couldn’t find—there somewhere!
Biblical theology starts with the biblical text and works from it to its relevance in the contemporary world, its issues and concerns—the witness of the text to us..
Systematic theology starts with the contemporary world view, its issues and its concerns. Scripture is one of its sources, along with the whole of human knowledge—philosophy, literature, the sciences, psychology, sociology, etc.—constructs rational formulation of the meaning of the faith for our day.
Both contain rational discourse and witness dimension, but in different balance and hierarchy, depending on the methodology of the particular theologian.
The role of scripture in the theologian’s work depends on his/her view of its nature, authority, and importance. What is scripture is an all-important question.
Scripture
Lecture on Scripture
They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32)
The Scriptures are those documents produced within the history of the Jewish people and canonized by the Christian Church, writings chosen by the Risen Lord by means of which he desires to make himself known to us, that is, in the language of Scripture itself, writings with which he burns his presence into our hearts and lives.
Henri J. M. Nouwen, With Burning Hearts: A Meditation on the Eucharistic Life (Marynoll, New York: Orbis Books, 1994):
On the road to Emmaus, Jesus became present through his word, and it was that presence that transformed sadness to joy and mourning to dancing. That is what happens every Eucharist. The word that is read and spoken [Scripture and Liturgy] wants to lead us into God’s presence and transform our hearts and minds. Often we think about the word as an exhortation to go out and change our lives. But the full power of the word lies, not in how we apply it to our lives after we have heard it, but in its transforming power that does its divine work as we listen (55).
. . . . Without the word that keeps lifting us up as God’s chosen people, we remain, or become, small people, stuck in the complaints that emerge from our daily struggle to survive. Without the word that makes our hearts burn, we can’t do much more than walk home, resigned to the sad fact that there is nothing new under the sun. Without the word, our life has little meaning, little vitality, and little energy. Without the word we remain little people with little concerns who live little lives and die little deaths. Without the word we still may be a news item in the local or even national newspaper for a day or two, but there will be no generations to call us blessed. Without the word our isolated pains and sorrows may extinguish the Spirit within and make us victims of bitterness and resentment. We need the word spoken and explained by the one who joins us on the road and makes his presence known to us—a presence first discerned in our burning hearts. It is this presence that encourages us to let go of our hardened hearts and become grateful. As grateful people we can invite into the intimacy of our home the one who has made our hearts burn (60-61).
In the process of giving away my books I came across J. B. Phillips’ Ring of Truth: A Translator’s Testimony (London: Hodder and Stoughton Limited, 1967). As I was thumbing through it I came across two quotations that I had highlighted years ago and now leaped out at me that relate to our task as students of the Bible and our calling as proclaimers of the Word:
Apart from sheer neglect, the other way in which human beings can protect themselves from the rather frightening vitality of the New Testament is by carefully dismembering it (11).
The New Testament, given a fair hearing, does not need me or anyone else to define it (14).
My favorite metaphor for the Scriptures is A HOT WIRE ( both powerful and dangerous!) Yet the books of the Bible are composed of written documents which have to be read, and you cannot read without interpretation. To shorten our story, then
What is the role or function of the methods and tools of the critical (Mirriam-Webster: “exercising or involving careful judgment or judicious evaluation” versus “uncritical”) study of the Bible?
The Scriptures are Incarnational, Christological, and God-Breathed (2-3)
III. Practice
Read from 2 Corinthians’ commentary on
13:11-14 read text
Commentary 647, 648, 651-656 What it meant, what it means, not always easy to separate, or even inseparable! BIBLE? INTERPRET?
They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32)
The Scriptures are those documents produced within the history of the Jewish people and canonized by the Christian Church, writings chosen by the Risen Lord by means of which he desires to make himself known to us, that is, in the language of Scripture itself, writings with which he burns his presence into our hearts and lives.
In required preparation for the Global theological conference in beginning this Saturday in Amsterdam (3/31-4/4), I was reading last week from Henri J. M. Nouwen, With Burning Hearts: A Meditation on the Eucharistic Life (Marynoll, New York: Orbis Books, 1994):
On the road to Emmaus, Jesus became present through his word, and it was that presence that transformed sadness to joy and mourning to dancing. That is what happens every Eucharist. The word that is read and spoken [Scripture and Liturgy] wants to lead us into God’s presence and transform our hearts and minds. Often we think about the word as an exhortation to go out and change our lives. But the full power of the word lies, not in how we apply it to our lives after we have heard it, but in its transforming power that does its divine work as we listen (55).
. . . . Without the word that keeps lifting us up as God’s chosen people, we remain, or become, small people, stuck in the complaints that emerge from our daily struggle to survive. Without the word that makes our hearts burn, we can’t do much more than walk home, resigned to the sad fact that there is nothing new under the sun. Without the word, our life has little meaning, little vitality, and little energy. Without the word we remain little people with little concerns who live little lives and die little deaths. Without the word we still may be a news item in the local or even national newspaper for a day or two, but there will be no generations to call us blessed. Without the word our isolated pains and sorrows may extinguish the Spirit within and make us victims of bitterness and resentment. We need the word spoken and explained by the one who joins us on the road and makes his presence known to us—a presence first discerned in our burning hearts. It is this presence that encourages us to let go of our hardened hearts and become grateful. As grateful people we can invite into the intimacy of our home the one who has made our hearts burn (60-61).
I am in the process of giving away my books one by one, not an easy task when your life has centered in your books. When I pick one out to give away I often do some reading in them before I can let go of them. Last week it was J. B. Phillips’ Ring of Truth: A Translator’s Testimony (London: Hodder and Stoughton Limited, 1967). As I was thumbing through it at the stop lights coming to campus a week ago after an early breakfast with Professor Smith, I came across two quotations that I had highlighted years ago and now leaped out at me that relate to our task as students of the Bible and our calling as proclaimers of the Word:
Apart from sheer neglect, the other way in which human beings can protect themselves from the rather frightening vitality of the New Testament is by carefully dismembering it (11).
The New Testament, given a fair hearing, does not need me or anyone else to define it (14).
My favorite metaphor for the Scriptures is A HOT WIRE! Yet the books of the Bible are composed of written documents which have to be read, and you cannot read without interpretation. To shorten our story, then
What is the role or function of the methods and tools of the critical (Mirriam-Webster: “exercising or involving careful judgment or judicious evaluation” versus “uncritical”) study of the Bible? Higher and Lower Criticism, the grammatical/historical method, structuralism, historical, textual (two senses), lexical, literary (two forms), narrartive, form, redaction, rhetorical, genre, canonical, narrative, criticism? [Did I leave anything out?] Notes for The Letters of Paul: 2 Corinthians March 5, 2009 (4:30—5:45)
Class Procedure
Introductory Remarks 4:30-4:45
Personal
Morning Resolve Students Professor
Questions??
Writing the Commentary on 2 Corinthians NBBC 4:45—5:00
The manuscript/flash drive-notebooks
General procedure
1968, BBC, Volume 8: William M. Greathouse and I Handout content outline
Introductory issues: Raymond Brown, INT, 541-558. You have read, and know!!
My positions, mss, 70-98
Brief handout on visits and letters (mss 70-71; Brown 541-544). Integrity: Compilation? (Brown 548-551)
6:14—7:1 mss 86-89 (see McCant) Chs 8-9 Chs 10-13 mss 91-95
Opponents (mss 76-81: Brown 554-556)
Genre, mss handout
The Exegesis of 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 5:00-5:30
Form and Method Behind the Text In the Text From the Text
Defined in Handbook, 11.
Presentation of Exegesis:
The commentary—handout
Stylistic concerns as I read
Hermeneutics 5:30-5:45
An Apostolic Hermeneutic: mss hand out xd A Biblical Hermeneutic
CONTENTS
General Editor’s Preface Acknowledgements Abbreviations Bibliography Introduction
A Personal Letter Destination
The City of Corinth The Church at Corinth
Integrity
Authorship and Authenticity Unity Purpose
Literary Features
Genre Content Analysis Text
Theological Themes
God The Gospel The Ministry
F. Hermeneutical Issues
An Apostolic Hermeneutic A Biblical Hermeneutic
I. An Apostolic Introduction: 2 Corinthians 1:1-11
Paul Greets the Church (1:1-2) Paul Praises God for His Comfort (1:3-11)
Comfort Through Christ (1:3-7) Affliction and Deliverance (1:8-11)
II. An Apostolic Ministry: 2 Corinthians 1:12—7:16
Paul Reveals His Intentions (1:12—2:13)
The Sincerity of His Correspondence (1:12-14) The Integrity of His Travel Plans (1:15-22) The Reason He Did Not Come (1:23—2:4) Forgiveness for the Offender (2:5-11) The Trip to Troas & Macedonia (2:12-13)
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) Paul Has Confidence in the Church (6:11-7:16)
An Appeal for Fellowship (6:11-13) An Exhortation to Holy Living (6:14—7:1) Renewed Appeal for Fellowship (7:2-4) The Coming of Titus (7:5-7) The Repentance of the Church (7:8-13a) The Experience of Titus in Corinth (7:13b-16)
III. The Grace of Christian Giving: 2 Corinthians 8:1—9:15
Paul Encourages the Completion of the Offering (8:1-15)
The Liberality of the Macedonians (8:1-7) The Challenge of the Liberality of Christ (8:8-15)
B. Paul Chooses Messengers (8:16—9:15) 1. The Recommendation of Titus and His Companions (8:16-24) 2. The Sending of the Brothers (9:1-5) 3. The Blessings of Liberality (9:6-15)
But to reconstruct the sequence and nature of the apostle’s subsequent visits and correspondence with the Corinthian church is problematic. The order listed, the number of letters (four to seven), and the composition especially of 2 Cor can be disputed. Beyond, however, the above sketch of Paul’s founding visit (Acts 18:10), there is solid textual evidence for:
a previous letter now lost (1 Cor 5:9-13), 1 Cor carried by Timothy from Ephesus (1 Cor 4:17; 16:10-11), a painful visit from Ephesus (2 Cor 2:1; 13:2; see Acts 20:18, 31), a sorrowful letter now lost (2 Cor 2:3-4), variously called the letter of tears, severe, or painful letter (2 Cor 8:6, 16-18, 22-24), and a third anticipated visit (2 Cor 1:15-16; 12:14; 13:1-2; Acts 20:2-3).
Various partition theories divide 2 Cor into from three to five letters, each sent separately (Harris 2005, 26). Such hypotheses are based on conjecture alone, since there is no surviving manuscript evidence of another version of the letter than the familiar canonical form.
1. Genre
The quest for the literary genre of 2 Cor is most interesting. Obviously, it is related to the Greco-Roman letters of the Hellenistic period. This is seen by the similarity of the salutation (1:1-2) and the closing (13:11-14) to the conventions of Hellenistic letters (see Doty 1973, 27-42, and commentary on these verses). Second Corinthians is a genuine occasional letter. That is, it was written to a designated people and directed to a specific situation. The letter was written to serve as a surrogate for Paul’s personal presence, as what he would say if he were present speaking to them. It was intended to be read aloud to the church as a whole—and probably more than once—for the instruction and admonition of the congregation.
Paul adapted and expanded the various elements of the traditional letter form to suit his pastoral—ethical and theological—concerns as an apostle of Christ. Thus, in form the letter stands somewhere between a private letter and the more literary epistle—a sent treatise. From the standpoint of its letter- or epistolary form, 2 Cor can be analyzed as follows:
1:1-2 Salutation 1:3-11 Blessing 1:12-13:10 Body 13:11-14 Closing
Paraenetic or ethical advice appears at various points throughout the letter. Other literary forms or sub-genres may also be noted in the course of the interpretation of the text.
The question of the literary genre of 2 Cor does not end, however, with its obvious similarity to the ancient Hellenistic letter. Young and Ford, for example, suggest that the closest analogy to 2 Cor is a letter purportedly written by Demosthenes (Ep. 2.), an apologetic speech in epistolary form (1987, 37). This raises the question of the relation of 2 Cor to Greek rhetoric. The judgment of Young and Ford, and of others examining 2 Cor from the standpoint of classical rhetoric, is that the letter makes ample use of forensic or judicial rhetoric. This does not assume that Paul knew the writings of Demosthenes or others like him, though he may have been aware of the rhetorical handbooks.
As an educated person of the first century, Paul would “have been hard put to escape an awareness of rhetoric as practiced in the culture around [him] for the rhetorical theory of the schools found its immediate application in almost every form of oral and written communication” (Kennedy 1984, 10).
The three species of rhetoric employed were judicial, deliberative, and epideictic. The most common of these, judicial or forensic, aimed at persuading an audience to make a judgment about past events. Rhetoric was deliberative when it sought to persuade the audience regarding some future action. And it was epideictic when it attempted to persuade to praise or blame someone as to actions in the present (Kennedy 1984, 19; Harris 2005, 106).
The classical rhetorical handbooks present the six expected parts of a judicial speech (as outlined by Harris, 2005, 106):
1. The exordium (introduction) establishes the speaker’s (or writer’s) good moral character (ēthos) and seeks to ensure the audience’s receptivity. 2. The narratio (narration) states the agreed facts of the case. 3. The propositio (proposition) sets out the basic facts to be proven true or false and areas of agreement or disagreement with opponents. 4. The probatio or argumentatio (proof)gives the reasoning (logos) in support of the speaker’s case. 5. The refutatio (refutation) disproves or impairs the opponents arguments. And 6. The peroratio (conclusion)sums up the case and seeks to arouse the audience’s sympathetic emotions (pathos).
Several analyses have been proposed in the scholarly literature on 2 Cor. In the course of the present commentary, we refer often to the analysis of Ben Witherington III (1995 335-336). Thus, we offer here his rhetorical analysis as one example:
Epistolary prescript (1:1-2). Epistolary thanksgiving and exordium (1:3-7). Narratio (1:8-2:16). Propositio (2:17). Probatio and refutatio (3:1—13:4), which includes: Paul’s characterization of his ministry (3:1—6:13), a deliberative digression (6:14-7:1), Paul’s defense of the severe letter (7:2-16), a largely deliberative argument concerning the collection (chs 8 and 9), and a rhetorical synkrisis (comparison) of Paul and his competitors in Corinth, the false apostoloi, with a strong emotional appeal (10:1—13:4). Peroratio or conclusion (13:5-10). Closing epistolary greetings and remarks (13:11-13 [14])
Harris (2005, 107-108) presents several analyses including that of Kennedy (1984, 87-91; see also Young and Ford (1987, 38-40).
To what extent should we view the genre of 2 Cor through the lens of judicial rhetoric? Young and Ford, for example, conclude that “2 Corinthians was self-consciously conceived as an apology according to the norms of the day” and “that the thrust of Paul’s argument is clear, provided we take the text as a unity, and understand its genre as that of an apologetic letter” (1987, 43, 54-55; see also McCant [1999, 13-16], who sees the letter as “a parody of defense”). Harris, however, sounds some warnings.
Paul negatively assesses (especially) the ornamental rhetoric of his day (see 1 Cor 1:20). His argument in 2 Cor 10-13 against the rhetorical skills of his opponents in Corinth indicates that, in his presentations, he had confidence in the truth, in rational appeal, and in the persuasiveness of the Holy Spirit. He disparages dependence on mere rhetorical skill: “form was always secondary to content; style was invariably the servant of substance” (2005, 109). Harris’ conclusion is cautious but helpful:
First, it is doubtful that the apostle “would have consciously developed his argumentation in accordance with the successive divisions of forensic or deliberative or epideictic rhetoric.”
Second, any document as lengthy as 2 Cor “that is (1) written by a highly educated person, (2) apologetic in character, (3) logical in presentation, and (4) aimed at winning over an audience and influencing their way of thinking and acting is likely to display the basic ingredients of forensic, deliberative, or epideictic rhetoric” (2005, 108-110). Regardless of the precise relation of 2 Cor to the apologetic or forensic speech, attention to the rhetorical background will help us to appreciate and understand more accurately how Paul pours out his apostolic heart to the Corinthians. IV. Vindication of Paul’s Authority: 2 Corinthians 10:1-3:14
Paul Answers His Opponents (10:1-18)
1. The Spiritual Nature of Paul’s Weapons (10:1-6) 2. The Consistency of Paul’s Authority (10:7-11) 3. The Legitimacy of Paul’s Boasting (10:12-18)
Paul Boasts in His Foolishness (11:1—12:13)
An Appeal to Bear With Paul’s Foolishness (11:1-6) The Self-Support of Paul’s Mission (11:7-15) Renewed Appeal to Bear With Paul’s Boasting (11:16-21a) The Boasting of the Apostle (11:21b—12:10) Paul’s Behavior in Corinth (12:11-13)
C. Paul Plans a Third Visit to Corinth (12:14—13:10
1. Paul’s Proposed Behavior in Corinth (12:14-18) 2. Paul’s Apprehensiveness (12:19-21) 3. Paul’s Determination to Discipline (13:1-4) 4. Paul’s Plea for Reformation (13:5-10) D. Paul Concludes the Letter (13:11-14) 1. Exhortation and Greeting (13:11-13) 2. The Threefold Blessing (13:14)
D. Paul Concludes the Letter (13:11-14)
The apostle brings this difficult letter to a somewhat friendly, perhaps even affectionate (“brothers”), close. He observes the usual pattern found in his letters (see 1 Cor 16:19-24; Phil 4:21-23). Following his introduction (1:1-11), Paul has narrated the events that call his apostolic ministry into question. In the process, he defines his ministry and affirms his pastoral relation to them (1:12—7:16). He appeals to them to complete the collection for the saints in the Jerusalem church (8:1—9:15). Finally, in preparation for his third visit to Corinth, Paul engages in a vigorous defense of his apostolic integrity (10:1—13:10). Reflecting back on these chapters, Paul brings the letter to a close with a greeting that contains one final appeal, which seeks to remedy the problems in this contentious church. A “Trinitarian-like” benediction is his final word. Paul’s concerns for the church subtly permeate every facet of his closing words, even the benediction.
BEHIND THE TEXT
The conclusion to 2 Cor is similar to Paul’s other letters. Wiemar’s excellent study of Paul’s letter closings concludes that they all relate “in one way or another to the key issue(s) taken up in their respective letter bodies. . . . The closings serve as an hermeneutical spotlight, highlighting the central concerns of the apostle in his letters and illumining our understanding of these key themes and issues” (1994, 238). Although they are similar to the closing formulas of the Hellenistic letter, Paul’s letters do not include the conventional wish for good health or the usual Greek word for farewell (errose; see Doty 1973, 39-42). In 2 Cor, the customary elements of Paul’s letter closings follow rapidly on one another—an exhortation (v 11a; 1 Thess 5:27), a promise (v 11b; see 1 Thess 5:24; 2 Thess 3:16); greetings (vv 12-13; see 1 Cor 16:19-21; Phil 4:21; Phlm 23), and a benediction (v 14; see 1 Cor 16:23; Phil 4:23; Phlm 25). Although limited paraenesis may be found in the endings of Paul’s other letters (see Rom 16:17), the five imperatives in v 11a are striking. They indicate a specific emphasis or concern of Paul for the church (Martin 1986, 493). Scholars suggest several different alternatives as to what is being brought to a close in vv 11-14. The decision as to whether it is chs 1-9, 10-13, or the canonical 2 Cor (Thrall 2004, 901-902) depends on the scholar’s view of the composition of the letter. If chs 10-13 are regarded as a separate letter, it certainly belongs with them. But the closing also reflects the thrust of the entire letter. If one regards 2 Cor as a unity, the conclusion can be taken as a suitable ending for the whole letter (Weima 1994, 213; Harris 2005, 930-931).
IN THE TEXT
1. Exhortation and Greeting (13:11-13) In 12:14—13:10, Paul sought to prepare the church for his third visit. Before his final benediction in v 14, he inserts five summary exhortations (v 11a). To these he adds a promise of God’s presence (v 11b), asks them to greet one another with the holy kiss (v 12), and sends greetings from the church where he writes (v 13). ■ 11 With finally, brothers (Loipon, adelphoi), Paul introduces his concluding comments. This expression often marks a transition to a closing hortatory section (see Rom 16:17; 1 Cor 16:15; Gal 6:17; Phil 4:8; Phlm 20). It often refers, however, to what precedes it. The vocative address, brothers, is frequent in 1 Cor. But it appears here in 2 Cor only for the third time (1:8; 8:1; but see 12:19, where he addresses them as “dear friends” [agapētoi]). Brothers, the usual NT term for fellow Christians (11:9; Rom 8:29), indicates that church members are closely related parts of God’s family. It stresses their unity and parity of status within that family, a family in Christ (Harris 2005, 932). Calvin suggests that, with this welcoming address, Paul “moderates whatever sharpness there may have been in the whole epistle, as he wanted to leave their minds not exasperated but calmed” (1964, 176). The NIV translates the first of the five imperatives with good-by [chairete]. This is normal in English translations; the NRSV has “farewell.” But the NASB, with most commentators, prefers the meaning “rejoice.” The Greek verb chairō is often understood as a greeting (Matt 26:49; 27:29; 28:9 Mark 15:18; Luke 1:28; 2 John 10-11). And it can mean “farewell, good-by” (in Phil 3:1; 4:4; BDAG 2000, 1075). There are, however, good reasons for retaining the stronger sense of “rejoice”: It has this meaning in 13:9. It heads a list of imperatives. Its similar position in 1 Thess 5:16 is translated by the NIV “be joyful always” (pantote chairete). In spite of all that has passed between the apostle and the church in Corinth, they are to rejoice in the Lord and in what he has accomplished among them. The next four exhortations are: aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. The imperatives are directed toward their communal lives as the body of Christ. They need to realize increasingly their relationship to Christ within the fellowship of the church (12:20-21). Paul’s admonitions are all present imperatives implying their need to be constantly putting them into practice. Aim for perfection, katartizesthe, can be understood as “put things in order” (NRSV) or “made complete” (NASB). This is the force of katartisin in v 9. Here as there, the stress is on the Corinthians’ need for full restoration with God, with one another, and with Paul (see the commentary on 11:9). Their situation demands that they “mend [their] ways” (NEB). Listen to my appeal, parakaleisthe, is taken by most interpreters as an exhortation in the passive voice. Thus, it would have the force “be admonished.” But it could be taken as a middle voice: “exhort one another” (Barrett 1973, 342), “be encouraged” (NJB), or “be comforted” (NASB). Be of one mind, to auto phroneite, is literally think the same thing. Paul exhorts them to “agree . . . in the Lord” (see Phil 4:2; Rom 12:16; 1 Cor 1:10; Phil 2:2). The previous appeal goes closely with the last: live in peace, eirēneuete. As in Rom 14:19 and 1 Thess 5:13, Paul calls for mutual well-being. He urges them to enjoy reconciled relationships with “one another” (NASB) and “with everyone” as in Rom 12:18. Reconciliation is the name of Paul’s game. Paul combines beautifully similar exhortations in Phil 2:5: “Have the same thoughts among yourselves as you have in your communion with Christ Jesus” (BDAG 2000, 1066). Fitting here also is the admonition of the writer to the Hebrews: “Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (12:14; see 2 Cor 7:1). Following the admonitions Paul adds an encouraging promise to the Corinthians: the God of love and peace will be with you. The two genitives (tēs agapēs kai eirēnēs) are descriptive—the loving and peaceful God. They are bound together by one article and are in close continuity with the two preceding imperatives. The phrase, the God of love, is unique to this verse in the Greek Bible. But the God . . . of peace occurs frequently in Paul’s letters (Rom 15:33; 16:20; Phil 4:9; 1 Thess 5:23; see Weimar 1994, 87-100). The addition of love to his usual benediction speaks loudly to the need of the church. Paul has applied his expanded peace-blessing to the Corinthian context reminding them that the God of love and peace will be with them, enabling peace in the life of the church (Furnish 1984, 586; Barrett 1973, 343). The exhortations do not relate to the promise in a conditional, “if, then,” fashion. Instead, it is a promise that the God who is characterized by love and peace will empower them to respond to the exhortations for the healing of the church. ■ 12 With Greet one another (aspasasthe allēlous), Paul employs the conventional term for greeting in the letters of his day. He adds to this a specifically Christian call to express this greeting with a holy kiss [en hagiōi philēmati]. This is a call for the Corinthians to treat one another as brothers and sisters and intimate friends. What Paul desires to characterize their fellowship is filial love and peace. Paul uses the same formula in Rom 16:16 and 1 Cor 16:16, and a similar one in 1 Thess 5:26. Exchanging kisses was a widespread custom in the ancient world and in Judaism among family members and friends. It was a common practice in Jesus’ day (Mark 14:45; Luke 7:45; 15:20; 22:47), among Paul’s Gentile churches (see Acts 20:37), and throughout Christian communities (1 Pet 5:14 urges: “greet one another with a kiss of love [en philēmati agapēs].”). Kisses were exchanged upon greeting and at parting. They functioned as signs of reconciliation and of entering and belonging to a specific group, particularly a religious association (Furnish 1984, 582-583; Thrall 2004, 912-913). After NT times the holy kiss became closely associated with the Lord’s Supper. Paul’s description of the kiss as holy (hagiōi), appears as new. It is holy for at least three reasons (Harris 2005, 936): It is exchanged between hoi hagioi, “the holy ones” or the saints (v 13). It is an expression of love (agapē; 1 Pet 5:14) or self-less commitment. And it is not an insincere kiss of deceit as was Judas’ kiss of betrayal (Mark 14:45), but a sincere kiss of genuine fellowship in Christ. The holy kiss in the church expressed love and unity, reconciliation, and forgiveness. It exhibited Christian liberty, for its practice transcended distinctions of status, race, and gender (see Gal 3:28; Hafemann 2000, 497 n 20). Chrysostom (344/354-407) stressed that “we are the temple of Christ, when we kiss each other we are kissing the porch and entrance of the temple” (ACCS NT 7:315). ■ 13 The NRSV and some other versions treat this verse as part of v 12. This follows the versification of the critical Greek texts beginning with Robert Estienne in 1551. The KJV, NASB, NIV, and other translations keep it separate. Thus, they number 14 verses in ch 13. The contents are identical, only their numbering differs. The fourteen verse numbering apparently originated with the Bishops’ Bible in 1572 (Thrall 2004, 914). All the saints [hoi hagioi; see the commentary on 1:1] send their greetings. Paul probably refers by the saints to the Christians who were with him in Macedonia from where he wrote. But it is possible that he had in mind all Christians as in Rom 16:16: “All the churches of Christ send greetings” (see 2 Cor 8:18; 11:28; 1 Cor 7:17; 14:33). If so Paul reminds the Corinthians that the whole body of Christ, the wider Christian community with whom they are united in Christ, are concerned for their spiritual welfare. They all send their greetings to the Corinthians (see 1 Cor 16:19-20; Phil 4:22). In these verses the apostle points to the behavior required of the Corinthian church. He does so, not only by direct appeal, but also by mentioning a Christian custom and remaindering them of the Church as a wider fellowship. Paul’s letter closing is more than a summation of his arguments. Its very structure reveals the tenor and thrust of his theology. The movement in v 11 from exhortation to a benedictory promise indicates that God’s presence with his people is linked inseparably to their purified hearts and sanctified lives (see 6:14—7:1). The apostle’s prayers for the Corinthians are awesomely reinforced by the following benediction, which brings the letter to its final end.
2. The Threefold Blessing (13:14)
■ 14 What the apostle desires most of all for the Corinthians is their full enjoyment of the blessing of God in all of its ethical implications. This he expresses in a concluding benediction: May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. This benediction is “trinitarian in form but not in substance.” It gives voice to “both the goal of the letter and the means whereby it is to be achieved” (Murphy-O’Connor, 1991, 136). Harris adds that “it is a singular paradox that a letter so full of indignation, remonstrance, and gyrating emotions should conclude with the most elevated affirmation in the NT couched in the form of a benediction addressed to all the members of a factious church” (2005, 941). Paul’s benediction has the form of a wish rather than a promise (as in 13:11). The ellipsed form of the verb “to be” (einai) added by English translations should make it clear that it is a wish rather than an indicative statement. This is confirmed by the presence of all (pantōn) that stresses the inclusion of everyone and every part of the church in the blessing. As the ending of the letter the benediction replaces the more generalized wish for well-being of contemporary letters. John Wesley properly refers to the closing verse of 2 Cor as “this awful [= awe-full] benediction” (1950, 677). It is the most elaborate of all the benedictions in Paul’s letters, with the possible exception of Eph 6:23-24. Typical of his shorter closing benedictions is 1 Cor 16:23: “the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.” Here the divine source of blessing is solely the Lord’s “grace” (Gal 6:18; Phil 4:23; 1 Thess 5:28; 2 Thess 3:18; Phlm 25; see Col 4:18; 1 Tim 6:21; 2 Tim 4:22; Titus 3:15; see Weimar 1994, 78-87). The form of this shorter benediction may partly explain why “grace” (charis) appears first in Paul’s expanded version (Martin 1986, 504). It is through the grace of Christ that God’s love reaches believers (Rom 8:39; see 8:35). The addition of the two other expressions to the first was due, no doubt, to the situation in the Corinthian church. Paul expressed his three-in-one benediction comprehensively in terms of the order of the faith and experience of the Early Church. The first two phrases are most often and best interpreted in parallel with both genitives being subjective. The Lord Jesus Christ (tou kyriou ‘Iēsou Cristou; 1:2; 89; 12:9) is the source of grace, and the love is seen as coming from God [tou Theou; Rom 5:5, 8]. The third phrase with the genitive, hē koinōnia tou hagiou pneumatos (the fellowship of the Holy Spirit) is ambiguous. If we keep its genitive as subjective in continuity with the first two phrases, then koinōnia indicates the fellowship with one another created by the Holy Spirit in the Christian community. This fits the needs of the Corinthian context. If the usage of koinōnia (fellowship) with a genitive follows Paul’s normal usage (see 8:4; 1 Cor 10:16; Phil 3:10; probably also 1 Cor 1:9 and Phil 2:1), it is an objective genitive. As such it would designate the Corinthians’ participation in the life and power of the Holy Spirit. This seems to fit the sense of the benediction best. If so, all three phrases speak of the personal relationship of the believers in Corinth with Christ the Son, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit. Theologically the three phrases form a parallel and progressing symmetry. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ reveals the love of God that Christians experience through their participation in the Holy Spirit (see the commentary on 8:5). The result is a Trinitarian fellowship, which is constituted and defined by a common sharing in the Holy Spirit (see Acts 2:42; Phil 2:1). The three terms for deity sometimes function interchangeable in Paul’s letters. But here the order, Christ, God, Spirit, reveals the way the gospel came to the Corinthians. Their participation in the Holy Spirit brings to subjective, experiential reality in the life of the church the objective, redemptive reality resident in the person of Christ by virtue of his crucifixion, resurrection, and exaltation (see 1 Cor 1:9). The identity between the Son and the Spirit is thus a dynamic one of redemptive action. It is an identity rooted in the fact that the Spirit is the life of the resurrected and exalted Lord (13:4; Rom 1:4; 6:4; 8:11; 1 Cor 6:14; 15:45). The Holy Spirit is likewise the channel of the Lord’s life in redemptive action (3:17; 1 Cor 12:3). Implicit in the designation Holy Spirit (emphasis added) is the claim that this is the Spirit of the Holy One. Thus, God the Father is likewise involved in human redemption. The word grace here, writes Calvin “stands by metonymy for the whole blessing of redemption” (1964, 176). Although the vertical dimension of koinōnia is primary here, there is no doubt “a surplus of meaning” (Matera 2003, 314). For the term always carries with it the horizontal dimension as well (1 Cor 10:16-17; see Acts 2:42; Phil 2:1; Phlm 6; 1 John 1:3). So the apostle prays for a mutuality of participation in redemption. He seeks an ethical difference in the life of the church. Paul intends for the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God to have a practical realization in the life of the church. As the Corinthians open themselves more and more to the Holy Spirit, he will bring about the “perfection” (13:9) Paul desires for them. The “fellowship in the Holy Spirit” (NEB) is the common sharing of Christians in the Spirit. The Spirit is both Gift and Giver. He effects the unity and mutual love, which must permeate the ethical life of the church as the body of Christ. In fact, only their common experience of the one Spirit constitutes them as the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:12-13). Paul gives evidence in his own attitude of that for which he prays. His desire is the same for all in Corinth. There are no reservations in his love, no grudges held. His love for his recalcitrant church transcends all human barriers and longs for the best that God has for them. He expresses their highest good in a breathtaking summary of the Christian faith: (1) the grace of Christ (2) revealing the love of God (3) by their fellowship in the Holy Spirit. This is able to transform the quality of their lives together. With his spiritual hands thus spread above them in benediction over the Corinthians, the apostle’s voice sinks into silence. The letter has come to an end. Every facet of Paul’s closing words reveals his apostolic heart—his final advice (13:11), his attention to the formalities of Christian courtesy (11:12-13), and his benedictory blessing (v 14) are all concerned with the progress of the gospel in Corinth. Because this gospel is authentically at work among the Corinthians, Paul confidently hopes for the spiritual welfare of the church. Paul trusts that his open and bold witness to the character of his ministry will effectively counter the resistance to his apostolic authority (10:1—12:14). His service to Christ (1) does not depend upon the methodology of a worldly power structure (10:1-18). (2) Rather his boast is in the power of the living Christ, which finds its occasion in what the world calls weakness (11:1—12:13). And (3) This is the manner in which he as always will continue to make himself known to the Corinthians (12:14—13:14). This letter comes to us by way of the agonizing, refining furnace of interpersonal conflict. At stake have been the integrity and authority of Paul’s ministry among the Corinthians. An illuminating presentation of the Christian ministry has been torn from his soul by the suspicions of his converts. It is a Christian ministry (1) whose integrity is simply that of the gospel it proclaims (chs 1—7); and (2) whose authority is only that of the presence of Christ (chs 10—13). The focus is on Christ crucified and risen—the weakness of his humiliation and the power of His resurrection. “So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you” (4:12).
FROM THE TEXT
Paul’s final words are the mountain peak of his letter. They reflect the bright sunlight as they send forth like lightening encased in a peal of thunder the meaning of the whole. The apostle’s pastoral heart, the character of his ministry, the cruciform nature of the gospel, and the power of the Spirit of the Resurrection in the lives of even a factious and fractious people, are all here. To end such a letter in such a manner to such a church, as Paul does, simply staggers the Christian imagination. How could he do it? The answer speaks to us in our day, even to churches not unlike that in Corinth. It is profound in its penetrating simplicity: the gospel and its God! The gospel is relevant for us in the apostle’s unwavering confidence in the overwhelming power resident in the gospel of Christ for the life of the church. Even as he says goodbye he reminds his readers that what they need as a corporate body will be met by an open-hearted reception of the gospel and its implications (13:11). The message of Christ crucified and risen is the power and presence of the God of love and peace. The gospel does not need to be made relevant; it is relevant when truthfully, clearly, and faithfully proclaimed. The gospel needs neither to be thinned or trimmed. Nor does it need any additives. The truth of the gospel of Christ permeates the whole of the letter. Every situation and problem addressed by the apostle in the church is embraced and transcended by the reality of the gospel. Paul appeals to nothing else but the nature and power of the gospel itself in the midst of misunderstanding, tension, and conflict. Ministry in our day needs nothing more than apostolic confidence in the Christ who was crucified in weakness, yet who lives by the power of the God who raises the dead. This is the character of the gospel revealed in the mystery of the Trinitarian God. The God of the gospel is relevant for us in the God who reveals his power in a “Trinitarian” mystery. The divine economy of salvation is comprehended in terms vibrating with life—grace, . . . love, . . . fellowship—as the church experiences them. Each term is theologically overloaded with transforming implications for the ongoing life of the church. And these implications are as relevant to the church in modern cities as in the ancient church at Corinth. All that Paul has said to the church is in essence here. This is who God is for the individual lives and the corporate existence of the people of God in the world. Just as the divine salvation has a threefold expression, so does the divine person—the Lord Jesus Christ, . . . God, . . . Holy Spirit. And all of this is found in a benediction containing the heart of the great apostle for the welfare of a troubled church! The deepest desire of all Christian minsters for the people under their care is expressed in a formula defying reason! Here is the tip of the shining peak of Paul’s literarily encased soul-cry for the folk to whom he gave spiritual birth. To what extent can we point here to the mystery of the Church’s doctrine of the Trinity? Paul has given voice to a threefold source of apostolic faith both before (1 Cor 12:4-6) and after (Rom 15:30; Eph 2:18; 4:4-6) penning this benediction. He is not alone in the early church in that Trinitarian faith (1 Pet 1:2; Jude 20-21). But nowhere has the formula been expressed so majestically and succinctly as in 2 Cor 13:14. Certainly it is a first step. But how much more is it to the Trinitarian formulas of the ecumenical creeds? It is clear that as Paul summarizes his gospel, those terms most naturally drop into his mind which, when logically developed later, contributed to the classic doctrine of the Trinity. We can view the continuity between Paul and later Trinitarian doctrine with the analogy of grammar. It is possible for one to speak with perfect grammar without consciously knowing any grammar, for its system is a later development in any language. Theologically speaking, the “grammar” of Paul’s prayerful speech about God may well have been correctly understood by later theologians even if their terminology was quite different. That is, Paul, while not knowing it, may refer to God with the grammar of the Trinity (Young and Ford 1987, 256). Another thought: How close is Paul to what later theologians describe as perichoresis? Scholars employ this Greek term “to assert that the divine persons are not individually existent beings and that instead they live in and through each other” (Powell 2008, 333). They each exist by virtue of their relation to one another—the Father to the Son, the Son to the Father, and the Holy Spirit to the Father and the Son. Thus, “the Father and the Son exist together in and with the Holy Spirit” (Powell 2008, 333). Paul may not have been there yet with his primary concern for redemptive history, but he was not “afar off.” In a single sentence he brought the name of Jesus, a mere 30 years after His death, together with the Holy Spirit and the name of God in a prayer. In this exalted moment of personal faith and ministerial concern, Paul made his unique contribution to the Church’s later understanding of a Trinitarian God as rooted theologically in the worship of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen—lex orandi, lex credenti (as we pray, so we believe). The mission of the Church in our postmodern age in regard to its faith, its worship, the quality of its life-together, yearns for the fulfillment of this benediction. The effective witness of Church and its ministry depends on it. Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto
F. Hermeneutical Issues
ou grammatos alla pneumatos “not of the letter, but of the Spirit” (3:6)
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (3:17).
An Apostolic Hermeneutic
The apostle Paul lived in the Scriptures as known to him primarily in the Greek translation of the OT (the LXX). In 2 Cor, his quotations from and seemingly limitless allusions to OT texts make this obvious. As a result, Paul possessed a “biblical spirituality” (Young and Ford 1987, 62). His reading and pondering of his Bible shaped his understanding of both himself and the nature of the situation in the church at Corinth. Young and Ford observe that Paul “has ‘lived in the Bible’ to the point where the Bible has formed his whole outlook on how the world is and what his place in it might be” (1987, 63).
One can trace the influence of Paul’s Bible throughout the whole of the letter. The whole range of Scriptures we call the OT —the Law, the Prophets and the Writings—impacted his mind and heart. The language of the Psalms was in his blood stream. From the Psalms of lament and other Psalms come his sense of confidence and hope in the midst of affliction. Direct quotations appear in 4:13 (Ps 116:10) and 9:9 (Ps 112:9).
Most significant were Paul’s allusions to Ps 116, focused on the quotation of 116:10. He alludes as well to the surrounding Pss, 112-117. These are the Hallel (praise) Psalms, used in synagogue worship on the occasion of the great festivals. The Psalms were, no doubt, his lifelong prayer book and hymnbook. As such, they were instrumental in molding his spirituality (see Young and Ford 1987, 63-69). The prophets represented in 2 Cor by direct quotations are Isaiah (49:8 and 52:11 in 2 Cor 6:2; 6:17a), Jeremiah (9:24 in 2 Cor 10:17), and Ezekiel (37:27 and 20:34 in 2 Cor 6:16-17). Again the allusions are multiple. With and beyond these linguistic links, however, was Paul’s assimilation of and dependence upon the substance of their message and prophetic perspectives. He interpreted his prophetic vocation in the light of the call of Jeremiah and the way he lived out his prophetic office. Furthermore, Jeremiah furnished Paul with his key text on boasting (9:24) as well as the terminology of the new covenant (31:31-34; 2 Cor 3:6; see Ezek 37:26-28).
Ezekiel’s stress on the glory of God (1:28; 3:23; 39:21: 43:1-5), the importance of the Spirit (2:2; 37:1-10), and the human need for a new heart and spirit (11:19; 18:31) were all in the background of Paul’s understanding. Other connections abound. Aspects of and allusions to the vision of Isaiah (chs 1-66) all made their impact on Paul’s prophetic perception. From these prophets he learned to see God’s dealing with his people in historical perspective. The prophets were examples of despair and warning as well as of hope and encouragement. Paul sought to carry on their vision of redemptive purposes as the ambassador of a new covenant to the Gentiles (see Young and Ford 1987, 69-78).
The Wisdom literature furnished Paul with ample illustration of his boasting theme. Other themes such as singleness of heart, trust in affliction, divine counsel, and the aroma of wisdom are also present in 2 Cor. Allusions from Proverbs appear in chs 8 and 9, and may appear elsewhere. Significant too are Paul’s quotations from Lev 26:12 (2 Cor 6:16), 2 Sam 7:8, 14 (2 Cor 6:18), Exod 16:18 (2 Cor 8:15), and Deut 19:15 (2 Cor 13:1; see the commentary on these passages).
Most important, however, for an appreciation of Paul’s biblical hermeneutic is his interpretation of Exod 34:29-35 in 2 Cor 3:7-18 (see Hays 1989, 122-153). Here scriptural exegesis constitutes the method of his argument. He appeals to the Law, the Torah, the basic and most authoritative portion of Scripture for the Jewish community. From the prophets Paul understood the historical failure of the old covenant, a covenant that indeed possessed God’s glory. He saw the consequences of destruction, death and the exile for the people of God.
Paul understood the need of the prophetically promised new covenant (Jer and Ezek) and its fulfillment in a new covenant of the Spirit. With a dynamic hermeneutic of the Spirit he interpreted the realization of the covenant as coming to completion in the person and work of Christ. In Paul’s view, “the entire history of God’s dealings with mankind could be summed up by the formula ‘God in Christ’” (Hanson 1974, 241). The word of God overwhelmed the apostle with transforming insight into Christ, “the Lord, who is the Spirit.” Caught up in the raptured creativity of fulfillment, he writes with fresh boldness, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we . . . are being transformed into his likeness with an ever-increasing glory” (3:17-18; see 3:12; 12:2-4). Richard B. Hays comments: “Paul provides us with a model of hermeneutical freedom” (1989, 186).
E. Earle Ellis terms Pauline biblical exegesis as “grammatical-historical plus.” By this he means that Paul’s interpretation pursues the grammar and historical meaning according to the accepted methods of his day. But his exegesis “in its essential character, begins where grammatical-historical exegesis ends” (1957, 147). Paul has soaked himself in the whole of Scripture. He submits his mind and heart to the Spirit of God and hears the biblical witness to its ultimate end and meaning in Christ.
Paul knows the Scriptures; but he also knows full well the situation in Corinth. In this matrix, listening to the Spirit and to the needs of the church, he understands anew the Scripture in relation to the condition of the recipients of his apostolic labors in Corinth. This is the witness, the understanding of Scripture that he brings to bear on the world of his day.
To what extent does Paul point the way for the role of the Church’s sacred text in the lives of God’s people in the world of our day? How is 2 Cor divinely designed to function for us in our personal reading, in the preaching task, and for our understanding of our calling to be witnesses and ministers? Can a “rich, alive, personally revealing God as experienced in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, personally” address “us in whatever circumstance we find ourselves” (Peterson 2006, 28)? Can the Spirit give us a transforming word from the biblical text for our people?
[Begin Sidebar: Further Reading on Pauline Hermeneutics
Ellis, E. Earle. 1957. Paul’s Use of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
Hanson, Anthony Tyrrell. 1974. Studies in Paul’s Technique and Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
Hays, Richard B. 1989. Echoes of Scripture in the Letters of Paul. New Haven: Yale University Press.
________. 2005. The Conversion of the Imagination: Paul as an Interpreter of Israel’s Scripture. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
Young, Frances, and David F. Ford. 1987. Meaning and Truth in 2 Corinthians. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. End Sidebar]
A Biblical Hermeneutic
Volumes dealing with the question of biblical interpretation could fill a library. We cannot write another book! I will attempt merely to articulate in a few paragraphs what my mind and heart grasps as basic in light of 2 Cor. I write inescapably as a Wesleyan (see Green 2004, 124) mining from Paul “a biblical hermeneutic” for the role of Scripture in the church of our day.
We start with a faith declaration: the key to our reading of Scripture is Scripture! Why could not the starting point of our instruction for the proclamation of the message of Scripture be Scripture?
Our approach to the biblical text begins with a twofold assumption. The first is the appropriate role of the grammatical or literary-historical method. The second is the nature of Scripture as “God-breathed” (2 Tim 3:16): “when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13).
The Bible is at one and the same time a “human” book and a “Holy Spirit” book. The Bible is literature, written in an ancient language according to the literary conventions of its day. It was written at specific times in history, at specific geographical locations, in specific ancient languages, and within specific cultures far removed from our postmodern times.
In the progress of God’s redemptive action in regards to his people, he has in his providence given to the Church the biblical canon of the Old and New Testaments. God by his Spirit was involved in its writing, its tradition history, its preservation, its collection, and in its canonical formation. Throughout the history of the Church, the Holy Spirit has spoken to the people of God through its sacred texts, interpreting them for Christian faith, life, and ministry.
Hays observes, “the Holy Spirit is not a theological abstraction but the manifestation of God’s presence in the community, making everything new” (1996, 45). Thus, the Bible divorced from the Spirit of God and read apart from a heart and mind open to the Holy Spirit is hardly the Christian Scriptures. It is merely a collection of ancient documents of historical interest and literary inspiration: “an anthology of ancient literary art, a record of historical events, or a depository of universal wisdom” (Wall 2004, 109). The Bible is the Word of God for human lives only in dynamic union with the Living Word: “The Lord is the Spirit” (3:17).
With these two assumptions, one historical and the other of faith, our hermeneutic centers in the character and function of Holy Scripture as a “witness to faith.” As the Church’s normative rule of faith, this is its divinely intended function. Simply put the scriptural canon consists of prophetic pre-witness—the OT—and apostolic post-witness—the NT—to Jesus Christ the incarnate Son of God.
The character of this witness can be fully clarified by literary and historical questioning. The function of this witness can be effectively known only by a hearing of mind and heart in the lives of individuals and in the work of the Church. So our attempt is to sum up a biblical hermeneutical approach to 2 Cor as a “Christological witness.”
First, we listen to Scripture as a witness, inspired testimony to what God is up to. As did Paul in writing 2 Cor, we set Scripture in the context of the age-long history of the people of God witnessed to by the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings. Paul included in this history of salvation the coming of the Christ; so, we include the NT and the centuries-long history of the Christ’s Church. We need to see the biblical text in the light of what God in Christ has been doing redemptively in the ages-long life of the people of God. Within that perspective the primary question is “Who is Christ?”
How does Paul understand Christ? What is the essence of his work? What is Paul’s basic Christology? How did Paul experience Jesus the Christ? Then, as we grasp Paul’s witness in its linguistic, historical, and theological form, we listen for the Spirit’s witness in and for our concrete human situation: “the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you” (John 16:15).
Robert W. Wall writes, “the Spirit of God is at work” in the “Scripture’s performance as the Word of God” in “the interplay of biblical text and social context” (2004, 117-118). Within the worshipping community, we encounter in our own particularity of life the crucified and risen Christ in whose face we see “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God” (4:6; see 5:14, 15, 21). Our hermeneutic is first to hear and share in a witness! For the Church it starts with what God has done “reconciling . . . in Christ” (5:19). It begins as a “listening” hermeneutic!
Second, our hermeneutical approach to 2 Cor is Christological. As best we can, having understood Paul’s Christ in his life, death, and resurrection, we follow Paul in the application of his faith in Christ. In 2 Cor Paul’s Christology informs and shapes everything about his apostolic life and work. His message, his gospel, was simply “the gospel of Christ” (2:12) and profoundly “the gospel of the glory of Christ” (4:4).
Paul’s ministry, as “the ministry of reconciliation” (5:18), fully partook of Christ’s ministry: “We always carry around in our body the death (dying) of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body” (4:10; see vv 11-12; 1:5; 6:3-10; 11:21—12:10; 13:4). As “Christ’s ambassadors,” God was “making his appeal” through the apostles (5:20). The most fundamental form of ministry is “the life of Jesus” as it highlights the effect of the present reality of grace in the personality of the minister (Murphy-O’Connor 1991, 145).
Paul viewed the Corinthians as the church through Christological lens; they were promised in marriage to the “one husband,” to “Christ” (11:2). The conduct of their lives was to be determined by “their sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (11:3; 12:20-21; 13:11). The ethics of the Christian community and of individual Christians were to be “Christ-ethics.” The norm for ethics is more than a predetermined set of rules for conduct, “right action must be discerned on the basis of a christological paradigm, with a view to the need of the community” (Hays 1996, 43, see 18, 39-45).
To sum up, a contemporary hermeneutical approach to 2 Cor centers on Paul’s Spirit-empowered witness to the person and work of Christ. That is, it focuses primarily on God in Christ reconciling the world to himself. This witness as received is, then, under the same Spirit’s guidance, worked out in every aspect of the life of the Church, its ministry, and in the individual lives of its people in obedience to the revealed and living Christ. In the language of the Fourth Gospel: the Spirit, the Advocate, makes known to us what is Christ’s (John 16:15). The Spirit will guide us “into all truth” and tell “what is yet to come” (John 16:13). He will inspire us to know what Jesus means for us now, where we are in life and community. Thus the Scriptures as the Word of God face us with “the arduous task of interpretation” (Kay 2007, 120).
Paul asserts: “the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (3:17). This “freedom,” as 2 Cor shows in nearly every line, involves inherently a Christological-ethical imperative. Paul’s “mode of hermeneutical freedom” is a model of hermeneutical responsibility: “Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you” (13:11).
In the “FROM THE TEXT” sections of this commentary I attempt to employ prayerfully the hermeneutic set forth here. As the exegetical disciplines were applied to the text of 2 Cor, the presence and mind of the Living Christ were sincerely sought. My own mind and heart yearned for the witness of the Spirit speaking through the inspired text to Christ, to see “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (4:6). The goal was to articulate the witness of the Living Word through the written Word for my own life and for that of the Church I love. I am hopeful that a fresh vision of Christ crucified and risen is faithfully applied to Christian ministry and life.
Perhaps a personal example will help at this point. Recently, I was asked to give the scriptural mediation at the memorial service for the wife of a colleague of over four decades (09/03/08). I felt drawn to 2 Cor 4:7—5:10 as I searched for the voice of the Living Lord for my friend and his family. I wanted to proclaim the gospel as we had shared it over the years in this time of great loss. For 48 years we had been united in our love of Scripture and had exchanged our “penetrating” insights.
Another text from Paul’s letter to Corinth leaped out at me as well. The apostle’s word to a troubled church was “I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together” (2 Cor 7:3; NRSV). Speaking this text directly to my friend and his two children on behalf of myself and the gathered congregation, I made use of the “FROM THE TEXT” section on 2 Cor 4:7—5:10.
The approach to the text for this occasion was as follows:
Plainly and directly Paul understands his present life as one characterized equally by both the “dying of Jesus” (NASB) and the “life of Jesus” (4:10). This transforms both his present and his future life. Such is the nature of the Pauline gospel, and by the grace and providence of God, our gospel, our good news, as well. So as we listen with our hearts to this inspired text, keep in mind that “you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together.”
The apostle would have us today center the understanding of our lives in the death and the resurrection of Jesus. For as we, with Paul-like confidence (4:1, 16; 5:6, 8), attempt to face the “expected” and the “unexpecteds” of our earthy course as Christians, we discover three profound affirmations about our faith.
I proceeded to unpack the following affirmations of biblical faith in the face of the loss of a loved one. Scripture tells us that we are able to face the crucibles of life because:
(1) We center our faith in the cross and resurrection of Jesus (4:7-15). (2) We live by faith in the unseen (4:16-18). And (3) We possess a confident faith in the future (5:1-10).
The concluding word was twofold, first to the family, “This is our privilege, our hope, our fountain of courage! We are grateful!” And then a prayer, “Lord, we hear your word”!
Gebraucht das Gebet als einen Bohrer und die Quellen lebendigen Wassers werden aus dem Wort Gottes flieβen!
Use prayer as a drill and springs of living water will flow from the word of God!
[Begin Siderbar: Further Reading on a Wesleyan Hermeneutic Bassett, Paul M. 1978. The Fundamentalist Leavening of the Holiness Movement, 1914-1940. The Church of the Nazarene: A Case Study. Wesleyan Theological Journal 13:65-85.
Dunning, H. Ray. 1988. Pages 55-76 in Grace, Faith and Holiness. Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City.
Green, Joel B. 2004. Is There a Contemporary Wesleyan Hermeneutic? Pages 123-134 in Reading the Bible in Wesleyan Ways: Some Constructive Proposals. Edited by Barry L. Callen and Richard P. Thompson. Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City.
Peterson, Eugene H. 2006. Eat This Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
Wall, Robert W. 2004a. “Toward a Wesleyan Hermeneutic of Understanding.” Pages 39-55 in Reading the Bible in Wesleyan Ways: Some Constructive Proposals. Edited by Barry L. Callen and Richard P. Thompson. Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City.
________. 2004b. “Facilitating Scripture’s Future Role Among Wesleyans.” Pages 107-120 in Reading the Bible in Wesleyan Ways: Some Constructive Proposals. Edited by Barry L. Callen and Richard P. Thompson. Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City.
Wiley, H. Orton. 1940. Pages 135-143 and 166-184 in Christian Theology, Vol 1. Kansas City: Nazarene Publishing House.
Wiley, H. Orton, and Paul T. Culbertson. 1945. Pages 40-55 in Introduction to Christian Theology. Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press.
The book was Henri J;. M. Nouwen’s The Wounded Healer: Ministry in a Contemporary Society (Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, 1972), given to me by Pastor Joe Farrow of the Linda Vista Church of the Nazarene in San Diego. The book made such an impact on me that when I saw another book advertised by the same author I immediately went for it. It was the book I now refer to. Henri J. M. Nouwen, The Way of the Heart: Desert: Spirituality and Contemporary Ministry (New York: The Seabury Press, 1981). Kenneth Leech, True Prayer, An Invitation to Christian Spirituality (New York: Harper and Row, 1980). Reuben Welch, Associate Professor Emeritus of Religion, Point Loma Nazarene University. He retired in 1989. The catalyst came when Leech presented a rule suggested by a Jesuit writer. This became the immediate model from which I worked. One's mind goes immediately to the famous rules of St. Ignatius Loyala, the founder of the Jesuits, which he designed to form an army for the Lord. A brief history and discussion of such efforts is found in William A. Paulsell, "Ways of Prayer: Designing a Personal Rule," Weavinqs: A Journal of the Christian Spiritual Life , volume II, Number 5 (September/October1987), 40-44. Three rule-like volumes appearing in the last fifteen years that I have found helpful are Reuben P. Job and Norman Showchuck, Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants (Nashville: The Upper Room, 1983), Bob and Michael W. Benson, Disciplines for the Inner Life (Waco, Texas: Word Books, 1985), and Reuben P. Job and Norman Showchuck, A Guide to Prayer for All God's People (Nashville: Upper Room Books, 1990). See also the volumes in notes 18 and 20 in “A Rule of Devotion.” Raymond Brown, The Gospel According to John (i-xii), The Anchor Bible, Volume 29 (Garden City, New York: Doubleday and Company, Inc, 1966), 228. If disbelief, he writes, “were an intellectual problem, it could be met by explanation; but it is really a problem of the moral orientation of life and of the love of God.” Crucial in the early development of my understanding of grace was John Baillie, Our Knowledge of God (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1939). Three years ago I read Thomas C. Oden, The Transforming Power of Grace (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1993), and found it very helpful. The reading for Thursday, December 1, 2005, in the Episcopal daily devotional readings, Forward Day by Day (Cincinnati: Forward Movement, 2005), 32. Italics mine. J. B. Phillips produced a biblical paraphrase in his day that has not been equaled in quality until the appearance of Eugene Peterson’s The Message. Italics mine. J. B. Phillips produced a biblical paraphrase in his day that has not been equaled in quality until the appearance of Eugene Peterson’s The Message. Powerful, dangerous?
6.4.2.5 DATE \@ "M/d/yyyy" 3/5/2009 TIME \@ "h:mm:ss am/pm" 9:55:25 AM PAGE 14
Frank G. Carver
This essay was first delivered as a talk at “A Wesley Festival;: ‘Pilgrimage to Wholeness,’” a Faculty Chapel, Point Loma Nazarene College, February 19, 1993. The attempt was to set the stage for John Wesley himself to articulate the essence of Wesleyanism. The notes used for that brief presentation were put in prose form with documentation and some revision and published in The Preachers’ Magazine, June/July/August, 1996. See Kenneth Collins, Wesley on Salvation: A Study in the Standard Sermons (Grand Rapids: Francis Asbury Press, 1989), 19f. Albert C. Outler, The Works of John Wesley, Volume 1 Sermons 1-33 (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1984), 117. This is from his sermon “Salvation by Faith,’ preached at St. Mary’s, Oxford, June 11, 1738. The text was Ephesians 2:8, “By grace are ye saved through faith” (KJV), a favorite from which he spoke numerous times. Ibid., 117f. So Albert C. Outler, ed., John Wesley (New York: Oxford University Press, 1964), 8-10. See his essay “John Wesley’s Interests in the Early Fathers of the Church,” first published in 1983, now in Thomas C. Oden and Leicester R. Longden, eds., The Wesleyan Theological Heritage: Collected Essays of Albert C. Outler (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991), 97-110. See also Randy Maddox, “John Wesley and Eastern Orthodoxy: Influences, Convergences, and Differences,” Asbury Seminary Journal, 45, No. 2 (Fall 1990), 29-53. The Wesleyan Theological. Journal 26, No. 1 Spring 1991), contains the articles from the 1990 society meeting, held at Nazarene Theological Seminary, that explores this relationship between Wesley and the Greek Fathers. Outler, John Wesley, 260, from the sermon “The Spirit of Bondage and Adoption.” Collins, Wesley on Salvation, 19. Outler, Works, 1:98-99. Outler’s complete statement is helpful: “The heart of Wesley’s gospel was always its lively sense of God’s grace at work at every level of creation and history in persons and communities. He took the ‘Protestant principle’ for granted: that God alone is God, with no rivals in creation save those idols that make human pride the primal font of sin and self-delusion. But he also cherished the Greek Christian heritage as a needful balance and, most especially, in its understanding of the Holy Spirit as the mediator of all graces—sufficient grace in all, irresistible grace in none. His ecclesiology turned on the conviction that all the means of grace are the Spirit’s gifts to the priesthood of all believers and, under the Spirit’s guidance, to a representative priesthood. The ‘catholic’ substance of Wesley’s theology is the theme of participation—the idea that all life is of grace and all grace is the mediation of Christ by the Holy Spirit. Wesley did not, of course, invent any of these ideas, but neither did he find them already compounded in the special syndrome that he struggled for and largely achieved.” H. Ray Dunning, Grace, Faith, and Holiness: A Wesleyan Systematic Theology (Kansas City, Missouri: Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 1988). Boldface is mine. Albert C. Outler, The Works of John Wesley, Volume III: Sermons 71-114 (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1986), 207. The Works of John Wesley, 3rd ed., 14 vols. (Reprinted fro the 1872 edition issued by Wesleyan Methodist Book Room, London; Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 1978-79), 8:285. Outler, Works, 3:544. Collins, Wesley on Salvation, 25.