Not My People: Gentiles As Exiles in Pauline Hermeneutics

Description

After a survey of recent approaches to the study of Paul’s use of Scripture, the four main chapters explore the use of Isa. 54:1 in Gal. 4:27, the catena of scriptural texts in 2 Cor. 6:16–18, Hos. 1:10 and 2:23 in Rom. 9:25–26 and Isa. 57:19 in Eph. 2:17. In each case, the ancienwriter seeks to place the letter in its historical context and rhetorical situation, identify the significance of any conflations or modifications that have taken place in the citation process, analyse the citation’s function within its immediate context, compare its use by Paul with the various ways in which the text is interpreted and appropriated by other Second Temple writers, and evaluate the main proposals offered as explanations for the riddle posed by the citation. That done, he offers his own account of the hermeneutic at work, based on an analysis of the explicit and implicit hermeneutical pointers through which the letter guides its readers in their appropriation of Scripture. This book compares the hermeneutical approaches of the four letters and draws conclusionsconcerning the interplay of continuity and discontinuity between Scripture and gospel in Paul's letters and the relationship between grace and Gentile inclusion in his theology. Acknowledgements Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Problems and issues 1.1.1 Exiles, Gentiles and Pauline Hermeneutics 1.1.2 Gentiles and grace 1.1.3 Continuity and discontinuity between Paul and Scripture 1.1.4 The hermeneutics of Ephesians and the undisputed Pauline letters 1.2 Methodology 1.2.1 Echoes of Scripture 1.2.2 The Hermeneutics of Faith 1.2.3 The Rhetoric of Citation 1.2.4 My own methodology Chapter 2: ‘The Children of the Desolate Woman’: Isa. 54:1 in Gal. 4:27 2.1 Historical context and rhetorical situation 2.2 Isa. 54:1 in Gal. 4:27 2.3 The function of the citation within Gal. 4:21–5:1 2.4 The central problem 2.5 Isa. 54:1 in Second Temple Jewish interpretation 2.6 Proposed solutions 2.6.1 Paul’s interpretation is determined by his christological and apocalyptic precommitments. 2.6.2 Paul’s interpretation can be explained by intertextual echoes from Isaiah 2.7 Gal. 4:27 within the hermeneutical framework of the letter 2.8 Gal. 4:27 and the story of Israel in Galatians 2.8.1 The story of Israel in Gal. 3:1–4:11 2.8.2 Paul’s story in Gal. 2:15-21 2.9 ‘She is our mother’: Exiles and Gentiles in Gal. 4:27 Chapter 3: ‘Come out from them’: The Scripture Catena in 2 Cor. 6:16-18 3.1 Historical context and rhetorical situation 3.2 The citations 3.2.1 Lev. 26:11-12 and Ezek. 37:27 in 2 Cor. 6:16c 3.2.2 Isa. 52:11 in 2 Cor. 6:17a 3.2.3 Ezek. 20:34 / 20:41 / 11:17 in 2 Cor. 6:17b 3.2.4 2 Sam. 7:14a and Isa. 43:6 in 2 Cor. 6:18a 3.3 The function of the citations within 2 Cor. 6:14–7:1 3.3.1 Who are the 􀁃􀀞􀁒􀁋􀁕􀁖􀁑􀁋? 3.3.2 Pagan idolaters, Jewish-Christian 􀁛􀁇􀁗􀁆􀁃􀁒􀁑􀀏􀁕􀁖􀁑􀁎􀁑􀁋 and the unequally yoked Corinthians 3.4 The central problem 3.5 Proposed solutions 3.5.1 Interpolation theories 3.5.2 Pesher exegesis 3.5.3 A salvation-historical hermeneutic 3.6 Lev. 26:11-12, Isa. 52:11 and 2 Sam. 7:14a in Second Temple Jewish interpretation 3.7 2 Cor. 6:16-18 within the hermeneutical framework of the letter 3.8 2 Cor. 6:16-18 and the story of Israel in 2 Corinthians 3.9 ‘Since we have these promises…’: Jewish promises and Gentile readers Chapter 4: ‘Not my People’: Hos. 1:10 and 2:23 in Rom. 9:25-26 4.1 Historical context and rhetorical situation 4.2 The citations 4.2.1 Hos. 2:23 (2:25 LXX, MT) in Rom. 9:25 4.2.2 Hos. 1:10 (2:1 LXX, MT) in Rom. 9:26 4.3 The function of the citations within Rom. 9:22-29 4.4 The central problem 4.5 Proposed solutions 4.5.1 Hosea is speaking about Gentiles as well as Jews 4.5.2 Paul is speaking about Jews, not Gentiles 4.5.3 Paul alters or expands the reference of the scriptural text in the light of the ‘mystery’ revealed to him 4.5.4 Paul is arguing by analogy/type/pattern/principle. 4.6 Hos. 2:23 and 1:10 [2:25 and 2:1 LXX and MT] in Second Temple Jewish interpretation 4.7 Rom. 9:25-26 within the hermeneutical framework of the letter 4.8 Rom. 9:25-26 and the story of Israel in Romans 4.8.1 The story of Israel in Rom. 1-4 4.8.2 The story of Israel in Rom. 5-8 4.8.3 The story of Israel in Rom. 9-11 4.8.4 The story of Israel in Rom. 12-16 4.9 ‘Not my people’: Exiles and Gentiles in Rom. 9:25-26 Chapter 5: ‘You who were far off’: Isa. 57:19 in Eph. 2:17 5.1 Historical context and rhetorical situation 5.2 Isa. 57:19 in Eph. 2:17 5.3 The function of the citation within Eph. 2:11-22 5.4 The central problem 5.5 Proposed solutions 5.5.1 The writer may not be citing Isa. 57:19 at all 5.5.2 The writer understood Isa. 57:19 as including a reference to Gentiles among the ‘far’ 5.5.3 The writer’s interpretation of Isa. 57:19 is in line with a developing Jewish interpretive tradition 5.5.4 The writer’s interpretation of Isa. 57:19 is informed by the eschatologically revealed ‘mystery’ of Gentile inclusion 5.6 Isa. 57:19 in Second Temple Jewish interpretation 5.7 Eph. 2:17 within the hermeneutical framework of the letter 5.8 Eph. 2:17 and the story of Israel in Ephesians 5.8.1 The story of Israel in Eph. 1:3-14 5.8.2 The story of Israel in Eph. 2:1-10 5.9 ‘You who were far off…’: Exiles and Gentiles in Eph. 2:17 Chapter 6: Conclusion 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Summaries 6.2.1 Introduction 6.2.2 Gal. 4:27 6.2.3 2 Cor. 6:16-18 6.2.4 Rom. 9:25-26 6.2.5 Eph. 2:17 6.3 Comparisons 6.3.1 Common threads 6.3.2 Distinctive features 6.4 Implications 6.4.1 Paul and Scripture 6.4.2 Grace and Gentiles 6.5 Avenues for further exploration Bibliography Index of Ancient Texts Index of Modern Authors