Jesus, Gospel Tradition and Paul in the Context of Jewish and Greco-Roman Antiquity: Collected Essays II

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This volume contains a collection of twenty-two of David E. Aune's essays focusing on a variety of issues in the interpretation of the Gospels, Gospel traditions, Paul and the Pauline letters. Most essays center on the exegesis of particular problematic passages in the Gospels, Acts and the Pauline letters. In some essays the author discusses Pauline anthropology, in others he investigates the phenomenon of oral tradition in the ancient world and the Gospels or deals with the problem of the genre of the Gospels (Mark and Matthew) and Romans. He critically reviews recent research on justification by faith in Paul and investigates the meaning of euaggelion in the titles of the Gospels. He also deals with such historical and contextual problems as the proposed relationship between Jesus and Cynicism in first century Palestine, evaluating Jesus tradition in the Gospel of Thomas and dualism in the Fourth Gospel. The relevance of cognitive dissonance in the reconstruction of Christian origins and the relevance of apocalyptic in the interpretation of the Lord's Prayer are also discussed. Cover Preface Table of Contents I. Jesus of Nazareth and Gospel Traditions 1. The Meaning of Εὐαγγέλιον in the Inscriptiones of the Canonical Gospels Introduction Εὐαγγέλιον in Early Christian Literature A Lexical Overview Ευαγγέλιον in Paul Εὐαγγέλιον in Mark Εὐαγγέλιον in Second Century Christianity The Gospel Subscriptiones and Inscriptiones The Development of the Fourfold Gospel Conclusions 2. Genre Theory and the Genre-Function of Mark and Matthew Introduction The Beginnings of Genre Criticism in Biblical Studies Relevant Aspects of Modern Genre Theory for the Toolkits of New Testament Scholars Paratextual Features of the Gospels Introduction Subscriptiones and Superscriptiones The Title of Mark The Genre-Function of Mark Genre-Salient Features The Macro-Genre of Mark Mark as a Parody of Biography The Genre-Function of Matthew Matthew’s Transformation of Mark The Title of Matthew Matthew’s Deconstruction of Q Concluding Summary 3. The Forgiveness Petition in the Lord’s Prayer: First Century Literary, Liturgical and Cultural Contexts Introduction The Forgiveness Petition in the Context of the Lord’s Prayer Meanings and Functions of the Forgiveness Petition The Meaning of the Forgiveness Petition in Matthew The Meaning of the Forgiveness Petition in Luke The Meaning of the Forgiveness Petition in the Didache The Forgiveness Maxim Reading the Forgiveness Petition in a Greek Cultural Context Concluding Summary 4. Apocalyptic and the Lord’s Prayer Introduction Constructing a Profile of Apocalyptic Reading the Matthaean Lord’s Prayer in the Context of Apocalyptic Eschatology Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name Your kingdom come Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily [epiousion] bread And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors And do not bring us to the time of trial [peirasmon], but rescue us from the evil one 5. “The Spirit is Willing, but the Flesh is Weak” (Mark 14:38b and Matthew 26:41b) Introduction The Form and Function of the Dominical Proverb Spirit and Flesh in the Hebrew Bible and Judaism Analogous Hellenistic Anthropological Dualities Πνεῦμα and Σάρξ in Pauline Anthropology Early Christian Appropriations of Mark 14:38 and Matt 26:41 Concluding Summary 6. Luke 1:1–4: Historical or Scientific Prooimion? 1. 2. 3. 4. 7. Luke 20:34–36: A “Gnosticized” Logion of Jesus? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 8. Dualism in the Fourth Gospel and the Dead Sea Scrolls: A Reassessment of the Problem Introduction Methodological Considerations The Problem of Dualism Johannine Dualism Dualism in Qumran Literature The Spirit-Paraclete and the Spirit of Truth Comparing Dualisms in John and Qumran Concluding Reflections 9. Christian Beginnings and Cognitive Dissonance Theory Introduction Cognitive Dissonance Theory Testing the “Failed Prophecy” Aspect of Cognitive Dissonance Theory Failed prophecy in the Lubavitcher Chabad Christian Beginnings in the Light of Dissonance Theory and Rumor Theory The Jesus Movement as a Millenarian Movement Jesus in the Disciples’ Belief System The Mutual Social Reinforcement of Jesus’ Disciples Rumor Theory and the Empty Tomb Wider Social Reinforcement through Mass Proselytism Conclusions 10. Assessing the Historical Value of the Apocryphal Jesus Traditions: A Critique of Conflicting Methodologies Introduction Assessing the Methodology of John P. Meier The Methodology of John Dominic Crossan Methodological Reflections 11. Jesus and Cynics in First-Century Palestine: Some Critical Considerations Introduction Relevant Aspects of Cynicism Problematic Features of the Hypothesis Conclusions 12. Prolegomena to the Study of Oral Tradition in the Hellenistic World Introduction Defining Oral Tradition Memorized Speech Accounts of Events Epic Tales, Proverbs, and Sayings The Oral-formulaic Theory Travel Guides and Local Oral Traditions The Fountain of the Sun First and Second Century Travel Guides Pausanias, Periegetes Oral Tradition and Hellenistic Historiography Oral Traditions and Religious Cults Memory and Rhetoric Oral Tradition in Philosophical Schools The βίος of the Hero Chreiai or Anecdotes Stories Conclusions 13. Oral Tradition and the Aphorisms of Jesus Introduction The Function of Aphorisms Identifying Aphorisms Methodological Considerations Morphology of the Aphorism Types and Forms of Aphorisms Makarisms or Beatitudes “Whoever,” or “the one who” sayings Conditional sayings Aphorisms in synonymous couplets Antithetical and paradoxical aphorisms The wisdom admonition Aphoristic sentences Statements of reciprocity Compositional Tendencies in Aphorisms Conclusions Appendix: Inventory Of Aphorisms Of Jesus 14. Jesus Tradition and the Pauline Letters Introduction The Project of Birger Gerhardsson The Problem of Paul and Oral Tradition Birger Gerhardsson Werner Kelber Traugott Holtz John D. Harvey Paul and the Jesus Tradition Paul’s Letters as “aides-mémoire” and “lieux de mémoire” II. Pauline Studies 15. Two Pauline Models of the Person Introduction The Problem of Pauline Anthropology Ancient Monistic and Dualistic Views of Human Nature Pauline Anthropological Dualism The Irrational Behavior Model in Hellenistic Psychology The Irrational Behavior Model in Paul Human Nature and the Macrocosm-Microcosm Analogy in Antiquity Hellenistic Macrocosm-Microcosm Homologies The Spatial Macrocosm-Microcosm Homology The Temporal Macrocosm-Microcosm Analogy The Systemic Macrocosm-Microcosm Analogy Paul’s Apocalyptic Macrocosm-Microcosm Homology Theological Reflections 16. Anthropological Duality in the Eschatology of 2 Corinthians 4:16–5:10 1. Introduction 2. Apocalyptic and Hellenistic Eschatologies 3. Approaches to 2 Corinthians 4:16–5:10 4. Interpreting Selected Themes in 2 Corinthians 4:16–5:10 The Outer Person and the Inner Person (4:16) From an Earthly House to a Heavenly House (5:1) Though Unclothed, We Shall Not Be Found Naked (5:3) At Home or Away from Home (5:6–10) 5. Concluding Arguments 17. Human Nature and Ethics in Hellenistic Philosophical Traditions and Paul: Some Issues and Problems Introduction Complexities in Hellenistic Views of Human Nature Pauline Perspectives on Human Nature Paul and the Hellenistic Philosophical “Practice of Death” 18. The Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10) The Problem The Immediate Context: 2 Corinthians 4:16–5:10 The Thematic Context: Judgment in Paul Τὸ βῆμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ and / or τὸ βῆμα τοῦ θεοῦ? Judgment Scenarios in Jewish Apocalyptic Conclusions 19. Paul, Ritual Purity and the Ritual Baths South of the Temple Mount (Acts 21:15–27) Introduction What Do We Know about the Nazirite Vow? The Biblical Evidence Post-Biblical Evidence Interpretations of Acts 21:15–27 The View of Paul Billerbeck The Proposal of Ernst Haenchen The Proposals of Michael Bachmann and Friedrich Horn The Proposal of Volker Stolle Did Paul Contract Corpse Impurity by Traveling Abroad? Summary Observations Purification through Ritual Immersion in Miqwā᾿ôt The Meaning of Ἁγνίζεσθαι in Acts 21:24, 26; 24:18 The Relevance of Miqwā᾿ôt Why Did Paul Purify Himself? Reinterpreting Acts 21:15–28 Appendix: Early Christian References to Miqwā᾿ôt 20. Romans as a Logos Protreptikos in the Context of Ancient Religious and Philosophical Propaganda Introduction Προτρέπειν and Cognates in Rhetoric and Philosophy Generic Features of the λόγος προτρεπτικός The History of the λόγος προτρεπτικός Judaism and Christianity as “Philosophies” The Problem of the Genre of Romans The Protreptic Character of Romans Conclusions Appendix: Seneca Ep. 90 and Rom 1:18–2:16 21. Recent Readings of Paul Relating to Justification by Faith Introduction The Hellenistic Paul or the Jewish Paul? Paul’s Damascus Experience and Justification by Faith Conversion or Calling? Paul’s “Conversion” and his Mission to the Gentiles Christological Implications: Recognizing Jesus as the Messiah Soteriological Implications: Recognizing the Limitations of the Law Origin of Paul’s Theology? Particularism and Universalism in Pauline Thought The “New Perspective” on Paul The “New View” of Paul Justification by Faith Aspects of the Lutheran-Catholic Debate Justification and the New Perspective The Evangelical Debate on Imputation Justification and the Center of Pauline Thought The πίστις [Ἰησοῦ] Χριστοῦ Debate Conclusions 22. Galatians 3:28 and the Problem of Equality in the Church and Society Introduction Jesus of Nazareth and Human Rights Pauline Conceptions of Equality and Their Influence “There is neither Jew nor Greek” “There is neither slave nor free” “There is neither male nor female” Summary Indices Sources Old Testament New Testament Early Christian Literature Nag Hammadi Library Early Jewish Literature Dead Sea Scrolls Josephus Philo of Alexandria Greek and Latin Sources Papyri Inscriptions Index of Authors Index of Subjects