Lecture 156. Paul's Purpose in Sending the Delegation. 2 Cor 9:1-5

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1 Paul, 2 Corinthians, Chapter 9, Page 1 of 7 Lecture 156. Paul's Purpose in Sending the Delegation. 2 Cor 9:1-5 Chapter 8 and Chapter 9 Hans Dieter Betz has argued that chapters 8 & 9 were originally two separate letters. Neither of them was originally part of the same letter as 2 Corinthians Both Lambrecht & Matera argue that: 1) Chapters 8 & 9 are a literary unity (not two separate letters) 2) Paul originally wrote them as part of the same letter as 2 Corinthians Part Structure of Verses 1-5 1) Why writing about this is "superfluous" (1-2) 2) Why Paul is sending the delegation (3-4) 3) Why advance preparation is necessary (5) Translation: "Superfluous" Writing 9:1 On the one hand, Introductory phrase, co-ordinates w. v. 3 concerning the ministry to the saints introductory phrase it is superfluous for me to continue-to-write to you Main idea 2 for I know your eagerness about which I have been boasting on your behalf to the Macedonians: "Achaia has been ready since last year," and your zeal has stirred-up many. 1, continue-to-write Lambrecht & Matera give the present infinite graphein its full force, continuing action. This is primarily vs. H. D. Betz, who argues that 9:1 is starting a new topic. In Greek, if one simply wanted to say "to write," without the idea of continuing action, it would be grapsai. 1, superfluous This is a "rhetorical device" by which an orator mentions what he says he does not need to mention. It is often used by politicians I am not going to mention that my opponent has been arrested three times for DWI, I am not going to bring up that his last three wives have divorced him And I will not comment on his current trials on perjury and tax evasion. By the very fact of "not mentioning" whatever it is, the orator has in fact mentioned it! 2, Achaia: A Roman province in southern Greece. Corinth was the most important city, but people lived in the country side. Also, there were smaller cities, e.g. Cenchreae (cf. Rom 16:1) Macedonia: A Roman province in North-eastern Greece Cities included Thessalonica & Beroea. Among the list of Paul's companions on the journey to Jerusalem, Acts 20:4 lists three Macedonians. Sopater of Beroea, the son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus (RSV). Luke, of course, does not mention that they were accompanying him with a large collection! 1 Hans Dieter Betz, 2 Corinthians 8 and 9: A Commentary on Two Administrative Letters of the Apostle Paul, ed. George W. MacRae, Hermeneia -- a Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1985).

2 Paul, 2 Corinthians, Chapter 9, Page 2 of 7 Paul's Boasting to the Macedonians In chapter 8, he had been using the Macedonians to motivate the Corinthians. Now he states that he had previously used the Corinthians to motivate the Macedonians. Is this evidence that chapters 8 & 9 were originally separate letters? Or that Paul is a sly fox when it comes to fund-raising? 2, Last year, perusi A fairly rare word. The "regular" word for "year" (etos) occurs 767 times. Only twice in the entire Greek Bible! Both times in 2 Corinthians: here and in 8:10. It does not occur in all the works of Philo or in all the works of Josephus. Among the Apostolic Fathers, only Hermas uses the word. 2 Translation: Why the Delegation? 3 On the other hand Introductory phrase, co-ordinates w. v. 1 I am sending the brothers Main Idea lest our boast on your behalf in this matter be emptied 1st reason in order that you may be prepared 2nd reason just as I said [you would be] 4 lest 3rd reason begins if somehow (some) Macedonians should come with me condition #1 and should find you unprepared condition # 2 we-ourselves should-be-put-to-shame -- in order that I not say you-yourselves! -- in this undertaking. support for 3rd reason ends 3 Paul's Boasting: Exaggeration or Miscalculation? Lambrecht comments: "The beautiful certainty about the Corinthians disappears." 3 Matera: It is possible that Paul's enthusiasm led him to overstate the readiness of Achaia. Perhaps he had good reason for his confidence when he first made the boast.... one suspects that the conflict between him [Paul] and the Corinthian community severely impeded the progress of the collection.... But in the time that elapsed since that boast, the situation at Corinth had deteriorated. 4 2 Main reasons 1) Negative: that Paul's boasting not prove empty 2) Positive, so that the Corinthians be prepared Support for 2nd Reason (Corinthians being prepared) Negative: lest "we" (Paul himself? / his team?) be put-to-shame Paul "does not want to have to say" that the Corinthians themselves will be shamed -- oops! he said it! 3, I "am sending." Literally, "have sent." This is an epistolary aorist. By the time they get the letter, the men will have already been sent. (POV of recipients) 2 Twice in one verse! "As I was going to the country about the same time as on the previous year, in my walk I recalled to memory the vision of that year. And again the Spirit carried me away, and took me to the same place where I had been the year before" (Hermas, Vision 2 1:1 accessed via BibleWorks). 3 Lambrecht, Second Corinthians, Matera, II Corinthians,

3 Paul, 2 Corinthians, Chapter 9, Page 3 of 7 In English we express this idea from the POV of the sender, so we use a present tense. 4, "Undertaking" or "Confidence"? hupostasis can mean either.... we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting (KJV).... we be humiliated -- to say nothing of you -- for being so confident (RSV).... we would be humiliated -- to say nothing of you -- in this undertaking (NRSV).... we might be put to shame (to say nothing of you) in this conviction (NAB).... we would be humiliated 10 (not to mention you) by this confidence we had in you (NET).... we be put to shame (not to mention you) in this undertaking (Matera, NT Message).... we not to say you may be put to shame in this undertaking (Lambrecht, SP).... we be disgraced -- to say nothing of yourselves -- in this undertaking (Furnish, AB) 5... we should be put to shame -- to say nothing of you -- in respect of this project (Thrall, ICC) Translation: Why Advance Preparation? 5 Therefore I considered it necessary to encourage the brothers in order that they "pre-come" unto you and pre-arrange your pre-promised blessing, that [blessing] to be ready thus as a blessing and not as greed i.e., "come early" 5, "Encourage" parakaleō Related to "Paraclete." Hence my translation "encourage" (NAB, NJB) Other possible translations: "exhort" (KJV); "urge" (RSV, NRSV, NET) Lambrecht comments Still, v. 5a ( I thought it necessary to urge ) is somewhat strange after v. 1a ( it is superfluous for me to write further ). 6 "The brothers" This would be Titus and the two unnamed companions in chapter 8. Both Lambrecht & Matera point out that this statement would be very abrupt if the "team" had not been mentioned before. They are arguing vs. H. D. Betz that chapters 8 & 9 were originally independent letters. Word-play on "Pre-" Paul uses 3 compound words with the Greek prefix pro- "Pre-arrange" and "Pre-promised" are good English "Pre-come" is not good English! [= come ahead of me]. But I wanted to show Paul's artistry. 5, Blessing eulogia. Another word for the Collection. As in chapter 8, Paul has succeeded in not mentioning "money." Blessing / Greed The word for "greed" (pleonexia) is contrasted with "blessing" (eulogia). Lambrecht renders pleonexia as "stingy gift." I like his translation best of all. But I kept my translation more literal. 5 Furnish gave the reasons for this in his commentary (1985). The later commentators agree with him. This interpretation is also found in BDAG. 6 Lambrecht, Second Corinthians, 146.

4 Paul, 2 Corinthians, Chapter 9, Page 4 of 7 Lecture 157. Sowing and Reaping. 2 Cor 9:6-9 Translation of the Greek with Outline 6 But this: intro phrase The one sowing sparingly, sparingly also will reap; Poetic couplet, part 1 And the one sowing upon blessings, upon blessings also will reap poetic couplet, part 2 7 Each, just as he has pre-chosen in his heart; not from sorrow or from compulsion for God loves a cheerful giver. Prov. 22:8, LXX 8 Now God is able to cause-to-abound every grace unto you in order that in everything, at every time, having every self-sufficiency you may abound under every good work, 9 Just as it is written "quotation formula" He scattered, he gave to the poor Psalm 112:9 His righteousness remains forever. 6, Double-chiasm. The Greek letter chi looks like an "X" The one sowing sparingly, Connect the corresponding words. You will make an "X" sparingly also will reap This is considered "elegant Greek." Most translations do not keep the chiasm, but render it simply as parallel thoughts The one sowing sparingly also will reap sparingly. 6, Sowing "upon blessings" Most render this idiomatically, as "generously" in contrast to "sparingly." I kept it more literal to tie it in with the idea of the gift to the saints as a "blessing" (v. 5). Source of Paul's Poetry? Matera 7 alludes to several pages of similar ideas from Aristotle & from Cicero cited by Betz. Matera offers Prov 11:24, LXX as another parallel. There are some who scatter (speirontes) their own, and make it more: and there are some also who gather (sunagontes), yet have less. (Brenton's translation, via BibleWorks) Schools of thought History of Religions Pagan background Hermeneia "Centrist" Scholarship OT Anchor Bible, ICC, SP, Word Fundamentalism Explains the "center" of "centrist!" Paul's Emphasis Different than in chapter 8. There the "surplus" of the Corinthians was to supply the "need" of the saints. He stressed that the gift was not to impoverish the Corinthians, but to bring about "equality" (8:13-14) Here his emphasis is on generosity. 7, Each as he has "Pre-Chosen" = decided to do ahead of time. I gave the over-literal translation to show the link with verse 5 where Paul used the prefix pre- (pro-) three times. Paul wants this to be a generous "budgeted" gift; not something thrown together at the last minute. 7 Matera, II Corininthians, 205; referring to Betz,

5 Paul, 2 Corinthians, Chapter 9, Page 5 of 7 Part of Lecture was unintentionally omitted here. It is "tacked on" at the end. V, 8, alliteration with "P" sound. Cannot be reproduced in English. I'll read it in Greek I tried to reproduce some of the effect by highlighting every in my translation. Paul is going out of his way to be "literary" in this section. -- I am not sure why. Lambrecht's Comment on Style Furthermore, the style... undeniably heavy. One cannot avoid the impression that to a certain extent such a constrained way of writing was intentional. 8 8, Self-Sufficiency autarkeia. This was a principle of Stoic philosophers. The Stoics, however, used it to describe the "internal state" of the wise person; he is complete in himself. For Paul, however, it refers to the material possessions the Corinthians are sharing with the saints in Jerusalem. Quote from Psalm 112:9 (111:9 LXX) He has dispersed abroad; he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures for evermore (Brenton's translation of the LXX, via BibleWorks) Paul quotes the Greek OT word-for-word. The Greek (unlike the quote from Proverbs above) is an exact translation of the Hebrew. "God Loves a Cheerful Giver" [Unintentionally Omitted Earlier in Lecture] The Hebrew OT says: He who sows injustice will reap calamity, and the rod of his fury will fail. (Prov 22:8 RSV) The Greek OT says: He that sows wickedness shall reap troubles; and shall fully receive the punishment of his deeds. God loves a cheerful and liberal man; but a man shall fully prove the folly of his works. (Prov 22:8 LXA) Paul is clearly adapting the LXX. Strangely, he does not introduce this with a "quotation formula." Often NT authors quote the Greek versions. Why is this important? [Perhaps during discussion.] Lecture 158. Theological Significance of the Collection. 2 Cor 9:10-15 Translation of the Greek with Outline 10 Now the One supplying Sentence begins. seed to the sower and bread for eating will supply and will multiply your seed Main ideas 1 & 2 and will increase the yield of your righteousness Main idea 3 11 being enriched in everything antecedent unclear unto all simple-goodness which works through us thanksgiving to God for the ministry of this public-service Modifies "will increase," v. 10 not only is additionally-filling-up the lack of the saints 1st result: needs of saints taken care of but also abounding through the thanksgivings of many to God.-- 2nd result: thanksgivings to God 13 through the tried-and-trueness of this ministry glorifying God antecedent unclear. who glorifies God? over the obedience 1st reason for glorifying God 8 Lambrecht, Second Corinthians, 151.

6 Paul, 2 Corinthians, Chapter 9, Page 6 of 7 of your-own / your confessing unto the gospel of Christ and by [your] simple-goodness of sharing unto them and unto all 14 and by their prayer on your behalf [the prayer of] the ones longing for you because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. 15 Thanks to God over his indescribable gift! 2nd reason for glorifying God specifies "simple-goodness" particular object of sharing generalizing phrase Sentence ends. The One Supplying. I.e., God In earlier verses Paul had stressed the role of the Corinthians. In this sections he stresses the action of God. OT Allusions. Both Lambrecht & Matera see allusions to OT thought: Isa 55:10-11 connects God's word with the idea of "sowing" "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and return not thither but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it (RSV). Hos 10:12 links the concept of "righteousness" metaphorically with "sowing." Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you. (NRSV) 11, being enriched. The antecedent of this nominative-plural participle is not clear. The closest pronoun is "your" -- "your righteousness." Most translators, therefore, take it as referring to "you." Problem: "your" is genitive case, and so "being enriched" should also be genitive: ploutizōmenōn, not ploutizōmenoi 11, simple-goodness. Some translations render this as "generosity." There is no etymological justification for this; it is just that "generosity" seems to fit the context. This word occurs also in 8:2, where I first discussed this; also in 9:13. haplotēs, "simplicity" occurs only twice in the entire Hebrew OT In 1 Chr 29:17 it renders yosher "uprightness;" In 2 Sam 15:11 it renders tom, "perfect, upright, innocent." 9 The word occurs 8 times in the NT, 5 of them in 2 Corinthians! Also Rom 12:8; Eph 6:5; Col 3:22. This is a Pauline word! "Through Us" The gift is from the Corinthians (and others) to the saints of Jerusalem. Here Paul highlights his role (and that of his "team?") as mediator. 12, The Collection as a "Public Service," Leitourgeia Our word "liturgy" comes from leitourgeia. During the reform after Vatican II it was popular to regard liturgy as "the work of the people" (to encourage participation). Alas! This good theology was built on bad etymology! Leitourgeia was generally a public benefaction (sacred or secular) for the people. By using this word, Paul is regarding the Corinthians as "formal benefactors" to the saints of Jerusalem. The "ministry / ministration" (diakonia) of this leitourgia could be rendered "the administration of this public-service." 9 The word occurs 5 times in the later deutero-canonical books of the OT.

7 Paul, 2 Corinthians, Chapter 9, Page 7 of 7 12, Two-fold effect of Collection 1) Supply the needs of the Saints 2) Thanksgivings "of many" to God 13, Who Glorifies God? Some translations say "they," i.e., the saints in Jerusalem (KJV, NET, NJB) Other translations say "you," i.e., the Corinthians (RSV, NRSV, NAB -- also Lambrecht, Matera, PJM)... they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, (KJV)... you will glorify God by your obedience in acknowledging the gospel of Christ, (RSV)... you glorify God by your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ (NRSV)... you are glorifying God for your obedient confession of the gospel of Christ (NAB)... they will glorify God because of your obedience to your confession in the gospel of Christ (NET)... they will give glory to God for the obedience which you show in professing the gospel of Christ (NJB) "Tortuous & Difficult" This is how Lambrecht describes the Greek of I would extend that to 10-14, which is all one sentence. Lambrecht thinks "glorifying God" modifies you, i.e., the Corinthians. He admits that "they" also make sense. "They" = the saints in Jerusalem Matera also renders it "you are glorifying God," but admits that certainty is impossible. I regard this nominative plural participle as parallel with "being enriched" in v. 11 (also nominative plural). Since "being enriched" probably refers to the Corinthians, I think it also refers to them, not to the saints in Jerusalem. I have mentioned that Paul seems to be striving for "elegant Greek." He might be in "over his head." 14, Grace, Charis Forms a "frame" with 8:1 Lambrecht and Matera use this and other literary analysis to argue against H. D. Betz. 15, Thanks, Charis The word charis, in addition to referring to a gift, can also refer to "thanks rendered for a gift." This is how Paul uses it here. Quote from Lambrecht d. Paul s Vision.... The collection is more than a gathering of money; it means more than material help to the poor. Not only is Paul certain that the saints of Jerusalem will thank God for what they receive; he also inwardly hopes that through their reception of this collection his apostolic work among the Gentiles will be recognized. It is a dream of final reconciliation and mutual appreciation; it is a vision of the sealed union between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians, of Christian love and prayer and longing for one another. As far we can judge, this expectation did not materialize, certainly not the way Paul depicted it in 9:10 15 (cf. Rom 15:25 28). The transfer of the collection ended for him in his being put in prison through the maneuvers of the Jews (and also Jewish Christians?). Nowhere in the New Testament is it revealed what happened to the money that was collected. 10 Reflections Lambrecht leaves it open as to whether Jewish Christians were involved in Paul's imprisonment. The video we are circulating "takes sides" on the issue. It portrays Jewish Christians working with Jews against their "common enemy," Paul. This would explain why Luke never mentions the collection in Acts. It does not fit his editorial theme of early Christians being "one of mind and heart." We will end with these somber thoughts. 10 Jan Lambrecht, Second Corinthians, ed. Daniel J. Harrington, vol. 8, Sacra Pagina (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1999), 152.