PAUL AND ANCIENT RHETORIC

Transcription

1 PAUL AND ANCIENT RHETORIC The Apostle Paul lived and breathed in a Hellenistic culture that placed high value on the art of rhetoric, and recent advances in rhetorical criticism of the New Testament have resulted in a new emphasis on the rhetorical aspect of his letters. As many scholars have pointed out, however, it is not clear to what extent ancient rhetoric actually influenced Paul and his writing or how important rhetoric is for interpreting the Pauline corpus. This volume, containing contributions from major figures in the field, provides a nuanced examination of how ancient rhetoric should inform our understanding of Paul and his letters. The essays discuss Paul s historical context, present innovative advances in and trenchant critiques of rhetorical theory, and offer fresh readings of key Pauline texts. Outlining the strengths and weaknesses of a widely used approach, Paul and Ancient Rhetoric will be a valuable resource for New Testament and classics scholars. stanley e. porter is President, Dean, Professor of New Testament, and Roy A. Hope Chair in Christian Worldview at McMaster Divinity College. He is the author of more than twenty books, including Linguistic Analysis of the Greek New Testament: Studies in Tools, Methods, and Practice and When Paul Met Jesus: How an Idea Got Lost in History (Cambridge University Press). bryan r. dyer is coeditor, with Cynthia Long Westfall, of The Bible and Social Justice and, with Stanley E. Porter, of The Synoptic Problem: Four Views. He has written numerous articles and chapters on Paul s letters, the Epistle to the Hebrews, and the Gospels.

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3 PAUL AND ANCIENT RHETORIC Theory and Practice in the Hellenistic Context STANLEY E. PORTER McMaster Divinity College, Ontario BRYAN R. DYER McMaster Divinity College, Ontario

4 32 Avenue of the Americas, New York, ny , usa Cambridge University Press is part of the University of Cambridge. It furthers the University s mission by disseminating knowledge in the pursuit of education, learning, and research at the highest international levels of excellence. Information on this title: / Cambridge University Press 2016 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 2016 Printed in the United Kingdom by Clays, St Ives plc A catalog record for this publication is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Paul and ancient rhetoric : theory and practice in the Hellenistic context / [edited by] Stanley E. Porter, McMaster Divinity College, Ontario, Bryan R. Dyer, McMaster Divinity College, Ontario. pages cm isbn (Hardback) 1. Bible. Epistles of Paul Criticism, interpretation, etc. 2. Rhetoric, Ancient History and criticism. 3. Paul, the Apostle, Saint. I. Porter, Stanley E., 1956 editor. bs p dc isbn Hardback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of urls for external or third-party Internet Web sites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such Web sites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

5 In the memory of Carl Joachim Classen

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7 Contents Preface List of contributors List of abbreviations page ix xi xii Paul and Ancient Rhetoric: An Introduction to a Continuing Discussion 1 part i history of scholarship and key issues 11 1 Can the Theory of Rhetoric Help Us to Understand the New Testament, and in Particular the Letters of Paul? 13 Carl Joachim Classen part ii paul, his education, and first-century culture 41 2 Paul in Tarsus: Historical Factors in Assessing Paul s Early Education 43 Andrew W. Pitts 3 Hellenistic Rhetorical Education and Paul s Letters 68 Christos Kremmydas 4 Paul and Traditions of Greco-Roman Rhetoric 86 Frank W. Hughes 5 Ancient Literate Culture and Popular Rhetorical Knowledge: Implications for Studying Pauline Rhetoric 96 Stanley E. Porter vii

8 viii Contents part iii issues in the use of ancient rhetoric in analyzing paul s letters Delivery, Delivery, Delivery : Accounting for Performance in the Rhetoric of Paul s Letters 119 Glenn S. Holland 7 Epistolography and Rhetoric: Case Not Closed 141 Lauri Thurén part iv paul and ancient rhetoric in practice Paul, Classical Rhetoric, and Oracular Fullness of Meaning in Romans 1: Robert G. Hall 9 I Do Not Understand What I Do : A Challenge to Understanding Romans 7 as Prosopopoeia 186 Bryan R. Dyer 10 Parenesis and Peroration: The Rhetorical Function of Romans 12:1 15: Mark D. Given 11 Navigating First Thessalonians Employing Aristotle s Enthymeme 228 Thomas H. Olbricht and Stanley N. Helton 12 Appeals to Logos, Pathos, and Ethos in Galatians 5:1 12: An Investigation of Paul s Inventio 245 David A. desilva 13 Visualizing Philippians: Ancient Rhetorical Practice Meets Cognitive Science through Sociorhetorical Interpretation 265 L. Gregory Bloomquist Bibliography 285 Ancient Sources Index 314 Modern Authors Index 325

9 Preface We wish to extend our gratitude to the contributors of this volume for their excellent essays. The present volume contains a spectrum of thought on the topic of Paul and ancient rhetoric a vision that we had for this project from its inception. Represented in these pages is discussion of the current state of play on this now-established discipline in New Testament studies from specialists and experts in the field. We are very pleased with these essays they provide overviews of the topic, offer new applications of the rhetorical approach, and, as a result, push the discussion forward. This is the result of the outstanding work that our contributors put into their essays. Both of the editors have been beneficiaries of the academic culture and community of McMaster Divinity College in Hamilton, Ontario. Much of our own thinking on the role of ancient rhetoric in interpreting Paul s letters has been crafted and refined while being a part of this institution. We thank our numerous friends and colleagues who have offered helpful insights and challenging critiques. We thank Cambridge University Press for their commitment to this project and assistance in seeing it in print. This extends to encouragement in the design of the volume, major support in having one of the essays translated, and general encouragement in seeing it through to completion. We offer sincere thanks to Laura Morris, our editor; her associate Alexandra Poreda; and their team. We have been fortunate to be able to work with such accomplished editors. Both of us are greatly indebted to our spouses Wendy Porter and Anna Dyer for their endless encouragement and intellectual inspiration. They have had to endure much during the gestation period of this volume, and we are thankful for their continuing support. Finally, we would like to thank Roswitha Classen for her blessing and help in including the essay by her late husband, Carl Joachim Classen, in this volume. When approached to contribute to this project, Carl Joachim ix

10 x Preface expressed enthusiasm to translate a recent article of his into English so that it might garner a wider audience. Sadly, he passed away before he was able to finish his translation. Thank you to Dr. Linda Archibald for her work translating this important article into English. We have dedicated this volume to Carl Joachim Classen in honor of his lifetime of significant work especially in the area of Paul and ancient rhetoric.

11 Contributors l. gregory bloomquist Saint Paul University, Ottawa, Ontario carl joachim classen University of Göttingen, Germany david a. desilva Ashland Theological Seminary, Ashland, Ohio bryan r. dyer McMaster Divinity College, Hamilton, Ontario mark d. given Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri robert g. hall Hampden-Sydney College, Virginia stanley n. helton First Christian Church, Hammond, Louisiana glenn s. holland Allegheny College, Meadville, Pennsylvania frank w. hughes St. John s Episcopal Church, Minden, Louisiana christos kremmydas Royal Holloway College, University of London thomas h. olbricht Pepperdine University, Malibu, California stanley e. porter McMaster Divinity College, Hamilton, Ontario andrew w. pitts Arizona Christian University, Phoenix, Arizona lauri thurén University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland xi

12 Abbreviations General Abbreviations 2nd ed. second edition 3rd ed. third edition 4th ed. fourth edition 5th ed. fifth edition e.g. exempli gratia, for example ed. edition, editor(s), edited by esp. especially exp. expanded (edition) ibid. ibidem, in the same place idem the same i.e. id est, that is LXX Septuagint MT Masoretic Text pace with due respect to, but differing from par. parallel passage passim throughout, frequently pl. plural repr. reprint rev. revised (edition) v. or vv. verse or verses vol. volume AB AusBR AGJU Periodicals, Reference Works, and Serials Anchor Bible Australian Biblical Review Arbeiten zur Geschichte des antiken Judentums und des Urchristentums xii

13 AJA AJP ANET ANRW ANTC BAGD BBB BECNT BETL BhTh BibInt BICS BINS BNTC BZNW CBET CBR ClAnt ConBNT CQ CRINT ECL ESEC FFNT FRLANT GBSNT HTR HUCA HUT ICC Int JBL JETS JGRChJ JHS Abbreviations xiii American Journal of Archaeology American Journal of Philology Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament, ed. J. B. Pritchard (3rd ed.; Princeton, 1969) Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt, ed. H. Temporini and W. Haase (Berlin, 1972 ) Abington New Testament Commentaries W. Bauer, W. F. Arndt, F. W. Gingrich, and F. W. Danker, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Bonner biblische Beiträge Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament Bibliotheca ephemeridum theologicarum lovaniensium Beiträge zur historischen Theologie Biblical Interpretation Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies Biblical Interpretation Series Black s New Testament Commentary Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft Contributions to Biblical Exegesis and Theology Currents in Biblical Research Classical Antiquity Coniectanea biblica, New Testament Classical Quarterly Compendia rerum iudaicarum ad novum testamentum Early Christianity and Its Literature Emory Studies in Early Christianity Foundations and Facets: New Testament Forschungen zur Religion und Literatur des Alten und Neuen Testaments Guides to Biblical Scholarship: New Testament Harvard Theological Review Hebrew Union College Annual Hermeneutische Untersuchungen zur Theologie International Critical Commentary Interpretation Journal of Biblical Literature Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society Journal of Greco-Roman Christianity and Judaism Journal of Hellenic Studies

14 xiv JHUSHPS JR JSNT JSNTSup KEK LCBI LCL LEC LNTS LSJ LTPM MNTC NAC Neot NICNT NIGTC NovT NovTSup NTS NTTS PAST PIASH PNTC SBL SBLDS SBLRBS SBLSBS SBLSP SBLSS SBLSymS SBT SCBO SNTSMS SRR TAPA Abbreviations Johns Hopkins University Studies in Historical and Political Science Journal of Religion Journal for the Study of the New Testament Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement Series Kritisch-exegetischer Kommentar über das Neue Testament Literary Currents in Biblical Interpretation Loeb Classical Library Library of Early Christianity The Library of New Testament Studies Liddell-Scott-Jones, Greek-English Lexicon Louvain Theological and Pastoral Monographs Moffatt New Testament Commentary New American Commentary Neotestamentica New International Commentary on the New Testament New International Greek Testament Commentary Novum Testamentum Novum Testamentum Supplements New Testament Studies New Testament Tools and Studies Pauline Studies Proceedings of the Israeli Academy of Sciences and Humanities Pillar New Testament Commentary Studies in Biblical Literature SBL Dissertation Series SBL Resources for Biblical Studies SBL Sources for Biblical Study SBL Seminar Papers SBL Supplement Series SBL Symposium Series Studies in Biblical Theology Scriptorum Classicorum Bibliotheca Oxoniensis Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series Studies in Rhetoric and Religion Transactions of the American Philological Association

15 TDNT TSAJ TynBul WBC WUNT ZNW Abbreviations xv Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, ed. G. Kittel and G. Friedrich Texte und Studium zum antiken Judentum Tyndale Bulletin Word Biblical Commentary Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft Gen Genesis Exod Exodus Lev Leviticus Num Numbers Deut Deuteronomy Josh Joshua Judg Judges Ruth Ruth 1 Sam 1 Samuel 2 Sam 2 Samuel 1 Kings 1 Kings 2 Kings 2 Kings 1 Chron 1 Chronicles 2 Chron 2 Chronicles Ezra Ezra Neh Nehemiah Esth Esther Job Job Ps(s) Psalm(s) Prov Proverbs Eccles Ecclesiastes Song Song of Songs Isa Isaiah Jer Jeremiah Lam Lamentations Ezek Ezekiel Dan Daniel Hos Hosea Joel Joel Old Testament

16 xvi Amos Obad Jon Mic Nah Hab Zeph Hag Zech Mal Abbreviations Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi New Testament Matt Matthew Mark Mark Luke Luke John John Acts Acts Rom Romans 1 Cor 1 Corinthians 2 Cor 2 Corinthians Gal Galatians Eph Ephesians Phil Philippians Col Colossians 1 Thess 1 Thessalonians 2 Thess 2 Thessalonians 1 Tim 1 Timothy 2 Tim 2 Timothy Titus Titus Phlm Philemon Heb Hebrews Jas James 1 Pet 1 Peter 2 Pet 2 Peter 1 John 1 John 2 John 2 John 3 John 3 John Jude Jude Rev Revelation

17 Abbreviations xvii Ancient Sources Aeschines, Ctes. Ctesiphon Aeschines, Tim. Timarchus Aphthonius, Prog. Progymnasmata Aristotle, Nic. Eth. Ethica Nicomachea Aristotle, Poet. Poetica Aristotle, Rhet. Rhetorica Augustine, Doct. chr. De Doctrina Christiana Cicero, Att. Epistulae ad Atticum Cicero, Brut. Brutus Cicero, De or. De oratore Cicero, Fam. Epistulae ad Familiares Cicero, Inv. De inventione Cicero, Orat. Orator Demetrius, Eloc. De elocutione Demosthenes, 1 Aristog. In Aristogiton 1 Demosthenes, 2 Aristog. In Aristogiton 2 Demosthenes, Aristocr. In Aristocratem Dio Chrysostom, Or. Orationes Diogenes Laertius, Vit. Phil. Vitae philosophorum Dionysius, Lys. De Lysia Eloc. De elocutione Epictetus, Diatr. Diatribai Epiphanius, Adv. haer. Adversus haereses Epiphanius, Pan. Panarion Hermongenes, Prog. Progymnasmata Hyperides, Eux. Euxenippus Isocrates, Ant. Antidosis Isocrates, Paneg. Panegyricus Isocrates, Soph. In Sophistas Josephus, Ag. Ap. Against Apion Josephus, Ant. Antiquities Josephus, J. W. Jewish Wars Josephus, Let. Aris. Letter of Aristeas Lucian, Nav. Navigium Marcus Cato, Agr. De Agricultura Nicholaus, Prog. Progymnasmata Origen, Cels. Contra Celsum Origen, Comm. Rom. Commentary on Romans

18 xviii Philo, Cong. Philo, De agr. Philo, Det. Philo, Mos. Philo, Prov. Philo, Spec. Leg. Philostratus, Vit. Apoll. Plato, Apol. Plato, Phaed Plato, Theaet. Pliny, Ep. Pliny, NH Plutarch, E Delph. Plutarch, Vit. Dec. Quintilian, Inst. Rhet. Alex. Rhet. Her. Sophocles, Oed. Rex Strabo, Geog. Suetonius, De Rhet. Theon, Prog. Thucydides, Hist. Val. Max. Xenophon, Anab. Abbreviations De Congressu Eruditionis Gratia De Agricultura (Quod Deterius Potiori Insidiari Soleat) De vita Mosis De Providentia De Specialibus legibus Vita Apollonii Apologia Phaedo Theaetetus Epistles Naturalis historia De E apud Delphos Vitae decem oratorum Institutio oratoria Rhetorica ad Alexandrum Rhetorica ad Herennium Oedipus Rex Geographica De Rhetoribus Progymnasmata Historiae Valerius Maximus, Facta et Dicta Memorabilia Anabasis