Opposition to Paul as central to the occasion of the letter to the Galatians ·(expressed in scholarly circles in terms of different opponent hypotheses) is identified as a pivotal factor in the interpretation of that letter. An analysis of some of the received opponent hypotheses reveals that today, as throughout the history of the critical interpretation of the letter, they are basically different proposals sharing the same historical and methodological components. Both components are critically examined and it is suggested that inadequate assumptions lead to an anachronistic and ethnocentric view of the nature of the conflict and consequently, from a his­ torical point of view, a distorted cypher key to the interpretation of the letter. The proposal of a social-scientific approach to the letter presents, at the meth­ odological level, the components of an alternative cypher key. It attempts to be interdisciplinary in that it accounts for the otherness of foreign cultures and distant historical eras in an integrated and explicit way. Because of the methodological components an alternative set of historical com­ ponents can be suggested. A focus on contemporary views on first-century Judaism and the expansion of the Pauline communities in the first-century world not only . points to shortcomings in the received views but provides an alternative perspective on the communicative context of the letter. A first but important step is taken to construct a probable first-century Mediterranean communicative context for the interpretation of the letter. In view of this alternative communicative context it is possible to redefine the con­ flict as a truly first-century Mediterranean one in which Paul's authority and honour were at stake. This makes it possible to construe the text in a different way. Instead of regarding the letter to the Galatians as a document of intra-Christian struggle about conflicting theological or doctrinal convictions, it is suggested that the letter be construed as the product of Paul's missionary endeavour within the household setting, the subculture of first-century Judaism, and the confines of orality and reli­ gion in the first-century world. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / D. Th. (New Testament)

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T12:21:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Jose Luiz Izidoro.pdf: 1122752 bytes, checksum: 96297286abb465de3c717b8ecf163d19 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-08-30 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The biblical texts are the result of a historical-literary process in which the societies and cultures are present through the symbolic constructions and representations, as well as through languages and discourses. In this way, for biblical research, the studies of the source of primitive Christianity become indispensable. These studies can be carried out by means of historic-anthropological concepts that facilitate the understanding of the formation process of identities in the Jewish-Hellenistic context of primitive Christianity. In the perspective of identity analysis, Gl 3,26-29 reflects and suggests the interaction and approximation between ethnic groups and socio-cultural groups, provided some aspects are observed, such as: their differences and their unity in Christ Jesus; and the recognition of the identities emerging from the social, ethnic and geographical boundaries. From a theological and anthropological point of view, therefore, we get close to the ethnic, socio-cultural and religious conceptual components that the text suggests, as well as social and gender representation that emerge from the interaction between the Christian groups in the first century. Therefore, for the Pauline Christianity of Galatians, the concept of Judaism, in relation to Hellenism did not constitute a fixed , stagnated entity in opposition to the latter. Rather than this, they are in a continuous movement of interaction between boundaries, and, in their diversity and differences they make it possible to understand the emergence of the fluid identities in formation. / Os textos bíblicos são o resultado de um processo histórico-literário no qual as sociedades e as culturas se fazem presentes pelas construções e representações simbólicas, pelas linguagens e pelos discursos. Desse modo, na pesquisa bíblica torna-se imprescindível o estudo das fontes do cristianismo primitivo por meio de conceitos histórico-antropológicos que possibilitem compreender o processo de formação de identidades no contexto judaicohelênico do cristianismo primitivo. Na perspectiva de análise das identidades, Gl 3,26-29 reflete e sugere a interação e a aproximação entre os grupos étnicos e socioculturais, observadas as diferenças e a unidade em Cristo Jesus; e o reconhecimento das identidades a partir da dinâmica das fronteiras sociais, étnicas e geográficas. Dos pontos de vista teológico e antropológico, aproximamo-nos dos componentes conceituais étnicos, socioculturais e religiosos que o texto sugere, bem como das representações sociais e de gênero que emergem da interação entre os grupos cristãos ainda no século I. Portanto, para o cristianismo paulino da Galácia, a concepção do judaísmo, em sua relação com o helenismo, não constitui uma entidade fixa, estagnada, em simples oposição a este; eles estão em contínuo movimento de interação entre as fronteiras e, em sua diversidade e diferenças, possibilitam compreender o emergir das identidades fluidas em formação.

Chapter 1 introduces the problem in terms of multifarious views regarding the phrase ὁ νόμος τοῦ Χριστοῦ in Galatians 6:2. I place my work within broader scholarship’s trajectory by explaining my thesis–that the νόμος in the phrase refers to “principle,” unwritten law, rather than written law such as the Mosaic law and another law–briefly addressing my intended method. Chapter 2 briefly investigates the usages of νόμος from 7th century BC and AD 2nd century and paves the way for its various possible meanings. With the certainty that the meaning of a word is revealed in the context in which it is found, I argue that νόμος in the phrase in 6:2 refers to “principle,” unwritten law in the situational context of Galatians. I also reveal that the verb ἀναπληρόω, which takes the phrase as a direct object, means conforming to a certain standard. Chapter 3 focuses on the new era referred to in the phrase in 6:2. In order to highlight how the new era is depicted in Galatians, I explore the ὑπὸ phrases to signify the old era. Along with the coming of Christ in history, I give much attention to the fact that two epochal events, the crucifixion and the resurrection of Christ, brought about the end of the old era and the beginning of the new era. Chapter 4 centers on Paul’s exhortation to conform to the principle of the new era in 6:2 within the broader context of Galatians. Specifically, after investigating Paul’s eschatology in Galatians, I reveal that Paul emphasizes the aspects of the “already” and of the overlapping ages rather than the “not yet” to awaken the identity of the Galatians who are the people of the new era. Chapter 5 summarizes and synthesizes the material, showing that in 6:2 Paul’s appeal to bear one another’s burdens refers to the believers’ conformity to the principle of the new era inaugurated by the crucified and risen Christ in the overlapping ages.

The story of Sarah and Hagar has been treated as one of the foundational stories for the nation of Israel. Yet, Paul, in one deft allegory, will attempt to overturn centuries of theological and historical interpretation. Against other interpretations, I argue that Paul’s untraditional uniting of Hagar, Sinai, and the present Jerusalem together was accomplished through the interpretive key provided in 4:23: the one who comes from a slave has been born because of the flesh, and the one who comes from a free woman has been born through the promise. Paul no longer reads the story of Sarah and Hagar through a lens of separation based on physical realities, but rather through the lens of promise and flesh, as helpfully stated in 4:23. Ishmael was not “cast out” because of his sinfulness or supposed ethnic deficiencies, but rather because he was born “κατὰ σάρκα” and not “δι᾽ ἐπαγγελίας.” These comparative realities are not introduced here in the allegory for the first time; rather, Paul has been building these comparisons as his primary argument since the foundational 2:15-21. This dissertation, therefore, not only interprets the allegory in consideration of the lens of 4:23, but seeks to set the argument within both the thematic and schematic content of Galatians. While the first chapter summarizes and categorizes the typical interpretations of the difficult Galatians 4:21-5:1, the second chapter seeks to critique these approaches to the allegory. The value of applying Paul’s interpretive lens (Gal 4:23) to the allegory is argued for in the third chapter. By using the hermeneutical lens of 4:23, many of the allegory’s difficulties are eased, and the meaning and import of the allegory is clarified. The fourth chapter seeks to set the allegory within the epistle, both thematically and schematically, centering the main propositio around Paul’s remarks to Peter in Galatians 2:15-21. Finally, the last chapter looks at some limited applications of the thesis to OT hermeneutics, specifically in literal and allegorical readings of the Sarah/Hagar incident.

The primary purpose of this thesis was to discover whether two classical modes of persuasion, which Paul used in the letter to the Galatians, are really useful tools for effective preaching. This study consists of seven chapters. The introductory chapter provided a problem posing and formulation of the study, a clear study goal and hypothesis and delimitation and definition, and indicated the methodology to be used to accomplish this thesis. In chapter two, a historical review of classical rhetoric was presented. A brief history of classical rhetoric and the relationship between rhetoric and preaching as communication were explained to serve as general background to classical rhetoric and the relationship between rhetoric and preaching. In chapter three, some basic concepts of classical rhetorical theories for this thesis were considered to explain how these terms are used and related in this thesis. Chapter four was devoted to two parts. First is an investigation of Paul in an attempt to determine whether he used classical rhetorics. Galatians is a strong echo of Paul’s actual oral preaching so that the level of Paul’s rhetorical awareness and the nature and characteristics of his letter can be grasped. Second is an examination of the rhetorical situation in which the original communication was accomplished. To understand the kinds of rhetoric, and Paul’s main purpose in Galatians, the particular historical situation and rhetorical problems have to be understood, as well as the literary structure of Galatians, the purpose of Galatians and Paul’s intent in the letter as a whole. In chapter five, the modes of persuasion (ethos, and pathos) in Galatians were analysed. This chapter showed the reader how Paul used and developed Aristotles’ two modes of persuasion in his preaching to persuade audiences effectively to actions. In chapter six, the implications for effective preaching was discussed in terms of the twin modes of persuasion in Galatians. This study set the important strategies for effective contemporary preaching. Chapter seven presented and an overview and sermon outline of the four elements of persuasion for effective preaching and contributions to persuasive preaching for the effective preacher. In the final chapter, a summary of the contents was presented in the Conclusion, which arrived at a concrete argument in terms of which the hypothesis presented in the Introduction can be tested. / Thesis (PhD (Practical Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

When Paul writes ‘we too were enslaved under the elements of the world', he means that the elements that compose the cosmos also compose and compromise the flesh and enslave human persons through their bodies (Gal 4.3). This thesis demonstrates that early Jews used the phrase στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου to refer to the material elements – earth, water, air, and fire – and not to elemental spirits or elementary principles. Greek medical tradition understood the material elements to mediate the stimuli (παθήματα) and desires of the body which enslave the soul, and it prescribed a variety of regimens (including νόμος) as παιδαγωγοί to guide a person to wholeness. In his philosophy according to the cosmic elements, Philo promotes the law of Moses – including circumcision and the calendar – as the effective way to be ‘redeemed from slavery' to the flesh, to attain righteousness, and to live in harmony with the cosmos. Paul's epistle to the Galatians opposes this sort of ‘redemptive nomism'. Paul accepts that weak στοιχεῖα compose the weak σάρξ and that they mediate sinful stimuli and desires that lead to the actions of the flesh. However, he denies that the law can make people alive or righteous. Instead, Paul prescribes crucifixion with Christ and new life with the Spirit as the final cure for sin's infection of the flesh made of weak στοιχεῖα. Through faith, Christ will be formed in believers as the Spirit guides them away from the desires of the flesh and produces his fruit in their lives.

This thesis contends that the theme of persecution plays a vital role in the argument of Paul's letter to the Galatians. Particularly, this thesis argues that suffering for the cross is seen as a mark of identity and a sign of destiny for those who follow the crucified Messiah. In regard to identity, suffering is shown to be a badge that demarcates Paul's Gentile audience as children of Abraham and children of God (i.e. the “Israel of God”) in conformity with genuine Christian identity, represented chiefly by Paul himself through solidarity with the cross. In regard to destiny, those who are marked out by suffering for the cross will receive the future inheritance, as promised to Abraham, and be vindicated at the eschatological judgment. The relationship of suffering for the cross to Christian identity and destiny is shown to parallel other such markers like possession of the Spirit and justification by faith. This thesis proposes further that Paul derives his understanding regarding the importance of suffering from his wider reading of Isaiah, particularly chapters 49–54, which Paul believes prefigures the death of the Messiah, his own Gentile mission and the opposition to it, as well as the status of his Gentile converts as servants of the Messiah. The influence of Isaiah is demonstrated especially in Paul's paradigmatic self-presentation in the autobiographical section of the letter (Gal. 1–2), the subsequent summons to imitation (4.12–20), and the famous allegory where Paul explicitly cites Isa. 54.1. In this thesis it is demonstrated that all of these themes and emphases in Galatians related to persecution and suffering are utilized for the particular crisis in Galatia regarding the promotion of circumcision, which this thesis suggests is promoted aggressively. It is proposed, therefore, that Paul has utilized the theme of persecution with its Messianic and Isaianic influences to engage the way that receiving circumcision provides a means of avoiding and alleviating social tension and pressure. To that end suffering for the cross is upheld by Paul as a mark of identity and a sign of destiny to highlight the fact that receiving circumcision will lead to apostasy since Paul understands it to be a rejection of the Messiah and his cross.

This paper deals with a question, how the apostle Paul saw the Christian church in relation to Israel as a people of God in the epistle to the Galatians. As it is an epistle written for a particular reason to the particular people, the first part of the paper deals with a brief analysis of the epistle as such and its context. The main part of the paper is focused on Paul's specific arguments. The role of Paul's conversion, his mission among the gentiles and his relationship with the Jerusalem authorities are evaluated at first. The paper clarifies also what the Antioch incident was about. What follows is the crucial analysis of the term "works of the Law", against which Paul places the faith alone. The paper subsequently focuses on the exposition of the role of Abraham in Paul's theological thoughts. How Paul saw the curse of the Law and how he understood the Jewish Law as such is examined as well. Paul's concept of the church as the newly redefined people of God is demonstrated on the idea of the freedom in the end.

Classics and Modern Europe Language / M.A. Ancient Languages and Culture

[pt] Este trabalho tem o seu foco no estudo da expressão hiuotesía, na literatura de tradição paulina, que é, em toda a Sagrada Escritura, a única que a utiliza. Embora haja trabalhos significativos sobre a questão, esta pesquisa estabelece um estudo comparativo entre a hiuotesía no contexto imediato de Gl 4,1-7, circunstanciada pela expressão plerôma tou chrónou e de Ef 1,3-10, onde, curiosamente, é utilizada a expressão plerôma tõn Kairôn. Nessa comparação reside a originalidade da presente pesquisa. Como os dois textos que reportam este termo encontram-se em contextos literários mais amplos, a primeira tarefa diz respeito ao estudo da estrutura de cada um desses contextos. Em seguida, passa-se ao estudo exegético de cada um deles, levando-se em conta aspectos semânticos, sobretudo em sua abordagem diacrônica. Com isto chega-se a identificar o alcance do vocábulo hiotesía e das expressões plerôma tou chrónou e plerôma tõn Kairôn em cada perícope A análise e comparação desses dois textos da tradição paulina evidenciam que as dessemelhanças existentes entre eles são decorrentes de paradigmas distintos que demandam, por isso mesmo, diferenciadas abordagens teológicas. Nesse sentido, o autor de Ef, ao se apropriar das expressões hiuotesía e plerôma tõn Kairôn, apresenta, de sua parte, uma nova e diferente interpretação do que o autor de Gl, anteriormente, dissera ao servir-se das expressões plerôma tou chrónou e hiuotesía. / [en] This work concentrates on the study of the expression hiuotesía in the writings of the Pauline tradition, the only one to use it in all the Holy Scriptures. Though significant works have been written on this matter, our present research frames a study on hiuotesía in the immediate context of Gal 4:1-7 and accompanied by the expression plerôma tou chrónou, as compared with that of Eph 1:3-10 where, stringly, the expression plerôma tõn Kairôn is used. In this comparison lies the originality of the present research. Since each of the texts that employ this term must be seen in it ampler literary context, the first task is to study the structure of each of those contexts. Next, follows the exegetical study of each of them, taking into consideration semantic aspects, especially in their diachronic approach. We thus manage to identify the range of the word hiuotesía and expression plerôma tou chrónou and plerôma tõn Kairôn in each pericope. Analysis and comparison between these two texts of the Pauline tradition show that the dissimilarities between them result from distinct paradigms which, therefore, demand differing theological approaches. In this sense, the author of Eph, by making his own the expressions hiuotesía and plerôma tõn Kairôn, offers, for his part, a new interpretation, differing from what the author of Gal had previously said by using the expressions plerôma tou chrónou and hiuotesía.