Re: Genesis 1:1 - a standing miracle

Let me pick up on Michael's good points about inspiration. As a classicist
who came to NT studies later, I was surprised after careful reading and
study (including secondary sources) to discover how much of form and
rhetoric Paul had imbibed from his cultural surroundings and incorporated
into his letters. There are passages in some letters, for example, that
show a decided influence of Stoic ethics and logic. Paul often uses an
"if...then" logic of argumentation that compares with Stoic logic; and some
of the paranetic passages in letters like Galatians contain lists of vices
that resemble those in Stoic ethical treatises. In his "Hermeneia"
commentary, Hans Betz argues that Galatians is constructed like a
Greco-Roman oration that contains techniques from both judicial and
deliberative (i.e., assembly) speeches, and there are portions that remind
me of such speeches. And Leander Keck has argued that in Romans Paul
alternates between rabinnical and philosophical modes of argumentation. One
technique he uses in the latter letter is the diatribe, where the writer
states an anticipated objection or assertion from an imagined listener, and
answers it. Since the Galatian communities were primarily Gentile, and the
Romans a mixed Jewish/Gentile audience, these assertions make sense in terms
of audience. Remember that Paul said that he became "all things to all
men." It makes perfect sense that he would couch his theology and ethics in
literary forms and rhetorical devises that his audience would be familiar
with and appreciate. (By the way, Paul's home town Tarsus contained one of
the major schools of Stoic philosophy.)

Paul was a superb rhetorician, not the only Hellenized Jew of that talent
(cf. Philo). And I think that some of his most inspired passages are so
powerful precisely because he could draw, even unconsciously, upon the
rhetorical talents and experience he had. More could be said about such
writers as Luke, whom Michael mentioned, Mark, and John. These evangelists
were literary geniuses each in his own way, as well as profound theologians.
I have no trouble extending the notion of inspiration to form as well as
content: that is, the inspired writers used the talents they were endowed
with and learned in order to convey their messages. The terms Michael used,
a faith "incarnated or inculturated," are right on target, in my view.

Bob Schneider

----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Roberts" <michael.andrea.r@ukonline.co.uk>
To: "Gary Collins" <gwcollins@algol.co.uk>
Cc: <asa@calvin.edu>
Sent: Friday, July 23, 2004 3:30 PM
Subject: Re: Genesis 1:1 - a standing miracle

>
> Gary
> See below
> > >I cannot see the problem of the Israelites "borrowing" from their
> > >surrounding culture though that would shatter some evangelical views of
> > >inspiration.
> >
> > In general, nor can I. But your first example above tends to give
> > me the impression that Moses was a bit of a charlatan - claiming
> > divine inspiration for the tabernacle design (also Heb. 12) when
> > all the time he was 'plagiarising' what he had seen in Midian....
> > I guess the two are not necessarily mutually exclusive, but it
> > does give one pause for thought.
>
> One can see this as learning from rather than plagiarism.
>
> Some of Paul's ways of puttting this ideas across are partly based on
> contemprary non-Jewish ideas. Recent scholarship, which I am not up in,
> stresses Paul's use of contemporary rhetoric. I dont see why inspiration
> must be like Joseph Smiths gold plates for the book of Mormon. Why cannot
> biblical writers be inspired to use ideas from the culture in which they
> lived, be it Jewish, Greek or Egyptian? Luke was inspired to gather
together
> a coherent life of Jesus and account of the early church by using
> contemporary techniques.
>
> I am aware I am blurring the old categories of natural and special
> revelation, but we need to and see how our faith is incarnated or
incultured
> in various cultures. I dont have time to develop this.
>
> >
> > But then is the LOGOS of John borrowed from the Greeks.
> As George pointed out it has roots in the OT but has parallels in the
Greek
> culture and thus a superb example of inculturation for the early church to
> use.
> > >
> > > > It's certainly interesting... thanks.
>
> always remember that in the words of the NT scholar George Ladd the bible
is
> THE WORD OF GOD IN THE WORDS OF MEN,>
> > /Gary
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
Received on Fri Jul 23 18:19:34 2004