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Benefaction in Galatians: an Analysis of Paul's Language of God's Favor in Its Greco-Roman Context

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Benefaction in Galatians: an Analysis of Paul's Language of God's Favor in Its Greco-Roman Context Loyola University Chicago Loyola eCommons Dissertations Theses and Dissertations 2018 Benefaction in Galatians: An Analysis of Paul's Language of God's Favor in Its Greco-Roman Context Ferdinand Okorie Follow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss Part of the Biblical Studies Commons Recommended Citation Okorie, Ferdinand, "Benefaction in Galatians: An Analysis of Paul's Language of God's Favor in Its Greco- Roman Context" (2018). Dissertations. 2976. https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/2976 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Loyola eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Loyola eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. Copyright © 2018 Ferdinand Okorie LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO BENEFACTION IN GALATIANS: AN ANALYSIS OF PAUL’S LANGUAGE OF GOD’S FAVOR IN ITS GRECO-ROMAN CONTEXT A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY PROGRAM IN THEOLOGY BY FERDINAND IKENNA OKORIE CHICAGO, IL AUGUST 2018 Copyright by Ferdinand Okorie, 2018 All rights reserved. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS From the beginning of my academic endeavors Professor Barbara E. Reid, O.P., the academic dean and vice president of Catholic Theological Union and Professor James C. Okoye, C.S.Sp., have inspired my interest in biblical studies and scholarship. Their encouragement and goodwill have been a source of strength and inspiration throughout my doctoral studies. I am immensely grateful to my readers, Professor Robert A. DiVito and Professor Edmondo F. Lupieri, who without hesitation accepted to be part of my doctoral dissertation writing experience. Their patient supervision, meticulous review of my work and constructive criticism of my ideas have helped me throughout the dissertation process. Of course, I am deeply grateful to Professor Thomas H. Tobin, S.J., who directed the dissertation and kindled my interest in Greco-Roman context of Pauline Christianity when I first broached the idea of doing some significant work on Paul and his gentile churches to him. He supported the entire dissertation process with his magisterial suggestions on content and structure. He was generous with his time and ultimately, his style of supervision is the best experience a young scholar may ever have in order to successfully complete a doctoral dissertation. I am also grateful to the Claretian Missionaries for their support. My family and friends have been a source of encouragement and strength. Chris and Rosemary Aghanenu, Rev. Fr. Anthony Ejikeme and Rev. Fr. Wenceslaus Isidienu, C.M.F., have been so generous and kind. I have benefited from their support. Likewise, I have benefited from the kindness and goodwill of iii Dr. Tonjeh Bah, MD. You have been exceptionally supportive throughout my graduate studies and I dedicate this work to you. iv For Tonjeh Bah, MD TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................. iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ...................................................................................................... viii INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER ONE: SURVEY OF SCHOLARSHIP ON PAUL’S LANGUAGE OF ΧΑΡΙΣ ......... 9 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 9 1.1. The Language of χάρις in Paul’s Letters ............................................................................ 10 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 10 1.1.1. The Prescript of Paul’s Letters ...................................................................................... 12 1.1.2. The Postscript of Paul’s Letters .................................................................................... 17 1.1.3. The Body of Paul’s Letters ........................................................................................... 19 1.2. James R. Harrison on the Language of χάρις in Paul’s Letters. ......................................... 56 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 56 1.2.1. Grace in Greco-Roman Literature ................................................................................ 56 1.2.2. Grace in Jewish Literature ............................................................................................ 59 1.2.3. Grace in Paul’s Letters .................................................................................................. 63 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 67 1.3. Evaluation of Harrison and Proposed Approach ................................................................ 68 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 70 CHAPTER TWO: LANGUAGE OF ΧΑΡΙΣ IN DIVINE-HUMAN BENEFACTION .............. 72 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 72 2.1. Experience of Divine χάρις in Divine-Human Benefaction ............................................... 74 2.1.1. Experience of Paul ........................................................................................................ 75 2.1.2. Experience of Abraham ................................................................................................ 82 2.1.3. Experience of the Gentile Christians of Galatia ........................................................... 87 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 98 2.2. Manifestations of Divine χάρις in Divine-Human Benefaction ......................................... 99 2.2.1. The Death of Christ ..................................................................................................... 111 2.2.2. The Gift of the Spirit ................................................................................................... 131 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 145 2.3. Experience of Divine χάρις and the Motif of Reciprocity. ............................................... 147 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 155 CHAPTER THREE: LANGUAGE OF ΧΑΡΙΣ IN HUMAN-HUMAN BENEFACTION ....... 157 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 157 3.1. Friendship and Benefaction in the Greco-Roman World ................................................. 159 3.2. Experience of χάρις in Human-Human Benefaction ........................................................ 161 3.2.1. Paul and the Galatians ................................................................................................. 162 3.2.2. Doing Good to One Another ....................................................................................... 186 3.2.3. Jerusalem Collection ................................................................................................... 196 vi Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 210 3.3. Evidence of Friendship, Benefaction and Reciprocity in Galatians ................................. 210 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 219 CHAPTER FOUR: CONTRAST BETWEEN PAUL AND OPPONENTS ON ΧΑΡΙΣ ........... 221 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 221 4.1. Law Observance................................................................................................................ 223 4.2. Elemental Spirits of the World ......................................................................................... 245 4.3. Paul’s Jewish Christian Opponents ................................................................................... 255 4.4. Greco-Roman χάρις and the Message of Paul’s Opponents ............................................. 271 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 278 CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION............................................................................................. 281 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 281 5.1. Divine Benefaction ........................................................................................................... 282 5.2. Human Response to Divine Benefaction .........................................................................
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