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FIRST CORINTHIANS 7 AS EXPANDED JESUS TRADITION by MELVIN GAMBLE MILLER submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF THEOLOGY in the subject of NEW TESTAMENT at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA PROMOTER: PROF PJJ BOTHA JUNE 2013 SUMMARY This dissertation attempts to answer the questions, “What is the most appropriate background for understanding Paul’s views on marriage, celibacy and divorce as found in 1 Corinthians 7?” and “How do we account for the unique features in 1 Corinthians that are not clearly delineated in the Greco-Roman works, Jesus tradition or in other NT writings?” This work argues that Paul derives the substance of his perspective on marriage, celibacy and divorce directly from the Jewish Scriptures (LXX) and the uniquely motivated Jesus tradition to which he was exposed. Paul’s reception of this Jesus tradition can be traced to first generation believers as well as to his own revelatory religious experience. Such a proposal does not preclude Paul from being significantly influenced by his social context, but suggests that he was acutely aware of the philosophical differences between himself and other thinkers of his day. This work follows the contention that Hellenism only affected the ‘outer shell’ of Paul’s brand of Pharisaism (Hengel). What is more, the Apostle openly uses this Jesus tradition when the situations of his missionary churches paralleled those confronted by Jesus and seems to have expanded upon it when he had no explicit tradition from which to draw as new situations arose within his communities. 1 | P a g e Table of Contents PREFACE .................................................................................................................. 6 CHAPTER 1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION ................................................................. 7 1.1 The Problems of Communication and Perspectives ............................................. 9 1.2 The Problem of Methodology ............................................................................ 14 1.3 “Paralellomania” and the Debate on Jesus and Paul .......................................... 17 1.4 Hypotheses Presented in this Study ................................................................... 22 1.5 Overview of Thesis Chapters ............................................................................. 27 CHAPTER 2 THE APOSTLE PAUL ON MARRIAGE, CELIBACY AND DIVORCE IN 1 CORINTHIANS 7: A REVIEW OF SELECTED SCHOLARS .............................. 29 2.1 BEFORE BULTMANN: .................................................................................... 30 2.1.1 Ferdinand Christian Baur (1831) ................................................................ 33 2.1.2 Frédéric Godet (1889) ................................................................................. 35 2.1.3 J. B. Lightfoot (1895).................................................................................. 37 2.1.4 William Wrede (1904) ................................................................................ 39 2.1.5 Wilhelm Lütgert (1908) .............................................................................. 40 2.1.6 Albert Schweitzer (1912) ............................................................................ 41 2.1.7 Johannes Weiss (1925) ............................................................................... 44 2.1.8 Gerhard Delling (1931) ............................................................................... 45 2.1.9 Pre-Bultmann Conclusions: ........................................................................ 46 2.2 BULTMANN: .................................................................................................... 49 2.2.1 Rudolf Bultmann (1948) ............................................................................. 49 2.2.2 Bultmann Conclusions: ............................................................................... 52 2.3 AFTER BULTMANN: ...................................................................................... 54 2.3.1 W.D. Davies (1955) .................................................................................... 54 2.3.2 Walter Schmithals (1956) ........................................................................... 55 2.3.3 Ernst Käsemann (1969)............................................................................... 57 2.3.4 David L. Dungan (1971) ............................................................................. 58 2.3.5 David Balch, Robin Scroggs (1972) ........................................................... 60 2.3.6 David Cartlidge, Kurt Niederwimmer (1975) ............................................. 64 2.3.7 Orr and Walther (1976) ............................................................................... 66 2 | P a g e 2.3.8 D. L. Balch, C. M.Tuckett, Elisabeth Fiorenza (1983) ............................... 68 2.3.9 O. L. Yarbrough (1985) .............................................................................. 72 2.3.10 Vincent L. Wimbush (1987) ....................................................................... 75 2.3.11 Wolfgang Schrage (1988) ........................................................................... 76 2.3.12 Antoinette C. Wire (1990) .......................................................................... 77 2.3.13 Will Deming (1995) .................................................................................... 78 2.3.14 Dale B Martin (1997) .................................................................................. 81 2.3.15 David Fredrickson (2003) ........................................................................... 83 2.3.16 Post-Bultmannian Conclusions: .................................................................. 84 CHAPTER 3 COMPARING PATTERNS-OF-RELIGION: MORAL PHILOSOPHY, JUDAISM AND PAUL .................................................................................................... 93 3.1 PRELIMINARY Considerations ....................................................................... 96 3.1.1 A Methodological Note: E. P. Sanders’ Pattern of Religion ...................... 96 3.1.2 Hellenistic Philosophy: A Brief Historical Sketch ..................................... 97 3.1.3 Second-Temple Judaism: A Brief Historical Sketch ................................ 107 3.2 Greco-Roman Views on Life-After Death ....................................................... 114 3.2.1 Greco-Roman Philosophy and Religion on Life-After Death .................. 114 3.2.2 Epicureanism: ........................................................................................... 119 3.2.3 Cynicism ................................................................................................... 120 3.2.4 Stoicism..................................................................................................... 121 3.2.5 Secularists ................................................................................................. 123 3.2.6 Judaism ..................................................................................................... 125 3.2.7 Christian Eschatology ............................................................................... 144 3.3 Greco-Roman Views on the Marriage, Celibacy and Divorce......................... 170 3.3.1 Greco-Roman Sexuality ............................................................................ 170 3.3.2 Marriage, Celibacy and Divorce among Greeks and Romans .................. 176 3.3.3 Jewish Attitudes Regarding Women, Marriage, Celibacy and Divorce ... 191 3.3.4 Marriage, Celibacy and Divorce among Christians .................................. 203 CHAPTER 4 THE PROBLEM OF DIFFERENTIATION: UNDERSTANDING THE IMPETUS BEHIND PAUL’S VIEWS ON GENDER RELATIONS ........................... 213 4.1 Judaism and the Question of Differentiation.................................................... 218 3 | P a g e 4.2 Factors in Differentiation ................................................................................. 223 4.3 Paul, Pharisaism and Differentiation:............................................................... 227 4.4 Differentiation and Sexual Ethics .................................................................... 232 CHAPTER 5 PAUL’S DEPENDENCY UPON JESUS TRADITION FOR HIS VIEWS ON MARRIAGE, CELIBACY AND DIVORCE ............................................ 238 5.1 Tradition and the Early Church: ....................................................................... 239 5.2 Paul’s Exposure to Jesus Tradition: ................................................................. 243 5.3 Agreement between Jesus and Paul ................................................................. 245 CHAPTER 6 1 CORINTHIANS 7 AS EXPANDED JESUS TRADITION .............. 256 6.1 EXEGESIS OF 1 COR 7 .................................................................................. 270 6.1.1 Paul on Marriage: ...................................................................................... 271 6.1.2 Paul on Divorce: ....................................................................................... 278 6.1.3 Paul on Celibacy: ...................................................................................... 289 CHAPTER 7 CONCLUSIONS AND ACADEMIC CONTRIBUTIONS .................. 300 7.1 Academic Contributions ................................................................................... 300 7.2 Conclusion and Summary of the Need for Further Research..........................