The New Exodus in Paul's Letter to the Galatians
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The New Exodus in Paul’s Letter to the Galatians David Galletta, B. Sc., M. Div., D. Min. Supervised by: Dr. Jenny Read-Heimerdinger, Director of Studies Dr. Kathy Ehrensperger, Second Supervisor This research was undertaken under the auspices of the Wales Evangelical School of Theology Submitted in partial fulfillment for the award of a degree of Ph. D. University of Wales Trinity Saint David 2016 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Writing a dissertation can be a very lonely experience, especially when done as a distance student. One lacks the camaraderie, intellectual stimulation, and all other benefits of the fellowship of scholars apart from an academic setting; also one cannot simply pop into one’s advisor’s office to chat. Although I know and am related to numerous people with the Ph. D. degree, there has been virtually no one with whom to speak about my topic in particular, as eyes quickly glaze over when a friend, relative, or acquaintance politely has asked me about the focus of my study. Yet a dissertation, at least in my experience, is not done truly alone. I have received good advice from many who have gone before me, and only wish I heeded most of what I heard. My team members and former supervisor prompted me to pursue the degree, and all having gone through the task, have been wonderfully sympathetic and supportive. I want to thank Dr. Frank van Dalen, former executive director of World Witness, the Foreign Missions Board of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church with whom I serve, as well as Mr. Alex Pettett, the current director. Thank you both for your encouragement and for allowing me the time to do this. I also thank my teammate Dr. John Carson for his patience and constant encouragement as well. I am also extremely grateful to the board and supporters of World Witness and my teaching ministry abroad in particular, for seeing the value in my studies and funding it. Far greater than any funding, however, is the constant encouragement that I have received over these years from my many friends and supporters, who have promised to pray for me—and then have done it. My home church, Church of the Atonement, has been family to me. I do not take this love and support for granted. This dissertation is dedicated to you and to all my supporters! iii I also want to thank my advisors. Dr. Tom Holland started me off with the idea for the topic, and advised me through the first draft. His patience and kindness were endless. I am also grateful to Dr. Jenny Read-Heimerdinger for her insistence on tight arguments and an eye for detail. This thesis is far better as a result. And to my editor, Rebecca Miller: you made my writing look better and clearer than I ever could have done alone. Thank you! I must also acknowledge the sacrifice my wife, Annelies, and daughters have made and endured over these numerous years while I have had my head in the books and been unavailable for so much. I love you all—and that’s always good to put in print. Finally, and above all, I give thanks to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who has loved and sustained me through this. I know and love him more as a result. All Glory to God! Silver Spring, Maryland September 2016 iv ABSTRACT While various central themes have been suggested for Galatians, including justification by faith alone, the need for Gentiles to follow the Mosaic law (via the New Perspective on Paul), or sonship, none of them truly binds the letter together or is satisfactorily represented in all six chapters. The search within existent scholarship for a comprehensive thread has led to the discovery of the New Exodus theme. The New Exodus has enjoyed considerable attention in recent years and shows great promise for the construction of a consistent biblical theology. Yet the New Exodus in Galatians has not been explored with any depth. The premise of this thesis is that the New Exodus undergirds Paul’s theology as he writes his letter to the Galatians, and to recognize this will result in a clearer and more coherent reading of the letter. In particular, it highlights the way in which Paul views the salvific work of Jesus as fundamental to the life of the people of God as was the first exodus of Israel. A threefold approach is adopted. The study indentifies New Exodus motifs found in the OT prophets that are also located in Galatians to confirm the presence of the pattern there. It also recognizes apocalyptic antitheses that mark the inauguration of the New Exodus and examines the letter for evidence of these. And finally, the method uses an intertextual hermeneutic, which exposes Paul’s reliance on a wider use of the OT than is seen at the surface, and in particular, a reliance on Isaiah. The analysis presented here focuses on Galatians 1–4, while providing pointers for applying the results to remaining two chapters of the letter. v ABBREVIATIONS AB Anchor Bible BDAG A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature – 3rd edition BBR Bulletin for Biblical Research BECNT Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament BHS Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia Bib Biblica BSac Bibliotheca Sacra BST The Bible Speaks Today BZNW Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft CEB Common English Bible CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly CTJ Calvin Theological Journal CTM Concordia Theological Monthly EBC Expositor’s Bible Commentary ECC Eerdmans Critical Commentary ESV English Standard Version EuroJTh European Journal of Theology EvQ Evangelical Quarterly ExAud Ex Auditu GNT Good News Translation HTR Harvard Theological Review ICC International Critical Commentary IBE Inner-biblical Exegesis INE Isaianic New Exodus Int Interpretation ITL Intertestamental Literature JBL Journal of Biblical Literature JETS Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society JSNT Journal for the Study of the New Testament JSOT Journal for the Study of the Old Testament KJV King James Version LNTS Library of New Testament Studies LXX Septuagint MT Masoretic Text NASB New American Standard Bible NBD New Bible Dictionary NE New Exodus NEB New English Bible Neot Neotestamentica NIBC New International Biblical Commentary NICNT New International Commentary on the New Testament NICOT New International Commentary on the Old Testament NIGTC New International Greek Testament Commentary NIV New International Version NKJV New King James Version NovT Novum Testamentum NPP New Perspective on Paul NRSV New Revised Standard Version NT New Testament vi NTS New Testament Studies OT Old Testament REC Reformed Expository Commentary ResQ Restoration Quarterly RevExp Review & Expositor RSV Revised Standard Version SBL Society of Biblical Literature SBLSPS Society of Biblical Literature Seminar Papers SJT Scottish Journal of Theology SWJT Southwestern Journal of Theology TDNT Theological Dictionary of the New Testament TLB The Living Bible TNTC Tyndale New Testament Commentary TOTC Tyndale Old Testament Commentary TrinJ Trinity Journal TS Theological Studies TynBul Tyndale Bulletin VT Vetus Testamentum WBC Word Biblical Commentary WTJ Westminster Theological Journal WUNT Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.......................................................................................... iii ABSTRACT .....................................................................................................................v ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................................vi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION, RESEARCH QUESTIONS, AND METHODOLOGY........................................................................................................12 1. Introductory Remarks.......................................................................................................12 2. Setting Out the Task..........................................................................................................13 2.1. Scholars’ Differing Interpretations of Galatians ..........................................................13 2.2. A New Proposal: The New Exodus..............................................................................17 3. Research Process................................................................................................................19 3.1. Research Questions ......................................................................................................19 3.2. Methodology and Foundational Assumptions..............................................................20 3.2.1. Survey of exodus imagery throughout the OT....................................................................20 3.2.2. Gathering evidence that Jews still considered themselves in exile beyond the sixth .........21 century BCE..................................................................................................................................21 3.2.3. Dealing with difficulties concerning Paul’s use of Scripture. ............................................23 3.2.4. Using Richard Hays’s intertextuality methodology............................................................29 3.2.5. Critique of the intertextual method and possible solutions.................................................33 3.2.6. Limiting the scope of the thesis: Galatians 1–4..................................................................41 4. Plan of Study ......................................................................................................................42 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................44