The Significance of Interpersonal Forgiveness in Matthew’s Gospel A thesis submitted to The University of Manchester for the degree of PhD in the Faculty of Humanities 2011 Isaac Kahwa Mbabazi School of Arts, Histories and Cultures 2 Table of Contents ABSTRACT 6 DECLARATION 7 COPYRIGHT STATEMENT 7 ABBREVIATIONS 9 CHAP. 1: GENERAL ISSUES, HISTORY OF SCHOLARSHIP AND METHOD 10 1.1 Background for the Research 10 1.2 Problem, Aim and Relevance of the Study 13 1.3 History of Scholarship 20 1.3.1 Jewish background to forgiveness 21 1.3.2 Grace and Matthean conditionality 25 1.3.3 Motivations in forgiving 28 1.3.4 Forgiveness and repentance 30 1.3.5 Forgiveness and justice 33 1.3.6 Forgiving as ability 35 1.4 Method 37 1.4.1 Discourse analysis as a model 38 1.4.2 Clarifying terms 39 1.5 Outline of the Thesis 41 CHAP. 2: THE CENTRALITY OF INTERPERSONAL FORGIVENESS IN MATTHEW 44 2.1 The Concept of Reciprocity and the Link between Mercy and Forgiveness 44 2.1.1 Matt 5:7 46 2.1.2 Matt 6:12, 14-15; 18:23-35 46 2.2 The Emphasis on the Offended Person’s Responsibility to Forgive and the Link with the Concept of the Spiritually Mature and Immature Christians 51 2.3 Reinforcing the Forgiveness Concept by the Use of Related Ideas 57 2.3.1 Matt 5:7,21-26 58 2.3.2 Matt 5:38-42 62 2.3.3 Matt 5:43-48; 7:12 63 2.3.4 Matt 7:1-2 66 2.3.5 Matt 18:15-17, 33 66 3 2.3.6 Summary 67 2.4 Strategic Rhetorical Positioning of Interpersonal Forgiveness and Related Material within Matthew’s Text 68 2.4.1 The Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5–7) 69 2.4.2 The Community Discourse (Matt 18) 74 2.5 Proportion of Interpersonal Forgiveness and Related Texts within the Sermon and the Community Discourse 76 2.6 Conclusions 76 CHAP. 3: THE RHETORIC OF INTERPERSONAL FORGIVENESS IN FIRST-CENTURY C.E. SECULAR LITERATURE 78 3.1 The Rhetoric of Interpersonal Forgiveness in Dionysius 79 3.1.1 Ant. Rom. 2.54.3; 2.55.4-6 81 3.1.2 Ant. Rom. 2.52.1-4 82 3.1.3 Ant. Rom. 8.50.1-4 84 3.1.4 Ant. Rom. 8.54.5; 8.57.1 88 3.1.5 Conclusions 89 3.2 The Rhetoric of Interpersonal Forgiveness in Seneca 90 3.2.1 Clem. 2.7.1 94 2.2.2 Clem. 2.7.2-3 95 3.2.3 Clem. 1.9.1-7 98 3.2.4 Clem. 1.9.11-12 101 3.2.5 Conclusions 102 3.3 Conclusions 103 CHAP. 4: THE RHETORIC OF INTERPERSONAL FORGIVENESS IN JEWISH LITERATURE IN GREEK 105 4.1 The Rhetoric of Interpersonal Forgiveness in the LXX 105 4.1.1 Gen 50:15-21 106 4.1.2 Exod 10:16-17 109 4.1.3 1 Sam 15:24-25 109 4.1.4 1 Sam 25:26-28 111 4.1.5 1 Macc 13:36-40 112 4.1.6 Sir 28:1-7 114 4.1.7 Conclusions 116 4.2 The Rhetoric of Interpersonal Forgiveness in Philo 119 4.2.1 Laws 1.67 120 4.2.2 Laws 1.235-36 121 4.2.3 Laws 2.196 122 4 4.2.4 Punishments 166-67 123 4.3.5 Conclusions 125 4.3 The Rhetoric of Interpersonal Forgiveness in Josephus 126 4.3.1 Ant. 6.92-93 127 4.3.2 War 6.103-7 129 4.3.3 Ant. 9.214 130 4.3.4 War 5.376-78 131 4.3.5 Conclusions 133 4.4 Conclusions 134 CHAP. 5: THE RHETORIC OF INTERPERSONAL FORGIVENESS IN MATT 6:9-15 136 5.1 The Synoptic Problem 136 5.2 Matt 18:1-14 and Issues Facing the Matthean Community 137 5.2.1 External features 138 5.2.2 Internal features 141 5.2.3 Conclusion 145 5.3 The Structure of Matthew’s Gospel 146 5.4 The Structure of Matt 6:9-15 149 5.5 Text-Critical Issues in Matt 6:12, 15 149 5.6 Reading Matt 6:9-15 within Its Co-text 150 5.7 Exegesis of Matt 6:12, 14-15 152 5.7.1 The meaning of ἀφίημι οἱ ὀφειλέται (v. 12) 153 5.7.2 The reading of ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς (v. 12) 159 5.7.3 The referent of γὰρ (vv. 14-15) 165 5.7.4 The scope of forgiveness (vv. 14-15) 167 5.8 Conclusions 168 CHAP. 6: THE RHETORIC OF INTERPERSONAL FORGIVENESS IN MATT 18:21-35 170 6.1 A Proposed Outline of Matt 18 and the Flow of Thought in It 170 6.2 Exegetical Issues in Matt 18 173 6.2.1 Repentance and forgiveness 173 6.2.2 Gentile and Tax Collector 175 6.2.3 Relating Matt 18:15-17 with 18:21-22 181 6.3 Parables’ Interpretation, Related Issues and Various Exegetical Points 183 5 6.4 Outline of Matt 18:21-35 186 6.5 Exegesis of Matt 18:21-35 187 6.5.1 Query about forgiving and an answer (vv. 21-22) 187 6.5.2 The unforgiving person and God’s response (vv. 23-34) 192 6.5.3 Final answer to the forgiving query (v. 35) 213 6.6 Conclusions 215 CHAP. 7: FORGIVENESS AND CONNECTED ASPECTS OF MATTHEW’S THEOLOGY 217 7.1 Inter-textual Synthesis of Matt 6:12, 14-15; 18:21-35 and Other Matthean Interpersonal Forgiveness Texts 219 7.1.1 Matt 6:12, 14-15 220 7.1.2 Matt 18:21-35 222 7.1.3 Exegetical synthesis of Matthean interpersonal forgiveness texts 225 7.2 Forgiveness Teaching and Matthew’s Theology 227 7.2.1 Forgiveness and God 227 7.2.2 Forgiveness and Christology 231 7.2.3 Forgiveness, grace, soteriology and the kingdom 232 7.2.4 Forgiveness, righteousness and discipleship 234 7.2.5 Interpersonal forgiveness, discipleship and ethics 235 7.3 Implications of the Study for the Church in DRC and beyond 239 7.3.1 Emphasis on forgiving 239 7.3.2 The demand for satisfaction/reparation 241 7.3.3 Motivations in forgiving 242 7.3.4 Interpersonal forgiveness and retaliation 243 7.4 Contribution, Conclusions and Way Forward 245 BIBLIOGRAPHY 252 Word Count: 80,080 words 6 Abstract The University of Manchester Isaac Kahwa Mbabazi PhD The Significance of Interpersonal Forgiveness in Matthew’s Gospel 2011 This thesis explores the theme of interpersonal forgiveness in the Gospel of Matthew and argues that the idea of interpersonal forgiveness is quite central to this Gospel. Its main foci are on demonstrating the centrality of this theme in the Gospel and understanding the nature of interpersonal forgiveness in it. It proposes five sets of evidence in support of this claim. First is the concept of reciprocity and the link between mercy and forgiveness, together with the link between reluctance in the praxis of them and judgement. Second is the emphasis on the offended person’s responsibility in forgiving and the connection of this with the concept of spiritually mature and immature Christians. Third is a reinforcement of the forgiveness concept by the use of related concepts. Fourth is the strategic rhetorical positioning of interpersonal forgiveness texts and related passages within the Matthean text. Fifth is the proportion these texts occupy in the Sermon on the Mount and the Community Discourse. In an attempt to demonstrate the prominence of the theme in the first Gospel, all Matthean forgiveness and forgiveness-related texts are surveyed. Then two key texts, in which the idea of interpersonal forgiveness is stated directly, are singled out for a thorough examination. The method of interpretation used in this thesis is discourse analysis. Discourse analysis, as with many models used in NT exegesis, is not without its potential limitations. It is employed in this thesis because it offers valuable insight into Matthew’s point of view of the subject under scrutiny. To serve as the background to the present study, the rhetoric of interpersonal forgiveness in Graeco-Roman literature and in Jewish literature in Greek is considered. The analysis of these data will assist in the description of the dynamics of human forgiveness. The forgiveness pattern that emerges from them differs remarkably from its pattern found in Matthew where granting forgiveness appears not only as a reasonable act, but reluctance or failure to grant it does make the unforgiving person accountable to God–a note sounded nowhere else (except Sir 28:1-4 and Dionysius, Ant. Rom. 8.50.1- 4) in the literature surveyed in this work. 7 Declaration No portion of work referred to in the thesis has been submitted in support of an application for another degree or qualification of this or any other institute of learning. Copyright Statement i. The author of this thesis (including any appendices and/or schedules to this thesis) owns any copyright in it (the ‚Copyright‛) and he has given The University of Manchester the right to use such Copyright for any administrative, promotional, educational and/or teaching purposes. ii. 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