The Unity of Male and Female in Jesus Christ: An Exegetical Study of Galatians 3.28c in Light of Paul's Theology of Promise 9780567665478, 9780567661531, 9780567661548

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INTERNATIONAL STUDIES ON CHRISTIAN ORIGINS Editor Michael Labahn Editorial Board Tom Holmén, Bert Jan Litaert Peerbolte, Loren T. Stuckenbruck, Tom T. Thatcher

Published under LIBRARY OF NEW TESTAMENT STUDIES

531 Formerly Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement Series

Editor Chris Keith

Editorial Board Dale C. Allison, John M.G. Barclay, Lynn H. Cohick, R. Alan Culpepper, Craig A. Evans, Robert Fowler, Simon J. Gathercole, John S. Kloppenborg, Michael Labahn, Love L. Sechrest, Robert Wall, Steve Walton, Catrin H. Williams

THE UNITY OF MALE AND FEMALE IN JESUS CHRIST

An Exegetical Study of Galatians 3.28c in Light of Paul’s Theology of Promise

Gesila Nneka Uzukwu

T&T CLARK Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 50 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3DP, UK 1385 Broadway, New York, NY 10018, USA BLOOMSBURY, T&T CLARK and the T&T Clark logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc First published in Great Britain in 2015 Paperback edition first published 2018 Copyright © Gesila Nneka Uzukwu, 2015 Gesila Nneka Uzukwu has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Author of this work. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc does not have any control over, or responsibility for, any third-party websites referred to or in this book. All internet addresses given in this book were correct at the time of going to press. The author and publisher regret any inconvenience caused if addresses have changed or sites have ceased to exist, but can accept no responsibility for any such changes. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN: HB: 978-0-56766-153-1 PB: 978-0-56768-310-6 ePDF: 97 8-0-56766-154-8 Uzukwu, Gesila Nneka. The unity of male and female in Jesus Christ : an exegetical study of Gal 3.28C in light of Paul’s theology of promise / by Gesila Nneka Uzukwu. pages cm. – (International studies on Christian origins within Library of New Testament studies ; volume 531) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-567-66153-1 (hardback) 1. Bible. Galatians, III, 28C–Criticism, interpretation, etc. I. Title. BS2685.52.U98 2015 227’.406–dc23 2015018737 Series: Library of New Test ament Studies, volume 531 Typeset by Forthcoming Publications Ltd (www.forthpub.com) Printed and bound in Great Britain To find out more about our authors and books visit www.bloomsbury.com and sign up for our newsletters.

This book is dedicated to Almighty God for the gift of life, and to the loving and blessed memory of Reverend Mother Mary Paul Of¿ah, DMMM

CONTENTS Abbreviations Foreword Preface INTRODUCTION: GALATIANS 3.28C—THE PROMISSORY TEXT Chapter 1 A REVIEW OF IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF THE HISTORY OF INTERPRETATION OF GALATIANS 3.28C Introduction 1.1. Galatians 3.28 and the Three Expressions of Gratitude Found in Greek Writings 1.2. Galatians 3.28 and its Alleged Relationship to the Three Blessings of Gratitude Found in Rabbinic Writings 1.3. Galatians 3.28 and its Alleged Relationship to Genesis 1.27c LXX 1.4. Galatians 3.28 and the Presupposed Pre-Pauline Baptismal Formula Conclusion Chapter 2 UNDERSTANDING GALATIANS 3.28C WITHIN THE STRUCTURE OF THE LETTER TO THE GALATIANS Introduction 2.1. Scholarly Approaches to Understanding Galatians 3.28c in the Structure of the Letter to the Galatians 2.2. Delimitation of Galatians 3.28 in Context of the Theme of Promise 2.2.1. The Unity of Galatians 3–4 2.2.2. The Wider Context of Galatians 3.28 in 3.14-29 and 4.21-31 1

xi xvii xix 1

3 3 4 8 17 23 30

32 32 32 39 39 42

viii

Contents

2.2.3. 2.2.4.

Galatians 3.26-29 as the Immediate Literary Context of 3.28 Understanding the Baptismal Message of Galatians 3.27 in the Context of Galatians

Conclusion Chapter 3 ABRAHAM AND THE PROMISE: GALATIANS 3.14-29 Introduction 3.1. Brief Discussion on the Narrative Element in Galatians 3.2. Definition of Terms 3.3. The Theology of Promise in Galatians 3.14-29: A Brief Overview 3.4. The Identity and Role of Abraham in Galatians 3.14-29: A Brief Overview 3.5. Paul’s Christological Rereading of the Role and Identity of Abraham in Relation to the Promise in Galatians 3.14, 16, 18, and 29 3.5.1. Abraham in Galatians 3.14 3.5.2. Abraham in Galatians 3.16 3.5.3. Abraham in Galatians 3.18 3.5.4. Abraham in Galatians 3.29 Conclusion Chapter 4 UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF SARAH IN RELATION TO THE PROMISE: GALATIANS 4.21-31 Introduction 4.1. Understanding the Meaning of Ò¾ºÇÉšÑ in Galatians 4.24a 4.2. Understanding the Use of »À¸¿ŢÁ¾ in Galatians 4.24b 4.3. The Theology of Promise in 4.21-31 4.3.1. The Law and Promise in 4.21-23 4.3.2. The Use of ë¼ͿšÉ¸ in Relation to Sarah in 4.21-23 4.4. Hagar and the Law in Galatians 4.24b-25 4.4.1. Scholarly Debate about Hagar and the Law in Galatians 4.24b-25 4.4.2. Understanding the Figure of Hagar in 4.24c-25 in Light of the Role of the Law as a ȸÀ»¸ºÑºŦË

1

44 46 49

51 51 51 53 54 61 64 64 70 80 85 88

90 90 91 98 101 102 104 108 109 112

Contents

4.5. Sarah and the Promise in Galatians 4.26-27 4.5.1. `¼ÉÇÍʸÂŢÄ in Galatians 4.26 4.5.2. ÷ »ò ÓÅÑ `¼ÉǿʸÂŢÄ ë¼ͿšÉ¸ ëÊÌţÅ, øÌÀË ëÊÌţÅ ÄŢÌ¾É ÷ÄľȞ, Galatians 4.26 4.5.3. The Barren Woman of Galatians 4.27 4.6. The Participation of the Gentiles in the Promise, Galatians 4.28-31 4.6.1. Paul’s View about Gentiles’ Participation in the Promise in 4.28 and 31 Conclusion Chapter 5 AN EXEGETICAL STUDY OF GALATIANS 3.28, AND IN PARTICULAR 3.28C, IN THE CONTEXT OF THE THEME OF PROMISE Introduction 5.1. The Meaning and Use of `ÇÍ»¸ėÇË and @¾Š5.2. The Meaning and Use of »ÇıÂÇË/ë¼ŧ¿¼ÉÇË 5.2.1. The Definition of »ÇıÂÇË 5.2.2. The Use of the Concept of Slavery in Paul’s Writings 5.2.3. Scholarly Presuppositions about the Notion of Slavery in Galatians 5.2.4. The Literal Use of Slave Language in Galatians 5.2.5. The Meaning of and Use of ë¼ŧ¿¼Éţ¸ 5.2.6. The Notion of Freedom in Galatians 3.28b and in 4.21-31 5.3. The Use of the Concept of ÓÉʼÅ/¿ýÂÍ in Galatians 3.28c 5.3.1. ÍĎŦË 5.3.2. ÌšÁÅÇÅ 5.3.3. ÊÈšÉĸ 5.3.4. Ê̼ėɸ, Ĵ»ţÅÑ, and ÌţÁÌÑ 5.4. The Meaning and Use of ìÅÀ in the Expression ÇĤÁ ìÅÀ ÓÉʼŠÁ¸Ė ¿ýÂÍ in Galatians 3.28c 5.5. The Importance of the Use of Á¸ţ in Galatians 3.28c Conclusion Chapter 6 THE UNITY OF MALE AND FEMALE IN CHRIST Introduction 6.1. ÈŠÅÌ¼Ë ºÛÉ ĨļėË 6.2. ¼đË ëÊ̼ ëÅ ÉÀÊÌŊ `¾ÊÇı 1

ix

116 117 119 122 129 130 132

134 134 134 140 140 141 143 149 154 164 169 170 170 172 174 175 179 181

183 183 183 185

x

Contents

6.2.1.

The Understanding of ¼đË as ‘One’ with Emphasis on Christ the Androgynous Being 6.2.2. The Understanding of ¼đË as ‘Single’ or ‘Only One’, with Emphasis on Unity 6.3. The Meaning of Galatians 3.28d: An Attempt at Resolving the Tension 6.4. Understanding Galatians 3.28c in the Context of 3.29 Conclusion

185 186 191 198 200

CONCLUSION AND SUMMARY: GALATIANS 3.28C—THE PROMISSORY TEXT

202

POSTSCRIPT

211

Bibliography Index of References Index of Authors

214 240 246

1

ABBREVIATIONS AB ABD ACNT ACW AGJU AGSU ALGHJ AnBib ANF ANRW ANTC ARW AUSS BASOR BBR BDAG

BDB BDF

BETL BFCT BHS BHTh BibInt Bijdr BJRL BNTC BR BS BTB

The Anchor Bible Anchor Bible Dictionary. Edited by D. N. Freedman. 6 vols. New York, 1992 Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament Ancient Christian Writers Arbeiten zur Geschichte des antiken Judentums und des Urchristentums Arbeiten zur Geschichte des Spätjudentums und Urchristentums Arbeiten zur Literatur und Geschichte des hellenistischen Judentums Analecta biblica Ante-Nicene Fathers Aufstieg und Niedergang der rĘmischen Welt Abingdon New Testament Commentaries Archiv für Religionswissenschaft Andrews University Seminary Studies Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research Bulletin for Biblical Research Bauer, W., F. W. Danker, W. F. Arndt, and F. W. Gingrich. Greek– English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3d ed. Chicago, 1999 Brown, F., S. R. Driver, and C. A. Briggs. A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford, 1907 Blass, F., A. Debrunner, and R. W. Funk. A Greek Grammar of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. Chicago, 1961 Bibliotheca Ephemeridum Theologicarum Lovaniensium Beiträge zur Förderung christlicher Theologie Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia Beiträge zur historischen Theologie Biblical Interpretation Bijdragen: Tijdschrift voor ¿loso¿e en theologie Bulletin of the John Rylands University Library of Manchester Black’s New Testament Commentaries Biblical Research Bibliotheca Sacra Biblical Theology Bulletin

xii BZAW BZNW CB CBQ CCSG CCSL CGTC CNT Congr. CRINT CSANT NT CSEL EDNT EKKNT ESV

EThR ETL EvQ ExpT FBBS FC FRLANT GCS HANT HNT HNTC HR HTK HTR HTS HUT IBC ICC Imm. Int ITC ITQ JAAR JBL JBMW JBQ JCH JETS 1

Abbreviations Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft Coniectanea Biblica Catholic Biblical Quarterly Corpus Christianorum: Series Graeca Corpus Christianorum: Series Latina Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary Commentaire du Nouveau Testament Philo, De congressu eruditionis gratia (Gen 16:1-16) Compendia Rerum Iudaicarum ad Novum Testamentum Commentario storico ed esegetico all’Antico e al Nuovo Testamento Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament. Edited by H. Balz, G. Schneider. ET. Grand Rapids, 1990–93 Evangelisch-Katholischer Kommentar zum Neuen Testament English Standard Version Études théologiques et religieuses Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses Evangelical Quarterly Expository Times Facet Books, Biblical Series Fathers of the Church Forschungen zur Religion und Literatur des Alten und Neuen Testaments Die griechische christlichen Schriftsteller der ersten [drei] Jahrhunderte Heilige Schrift Alten und Neuen Testaments Handbuch zum Neuen Testament Harper’s New Testament Commentaries History of Religions Herders Theologischer Kommentar zum Neuen Testament Harvard Theological Review Harvard Theological Studies Hermeneutische Untersuchungen zur Theologie Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching International Critical Commentary Philo, Quod Deus immutabilis sit (Gen 6:4-12) Interpretation International Theological Commentary Irish Theological Quarterly Journal of the American Academy of Religion Journal of Biblical Literature Journal for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood Jewish Bible Quarterly Jewish and Christian Heritage Series Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society

Abbreviations JFSR JJS JQR JRE JSJSup JSNT JSNTSup JSOT JSOTSup JTS JWW KEK KJV KNT L&N LCB LD Liddell & Scott LNTS LXX MGWJ MNTC MS MSU NAB

NAC NEB NIB NIBCNT NIBCOT NICNT NICOT NIDNTT NIDOTTE

NIGTC NJBC NovT NPNF NRSV

NRV 1

xiii

Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion Journal of Jewish Studies Jewish Quarterly Review Journal of Religious Ethics Journal for the Study of Judaism in the Persian, Hellenistic, and Roman Periods Supplement Series Journal for the Study of the New Testament Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement Series Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement Series Journal of Theological Studies Journal Word and World Kritisch-exegetischer Kommentar über das Neue Testament King James Version Kommentar zum Neuen Testament Greek–English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains, J. P. Louw and E. A. Nida. New York, 1988 The Loeb Classical Library Lectio divina A Greek–English Lexicon. Henry George Liddell and Robert Scott. Edited by H. S. Jones and R. McKenzie. Clarendon, rev. edn, 1968 Library of New Testament Studies (formerly Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement series) Greek Translation of the Bible Monatsschrift für Geschichte und Wissenschaft des Judentums The Moffatt New Testament Commentary Mediaeval Studies Mitteilungen des Septuaginta-Unternehmens New American Bible New American Commentary New English Bible The New Interpreters Bible New International Biblical Commentary on the New Testament New International Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament The New International Commentary on the New Testament New International Commentary on the Old Testament New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology. Edited by C. Brown. 4 vols. Grand Rapids, 1975–1985 New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis. Edited by W. A. VanGemeren. 5 vols. Grand Rapids, 1997 New International Greek Testament Commentary The New Jerome Biblical Commentary Novum Testamentum Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers New Revised Standard Version La Sacra Biblia Nuova Riveduta

xiv NTD NTM NTOA NTS NTT ÖBS OBT PBTM PL PNTC PTS QD RAC RB RevExp RevScRel RSV

SBL SBLAB SBLDS SBLEJL SBLMS SBLRBS SBLSP SBT SC SJSJ SJT SNTA SNTSMS SNTW SP SR SSEJC ST StVTQ SWR TBLNT TDNT

TEV

THKNT ThQ TNTC 1

Abbreviations Das Neue Testament Deutsch New Testament Message Novum Testamentum et Orbis Antiquus New Testament Studies New Testament Theology Österreichische Biblische Studien Overtures to Biblical Theology Paternoster Biblical and Theological Monographs Patrologia latina [= Patrologiae cursus completus: Series latina]. Edited by J.-P. Migne. 217 vols. Paris, 1844–64 Pillar New Testament Commentary Patristische Texte und Studien Quaestiones disputatae Reallexikon für Antike und Christentum: Sachwörterbuch zur Auseinander-setzung des Christentums mit der Antiken Welt Revue biblique Review and Expositor Revue des sciences religieuses Revised Standard Version Studies in Biblical Literature Society of Biblical Literature Academia Biblica Society of Biblical Literature Dissertation Series Society of Biblical Literature Early Judaism and Its Literature Society of Biblical Literature Monograph Series Society of Biblical Literature. Sources for Biblical Study Society of Biblical Literature Seminar Papers Studies in Biblical Theology Sources Chrétiennes Supplements to the Journal for the Study of Judaism Scottish Journal of Theology Studiorum Novi Testamenti Auxilia Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series Studies of the New Testament and Its World Sacra Pagina Studies in Religion / Sciences Religieuses Studies in Scripture in Early Judaism and Christianity Studia Theologica St. Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly Studies in Women and Religion Theologisches Begriffslexikon zum Neuen Testament Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Edited by G. Kittel and G. Friedrich. Translated by G. W. Bromiley. 10 vols. Grand Rapids, 1964–76 Today’s English Version (the Good New Bible Translation) Theologischer Handkommentar zum Neuen Testament Theologische Quartalschrift Tyndale New Testament Commentaries

Abbreviations TSAJ TynBul UBT USQR VoxEv VT VTSup WBC WdF WUNT ZAW ZBK ZNW ZPE

1

xv

Texte und Studien zum antiken Judentum Tyndale Bulletin Kohlhammer Urban-Taschenbücher Union Seminary Quarterly Review Vox Evangelica Vetus Testamentum Supplements to Vetus Testamentum World Biblical Commentary Wege der Forschung Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft Zürcher Bibelkommentare Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft und die Kunde der älteren Kirche Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik

FOREWORD My gratitude goes to my congregation and my religious sisters, the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy (DMMM), for supporting me all these years. Special thanks to the Vereniging Der Religieuzen Dominicanessen Vzw, who ¿nanced my studies during my years of study at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium. I wish to thank Rev. Dennis Schepens and his family and Rev. Sr. Eucharista Nwokeji for their continual help and support during my years of studies and now. I am deeply grateful to my Doktorvater, Professor Dr. Reimund Bieringer and my grand Doktorvater, Emeritus Professor Jan Lambrecht. Their scholarly expertise and support have brought me thus far. I thank the members of the examining board of my doctoral dissertation, Professor Dr. Thomas Söding, Professor Dr. Gilbert Van Belle, and Dr. Anthony Dupont. Their insightful comments helped improve this work, helping it into the production stage. Thanks are due to my many friends and well-wishers that I met during these years of my academic journey—I am very grateful to them all. Some of them were even faithful readers of my dissertation and this present publication. Special thanks to Ina De Craene, Christine Hurst, Rev. Fr. Henry Atem, Rev. Fr. Tochukwu Okpara, Rev. Dr. Sabinus Iweadighi, Rev. Dr. Raymond Aina (MSP), Rev. Fr. Peter Oyenugba (MSP), my colleagues and students at the National Missionary Seminary of St Paul, Gwagwalada, Abuja. So many of you gave me your friendship, love and support that helped end this project. My heartfelt thanks go to my beloved family. Your love, moral support, and assistance have a special place in my heart. I am grateful also to the editor of ESCO, Dr. Michael Labahn, and the editorial board for accepting to publish my work in this series.

1

PREFACE This work is a product of my doctoral dissertation at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, under the supervision of Professor Dr. Reimund Bieringer. The work was inspired by a recognition of the many inconsistencies found in multitude of writings, articles, commentaries, and reÀections on Paul’s attitude toward women in general, and on Paul’s theology in Gal. 3.28c, ‘there is no male and female’. During my years of study, I discovered the bewildering lack of scholarly enthusiasm in exploring Paul’s view about women. Texts such as Gal. 3.28c are often overlooked, accompanied by an uncritical assumption that the statement in 3.28c has no concrete bearing on Paul’s theological argument in Galatians. For the most part, the theological signi¿cance and function of 3.28c (and 3.28b) in Galatians have traditionally been ignored. Some scholars have dif¿culties understanding 3.28c and 3.28b, not only because of the assumption that the statements do not ¿t concisely and logically into Paul’s overall argument, but also because of the allegory about Hagar and Sarah found in Gal. 4.21-31. It would seem that 4.21-31 is a contradiction to what Paul claims in Gal. 3.28b, and may suggest that the theme of Galatians is de¿nitely not concerned with the issue of women. This study aims at questioning and exploring the traditional interpretations and common assumptions about Gal. 3.28c. It assumes as its working hypothesis that Gal. 3.28c (and 3.28b), just like Gal. 3.28a, deserves serious attention, and that 3.28c is the key to understanding the theological argument of Galatians 3–4. It studies Paul’s use of the Genesis story of Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 17 LXX to discover how Paul’s scriptural allusion to the Genesis narrative of the promise can enlighten our understanding of Paul’s argument in 3.28c. Consequently, this work undertakes an in-depth exegetical study of Gal. 3.14-29, 4.2131, and 3.28, seeking to discover the meaning and purpose of Paul’s use of the story of Abraham in 3.14-29 and of Sarah in 4.21-31, and their implications for Gal. 3.28c. We shall de¿ne the scope of this work by the way Paul exposes his view of the promise in 3.14-29 and in 4.21-31.

xx

Preface

This work discusses how the passages present Abraham and Sarah as the recipients of the promise, rede¿nes their role in relation to the promise, and explains how the believers now share in the promise through the spiritual parenthood of Abraham and Sarah through Christ. In this discussion, there will be an emphasis on how Paul’s use of male- and female-related terms in 3.14-29 and in 4.21-31 is reÀected in 3.28c and how 3.28c hinges upon the entire argument of the promise contained in chs. 3 and 4. In addition, we shall attempt to demonstrate how Gal. 3.28c illuminates the particular issues about the Galatian audience. This work will also include an exegetical study of 4.21-31, seeking to show how the story of Hagar and Sarah sheds light on the interpretation of slave/freedom terms in 3.28b. The primary task involves an argument against the common opinion that Paul’s statement in Gal. 3.28b, ‘there is not slave or free’, has a function in the literary context of the letter to the Galatians. This will be followed by an attempt to show that Gal. 3.28b is closely connected to 4.21-31 not only because of Paul’s exegetical use of the Abrahamic tradition of Gen. 17 LXX in Gal. 3.28b and 4.21-31, but also because the terms, slave/freedom are explicitly used in these passages. The argument here would be that Paul’s use of these terms, slave and freedom, evoke both their metaphorical as well as the literal senses. While Paul uses these expressions to explain the kerygma of Christ, the reality about slavery and freedom in the Greco-Roman world during this time bears a rather signi¿cant connotation to his Galatian audience. Against this backdrop, the second part of this project attempts to demonstrate that Paul’s statement in 4.21-31 throws new light on the social status of the believers in Christ, which is the result of the undoing of slavery and freedom proclaimed in 3.28b. Of the diverse methods of literary analysis used for analyzing Paul’s letters, this study uses the historical-critical method. This approach tends toward a more profound understanding of the text by situating the passage in its literary context, studying the meaning of the words in their biblical, social, and cultural usages, offering exegetical-theological reÀections on the use of certain words that arise from our study, and suggesting a more profound interpretation of the text. The study invokes an immediate interest in the social, ethnic, gender, and cultural settings of the world that forms the background of the Galatian community, i.e., the socio-cultural world of Paul’s time and that of the Galatians. In this context, this work is not a social-scienti¿c study of the Galatian community but a description of how Paul’s peculiar teaching about the theology of the promise reÀects the situation of the Galatian believers. 1

Preface

xxi

Due attention will also be given to the narrative elements in Gal. 3.14-29 and 4.21-31. This work does not employ a full-blown narrative methodology, but uses those aspects of narrative approach that could help us understand how the stories of Abraham and Sarah are communicated in Genesis and how Paul rereads them in Galatians.

1

INTRODUCTION: GALATIANS 3.28C—THE PROMISSORY TEXT

Of all Pauline homolegoumena, the letter to the Galatians, with the statement in Gal. 3.28c, ÇĤÁ ìÅÀ ÓÉʼŠÁ¸Ė ¿ýÂÍ, is one of the letters/ passages that has drawn the particular attention from exegetes, theological specialists and non-specialists alike. While the passage speaks about the relationship between male and female in Christ, most scholars assume that the text cannot be an authentic Pauline passage.1 The muchdisputed assumption is that Gal. 3.28c is not an integral part of the letter to the Galatians, since the three statements found in Gal. 3.28 are prePauline. When scholars discuss the putative background source for Gal. 3.28, they do not clearly state how the presupposed background inÀuenced the text; interpreters typically mention the assumed sources and pass over them without comment. So far, exegetes have not convincingly shown how and why Paul’s argument in 3.28c is important for understanding the overall theme of Galatians. Galatians 3.28, ÇĤÁ ìÅÀ `ÇÍ»¸ėÇË ÇĤ»ò @¾Å, ÇĤÁ ìÅÀ »ÇıÂÇË ÇĤ»ò ë¼ŧ¿¼ÉÇË, ÇĤÁ ìÅÀ ÓÉʼŠÁ¸Ė ¿ýÂÍ, ÈŠÅÌ¼Ë ºÛÉ ĤļėË ¼đË ëÊ̼ ëÅ ÉÀÊÌŊ `¾ÊÇı, contains three statements that function as Paul’s message of unity and equality for the Galatians believers. Structurally, Gal. 3.28 has some 1. According to Wayne A. Meeks, ‘The Image of the Androgyne: Some Uses of a Symbol in Earliest Christianity’, HR 13 (1974), pp. 165-208 (168), Gal. 3.28 is inÀuenced by the wordings of a pre-Pauline baptismal formula, with the latter, in turn, being a response to the negative attitude toward women in antiquity, symbolized as it is in the three expressions of gratitude found in Greek texts. See also Hans Dieter Betz, Galatians: A Commentary on Paul’s Letter to the Churches in Galatia (Hermeneia; Philadelphia, PA: Fortress Press, 1984), pp. 189-201. F. F. Bruce, The Epistle to the Galatians: A Commentary on the Greek Text (NIGTC; Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1982), p. 187, suggests that in Gal. 3.28, the excluding of ‘religious distinction between slaves and the freeborn, and between male and female’, are corresponding contrasts ‘to a number of Jewish formulas in which the threefold distinction is maintained’. He further argues that the three blessings of gratitude found in rabbinic writings are modelled on the similar three expressions of gratitude found in Greek texts.

2

The Unity of Male and Female in Jesus Christ

similarities with 1 Cor. 12.13 (Á¸Ė ºÛÉ ëÅ îÅĖ ÈżŧĸÌÀ ÷ļėË ÈŠÅÌ¼Ë ¼ĊË ïÅ ÊľÄ¸ 빸ÈÌţÊ¿¾Ä¼Å, ¼ċ̼ `ÇÍ»¸ėÇÀ ¼ċ̼ @ÂÂ¾Å¼Ë ¼ċ̼ »ÇıÂÇÀ ¼ċ̼ ë¼ŧ¿¼ÉÇÀ, Á¸Ė ÈÛÅÌ¼Ë ðÅ Èżıĸ ëÈÇÌţÊ¿¾Ä¼Å) and Col. 3.11 (ĞÈÇÍ ÇĤÁ @¾ŠÁ¸Ė `ÇÍ»¸ėÇË, ȼÉÀÌÇÄü Á¸Ė ÒÁÉǹÍÊÌţ¸, ¹ŠÉ¹¸ÉÇË, Áİ¿¾Ë, »ÇıÂÇË, ë¼ŧ¿¼ÉÇË, ÒÂÂÛ [ÌÛ] ÈŠÅ̸ Á¸Ė ëÅ ÈÜÊÀÅ ÉÀÊÌġË). Like Gal. 3.28, 1 Cor. 12.13 and Col. 3.11 contain a number of pairs of opposites. The statements in these passages are also negated. Overall, however, the texts present us with different themes within the different contexts in which they are used. Galatians 3.28c falls within Galatians 3–4, a section that explains the nature of the promise God made to Abraham and to Sarah in Genesis 17 and how the believers now bene¿t in the promise. In 3.14-29, Paul reverses the fatherhood of Abraham, changes the status of the acclaimed biological children of Abraham, explicitly refers to Christ as the seed of the promise, and includes the Gentiles as children of Abraham. In 4.2131, Paul rede¿nes the identity of Sarah, from biological motherhood to spiritual mother of the believers, and designates the believers as children of the free woman. Given the background of Genesis 17 LXX, we want to study the message of Gal. 3.28, and of 3.28c in particular, to show that the questions about the underlying assumptions behind Gal. 3.28c, though interesting, are more assumed than proven. While the message of 3.28c continues to attract much attention, as evidenced in the plethora of books and articles written about this passage, some of the basic questions that have arisen have gone unanswered because the text has not been correctly interpreted. Many have failed to realize that, not only is Paul’s statement in 3.28c an integral part of the argument of Galatians, it is also key in understanding Paul’s theology of the promise.

1

Chapter 1

A REVIEW OF IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF THE HISTORY OF INTERPRETATION OF GALATIANS 3.28C*

Introduction One of the questions we seek to address in this study is whether Gal. 3.28, including 3.28c is taken from a pre-Pauline baptismal formula, from the expressions of gratitude found in Greek writings, from the three blessings of gratitude found in rabbinic writings, and from Gen. 1.27c LXX. Following the lead of Wayne Meeks, most scholars insist that Paul’s statement in Gal. 3.28 was part of an early Christian pronouncement or creed (baptismal formulae). The passage was possibly incorporated into the confessional statements as a conscious attempt to counter the three blessings of gratitude that appear at the beginning of the Jewish cycle of morning prayers and the analogous expressions of gratitude found in Greek writings.1 In addition, they also identify the creation statement found in Gen. 1.27 as a possible background for Gal. 3.28c. In commentaries and studies on Gal. 3.28, scholars freely reference these presupposed pre-Pauline backgrounds without comment, discussion about the meaning of the assumptions in questions, or examination of the implications the assumptions may have for understanding the theme of Gal. 3.28, and 3.28c in particular. In fact, from the way the scholarly arguments are presented, one suspects that scholars are rather confused and unsure about this four possible inspirational sources behind Gal. 3.28. * This section presents a summary and synthesis of my previous publications: ‘The Church Fathers’ Interpretations and Modern Exegesis of Gal 3,28c: A Comparative Analysis’, Annali di Storia dell’Esegesi 27 (2010), pp. 109-31; ‘The Problem with the Three Expressions of Gratitude Found in Greek Writings and their Alleged Relationship to Gal 3:28’, Cristianesimo Nella Storia: Ricerche Storiche, Esegetiche, Teologiche 31 (2010), pp. 927-44; ‘Gal 3:28 and its Alleged Relationship to Rabbinic Writings’, Biblica 91 (2010), pp. 370-92. In addition, we shall explore two other traditional debates about Gal. 3.28 (28c) and its presupposed pre-Pauline sources. 1. See the references mentioned in the preceding footnote.

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The Unity of Male and Female in Jesus Christ

The present section outlines brieÀy the presupposed different traditions that may have informed Paul’s viewpoint, statement, and message at Gal. 3.28. It seeks to distil the clumsy argument around Gal. 3.28 and its supposed pre-Pauline backgrounds. It explores the meaning of the three blessings of gratitude that appear at the beginning of the Jewish cycle of morning prayers, the expressions of gratitude found in Greek writings, and the creation statement in Gen. 1.27. To put it differently, this study argues that there is no well-informed pre-Pauline background behind Gal. 3.28, and in particular 3.28c. On the contrary, there is only a shared common language and concept present in Gal. 3.28 and in the presupposed pre-Pauline expressions. 1.1. Galatians 3.28 and the Three Expressions of Gratitude Found in Greek Writings History records that either Thales or Socrates once used this expression of gratitude: ìθÊÁ¼ ºŠÉ, θʸţ, ÌÉÀľÅ ÌÇŧÌÑÅ ìżÁ¸ ÏŠÉÀÅ ìϼÀÅ Ìĉ ŧϾ. ÈÉľÌÇŠĚŠĞÌÀ ÓÅ¿ÉÑÈÇË šº¼ÅŦľŠÁ¸Ė ÇĤ ¿¾ÉţÇÅ, ¼č̸ ĞÌÀ ÒÅüÉ Á¸Ė ºÍÅŢ, ÌÉţÌÇÅ ĞÌÀ @¾ŠÁ¸Ė ÇĤ ŠÉ¹¸ÉÇË. The text translates: ‘there were three blessings for which he was grateful to Fortune: ¿rst, that I was born a human being and not one of the brutes; next that I was born a man and not a woman; thirdly a Greek and not a Barbarian’.2 Another similar form of the expression exists. In Plutarch’s Lives, Plato is quoted saying, ŠÌÑÅ ÄòÅ ÇħÅ ô»¾ ÈÉġË ÌŊ ̼¼ÍÌÜÅ º¼ÅŦļÅÇË ĩÄżÀ ÌġÅ ¸ĤÌÇı »¸ţÄÇŸ Á¸Ė ÌüÅ ÌŧϾÅ, ĞÌÀ ÈÉľÌÇÅ ÄòÅ ÓÅ¿ÉÑÈÇË, ¼č̸ @¾Å, ÇĤ ŠÉ¹¸ÉÇË ÇĤ»ò ÓÂǺÇÅ Ìĉ ÎŧʼÀ ¿¾ÉţÇÅ ºšÅÇÀÌÇ, ÈÉġË »ò ÌÇŧÌÇÀË, ĞÌÀ ÌÇėË ÑÁÉŠÌÇÍË ÏÉŦÅÇÀË ÒÈŢÅ̾ʼÅ.3 The translation goes, ‘Plato, however, when he was at the point of death, lauded his guardian Genius and Fortune because, to begin with, he has been born a human being and not irrational animal; again, because he was a Greek and not a Barbarian; and still again, because his birth had fallen in the times of Socrates’.

2. Plutarch, Marius 46.1, and Lucius Caelius Firmianus Lactantius, Divine Institutes (Translated Texts for Historians, 40; Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 2003), pp. 3, 19, 17, where this same saying is attributed to Plato. For the Greek text, see Diogenes Laertius, Vitae Philosophorum 1 (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1964), pp. 33 and 34, where the above saying is attributed to Socrates. 3. Plutarch, Plutarch’s Lives in Eleven Volumes: Demetrius and Antony; Pyrhus and Caius Marius (LCB, 101; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1968), p. 592. 1

1. A Review of Important Aspects

5

On a general note, the expressions of gratitude attributed to Socrates and to Plato may look like what we see in Gal. 3.28—at least, the former contain pairs of opposites just as we ¿nd in the latter. In numerous details, however, there are signi¿cant differences between the classic Greek expressions and Gal. 3.28. First, none of the pairs found in the Greek expressions is repeated in Gal. 3.28. In Gal. 3.28 we have `ÇÍ»¸ėÇÀ/@¾Å, »ÇıÂÇË/ë¼ŧ¿¼ÉÇË, ÓÉʼÅ/¿ýÂÍ, as against ÓÅ¿ÉÑÈÇË/¿¾ÉţÇÅ, ÒÅüÉ/ºÍÅü, @¾Å/ŠÉ¹¸ÉÇË found in the saying attributed to Socrates, and ÓÅ¿ÉÑÈÇË/ÇĤ»ò ÓÂǺÇÅ Ìĉ ÎŧʼÀ ¿¾ÉţÇÅ, @¾Å/ŠÉ¹¸ÉÇË in the saying attributed to Plato. Second, the saying attributed to Plato has two pairs of opposites—and not three as we have in Gal. 3.28—and the third saying attributed to Plato is not paired. Third, the second pair found in the saying attributed to Socrates uses ÒÅüÉ/ºÍÅü and not ÓÉʼÅ/¿ýÂÍ as is found in Gal. 3.28c. Given the above-enlisted differences, the question is: What is the relationship between Gal. 3.28 and the Greek expressions mentioned above? In addition, what do traditional attributions of the expressions to Socrates and to Plato respectively say about the texts themselves? Beginning with the question of the relationship between Gal. 3.28 and the Greek expressions just discussed, I would restate a conclusion reached in my previous work that the expressions attributed to Socrates and to Plato are contemporary with Gal. 3.28. My arguments are as follows. First, the phrases in question were common expressions familiar to the common people. Second, the Greek expressions are attributed works. They were more likely attributed to Socrates and Plato based on what these two philosophers have written or discussed about the social realities around them.4 What it means is that the historical Socrates or Plato may not have originally used the sayings. Concerning the saying attributed to Socrates, we know Socrates did not write anything, and that the words of Socrates have come to us through Plato.5 About Plato, the evidence of the saying is found only in the writing of a ¿rst-century author, Plutarch (46–120 C.E.).6 As such, there is also the possibility that the sayings were words of Plutarch and Diogenes Laertius and they have ascribed them to Socrates and Plato respectively in order to give them credibility. 4. Uzukwu, ‘The Problem with the Three Expressions of Gratitude’, p. 931. 5. Douglas J. Soccio, Archetypes of Wisdom: An Introduction to Philosophy (Portland, OR; Wadsworth Publishing Co., 8th edn, 2006). 6. Uzukwu, ‘The Problem with the Three Expressions of Gratitude’, pp. 930-31. Note that the saying attributed to Socrates is found in the work of a third-century author, Diogenes Laertius.

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The Unity of Male and Female in Jesus Christ

Third, if we should identify the Greek sayings within the periods in which the texts occurred, then we can presuppose that the Greek expressions in question are reÀective of social context. In the present context in which they were used, the texts bespeak of the social, cultural, religious, and political contexts of the ¿rst-to-third centuries C.E. GrecoRoman society. Given that we do not know much about the social cultural and religious world of ¿rst-century Greco-Roman society, since there is very little literature from this period, from the sources we have, we suggest that the Greek sayings are reÀective of how the different social, religious, and ethnic groups were valued or devalued.7 As I argued in my earlier work, the variants in the three expressions found in the Greek writings attributed to Socrates and Plato respectively bespeak of the classi¿cation of things and human beings into pairs of opposites and the identi¿cation/correlation of each one of the members of the pairs with either a good or bad attribute.8 As we stated, Realities such as female, down, darkness, black and even the left hand were considered as bad, and realities such as male, up, light, white and right hand were considered as good. In each pair of opposites, differences are maintained and emphasised. It is also considered as evil if a reality exists in any of the categories listed as bad.9 From this observation, it is easy to see what Plato considered as the good life, when on his deathbed he is presented as thanking the Fates that he was born a human being, a Greek, and that he was born in the time of Socrates.10

7. See Sue Blundell, Women in Ancient Greece (London: British Museum Press, 1995), pp. 9-12; D. Cohen, ‘Seclusion, Separation, and the Status of Women in Classical Athens’, Greece & Rome 36 (1989), pp. 3-15; Judith P. Hallet, ‘Women’s Lives in the Ancient Mediterranean’, in Ross Shepard Kraemer and Mary Rose D’Angelo (eds.), Women and Christian Origins (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999), pp. 13-34, 13-20; R. Just, ‘Conceptions of Women in Classical Athens’, Journal of the Anthropological Society of Oxford 6 (1975), pp. 153-70; Geoffrey Ernest Richard Lloyd, Polarity and Analogy: Two Types of Argumentation in Early Greek Thought (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1966), p. 39, and ‘Right and Left in Greek Philosophy’, The Journal of Hellenic Studies 82 (1962), pp. 55-66 (65); Donald C. Richter, ‘The Position of Women in Classical Athens’, The Classical Journal 67 (1971), pp. 1-8 nn. 1-15. 8. See the thematic and structural comparative analysis of the three Greek sayings attributed to Socrates and Plato in Uzukwu, ‘The Problem with the Three Expressions of Gratitude’, pp. 932-34. 9. See Lloyd, ‘Right and Left in Greek Philosophy’, pp. 57-58. 10. Uzukwu, ‘The Problem with the Three Expressions of Gratitude’, p. 935. 1

1. A Review of Important Aspects

7

From the point of view of the person who recites or uses the sayings attributed to Socrates, it is a good thing that one is born a human being and not an animal, a man and not a woman, a Greek and not a Barbarian. For the person who recites or uses the three expressions of gratitude attributed to Plato, it is a good thing to be born a human being and not an animal, a Greek and not a Barbarian, and to be born in the time of Socrates. The idea expressed in these sayings is that those who are born as an animal, a woman, or a Barbarian, are not good enough. In fact, animals, women, and Barbarians are regarded as lesser creatures for the one who recites the Greek saying attributed to Socrates. In addition, for the one who recites the saying attributed to Plato, a woman is not included in those regarded as the lesser creature or no creature at all. The saying attributed to Plato has been elaborated in my previous work.11 There, we pointed out that the absence of the reference to women/men in the saying ascribed to Plato is suggestive of a period when there was more or less a positive view of women. Considering that the saying ascribed to Plato was found in the work of a ¿rst-century author, we added that the interactive inÀuences of Greek, Jewish, Christian, pagan, and Roman cultural values and ideas during this period might have necessitated a different Greek saying for the third expression, and thus a different outlook towards the value of women. On the one hand, it is important to underline that the uses of pairs of opposites in the expressions under study are not rooted in any particular culture, history, or political contexts. Note that similar antithetical expressions are found in Jewish writings and Genizah fragments. In addition, counter-expressions are found in Christian writings. The uses of pairs of opposites is a common part of human language. However, variations in structure and differences in expressions are explained based on how the three major binary pairs of opposites used to divide and identify the human persons—namely, gender, ethnic, and social identity—are valued, symbolized, and ideologized. It may be said, however, that the particular use of three pairs of opposites to describe human reality has its origin in Greek philosophy and was adopted by both Jewish and Christian traditions. For the most part, the social structures arising out of the three expressions found in Greek writings are those of hierarchy, superiority, exclusion, and unfavourable attitudes, as well as subordination of the person conceived as the lesser person or thing. This is also the kind of negative or pejorative attitude we shall see in the use of the similar expressions found in Jewish writings. 1

11. Uzukwu, ‘The Problem with the Three Expressions of Gratitude’, pp. 929-34

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The Unity of Male and Female in Jesus Christ

Galatians 3.28 have some of the pairs we commonly ¿nd in the Greek literature. The pairs ‘Jew/Greek’ and ‘male/female’ can be compared somewhat to the pairs ‘man/woman’ and ‘Greek/Barbarian’ found in the saying attributed to Socrates. Aside from these similarities, there are, however, aspects of structure and theme in the Greek sayings and in Gal. 3.28 that differ. Nevertheless, the use of pairs of opposites is commonly attested in ancient societies and writings, including societies across the Near East. Since such tradition was very common in the time of Paul, the presence of three pairs of opposites in Gal. 3.28 and in the Greek sayings attributed to Socrates and Plato respectively do not adequately justify the argument that there is a connection between the three expressions of gratitude found in Greek texts and Gal. 3.28. Each of the writings has made use of what was seemingly a common literary device at the time to convey, support or reinforce the point of their argument. With this in mind, it is very important to go back to the letter to the Galatians to understand the theme of Gal. 3.28, and to endeavour to ¿nd out how 3.28c is connected to the theme of 3.28. 1.2. Galatians 3.28 and its Alleged Relationship to the Three Blessings of Gratitude Found in Rabbinic Writings12 We have mentioned earlier that the wordings of the Greek sayings attributed to Socrates and Plato respectively are strikingly similar to the three blessings of gratitude found in the rabbinic texts. There are at least four versions of the blessings found in Jewish texts.13 The ¿rst is found in the Tosefta dating to the third century C.E. Rabbi Judah says: ‘three blessings you have to invoke every day, '1