Edgar A. Gamboa
THEO 60108 - WISDOM LITERATURE
Final Examination (Assignment #2)
(The Rev.) Hugh R. Page, Jr. Dmin, PhD
The Revised Common Lectionary for New Year’s Day (Year A) offers the following selected readings:
Hebrew Bible: Ecclesiastes 3:1-13
Psalm: Psalm 8
Epistle: Revelation 21:1-6a
New Testament: Matthew 25:31-46
Ecclesiastes or Qoheleth is one of the three canonical Wisdom Books, the other two being the Book of Proverbs and the Book of Job. The Book of Psalms is a collection of hymns and prayers, the majority of which are appropriate for liturgical worship. The book does contain wisdom motifs and rightly considered part of Israel’s wisdom tradition. Psalm 8 expresses Divine Majesty and human dignity in the context of God’s creation.
The theme of transition weaves a thread through the four readings. On the brink of chronological change from the old year to the new, the selections are timely. Was part of the agenda perhaps to make the significance of the end of time the first thought of the New Year? The reading from Chapter 3 of the Book of Ecclesiastes reminds us of the rhythm of nature, of the cosmos. This popular poem enjoins us to discover and appreciate the rhythm of life, of our individual and collective journeys.
“There is a time to plant and a time to pluck what (was) planted” (Eccl 3.2). As in nature, “there is (for us) a time to weep and a time to laugh” (Eccl 3.4). The ebb and flow of sadness and happiness, of boredom and delight, are universal human experiences. We have our ups and downs, our tragedies and our triumphs. The Divine Creator has graciously put this imprint in nature, in the world. “God has put a sense of past and future into (our) minds.” (Eccl 3.11)
We are finite, mortal creatures, yet God, in His incomprehensible infinity, is nevertheless mindful of us, poor, struggling descendants of Adam and Eve. As a loving Father, God genuinely cares for us (Ps 8.4) and solicitously provides us with our needs (Matthew 6.25-34). Indeed, our loving God said through the prophet Isaiah (49.15-16): “I will never forget you. See, upon the palms of my hands I have written your name.” The wisdom literature bridges the infinite gap between an all powerful and omniscient Creator and the fragile, often unwise and at times foolish, beings that God had created in His image and likeness (Gn 1.27). Out of his infinite goodness, God gave us the present world, the “works of (His) hands” – “all sheep and oxen…the beasts of the field, the birds of the air...the fish of the sea” (Ps 8.6-8). Without merit on our part, God gave us dominion over all creation. (Ps 8.6). God “crowned us with glory and honor”, making us “a little lower than God” (Ps 8.5).
Yet, God wisely reminds us that the present world, as wondrous as it is, will come to pass. “A new heaven and a new earth” will come, “a New Jerusalem” will come down out of heaven, beautiful and stunning to behold, “as a bride adorned for her husband” (Rev 21:1-2).
The Apocalypse (contracted from the Greek apokalupsis eschaton and translated literally to “revelation at the end of the aeon, or age”) or simply, the end of the world as we know it, is depicted in the cited reading of Matthew (25.31-32). The Gospel story tells us, in the preceding chapter, that as Jesus was “sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately and said: ‘Tell us, when will this happen, and what sign will there be of your coming, and of the end of the age?” Jesus then warned them that “many false prophets will arise and deceive many” (Matthew 24.11). “Nations will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be famines and earthquakes from place to place” (Matt 24.7). “Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Matt 24.29). “…and they will see the son of Man Coming upon the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other” (Matthew 24.30-31).
In the referenced passage form Revelations, John envisions “God dwelling ...with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed away” (21.3-4.) From the text, it appears that God’s plan for creation will culminate in our immortality in God, who is “the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end” (Rev 21.6).
It is a glorious transition from the old to the new world, as we puny mortals become immortals, reunited for all eternity with our Creator. However, the Last Judgment in Matthew’s Gospel depicts a cautionary scenario, which Michelangelo providentially plastered to the ceilings of the Sistine Chapel for our daily reflection and meditation. “When the son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left” (Matthew 25.31-33). Righteous deeds, a frequent admonition in the wisdom literature, will be rewarded; in particular, the corporal works of mercy. “...for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me” (Matt 25.35-36). The righteous will be acknowledged and then welcomed to “the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25.34) because “just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Matthew 25.40).
The wicked, on the other hand, those who neglected to feed the hungry and welcomed the stranger, those who failed to extend a hand to the sick and turned their gaze away from the marginalized members of society, will hear the terrible words: “You are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25.41). Those accursed will wonder what they did to deserve such
severe sentence. It may not be the things that they did as much as the things they did not. For God will tell them: “Just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me” (Matthew 25.45).
Such dreadful words should make us “work for our salvation with fear and trembling”, as St. Paul admonished the Philippians (2.12), the Apostle’s first Christian community in Europe, a church which he dearly loved and cared for. These readings should jolt us from spiritual lethargy and complacency. These apocalyptic passages are not easy readings. In an effort not to make people anxious, preachers and teachers may, with good intentions, de-emphasize John’s visions of and Matthew’s verses on the apocalypse. It is worthwhile to remember, however, that the quotes from Matthew were spoken by Jesus Christ himself. It would be a disservice, to say the least, not to let people know that these words, inscribed in Sacred Scripture, are held to be “trustworthy and true” (Rev. 21.5) by Judeo-Christian faith traditions. I dare say that we who read and reflect on these passages are obligated to relay them to others, from one end of the earth to the other, as Mother Teresa of Calcutta did. With a modern twist, she pointed out that “At the end of our lives, we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made or how many great things we have done. We will be judged by “I was hungry and you gave me to eat. I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless and you took me in…” (1).
In a pluralistic society, such as the United States, it is a challenge to convey these Scriptural messages to those who do not subscribe to the Judeo-Christian tradition. It is hard enough to retain the name of God in our currency, keep the cross of Christ standing on our mountains, or display nativity scenes on Christmas. But can we, as recipients of the sacred word of God, afford to keep these essential apocalyptic prophecies under wraps? Can we snuggle comfortably behind the wisdom of St. Francis of Assisi: “Preach the gospel at all times -- If necessary, use words?" Or are we called, in this day and age, to step farther out and be courageous sages and fearless prophets?
Note:
1.Michael Collopy, Works of Love are Works of Peace: Mother Teresa of Calcutta and the Missionaries of Charity (San Francisco: Ignatius, 1996), p. 35.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Synoptic Charts
THEO 60108 - WISDOM LITERATURE
(The Rev.) Hugh R. Page, Jr., Dmin, PhD Edgar A. Gamboa
Synoptic Chart of the Canonical and Deutero-Canonical Wisdom Books
Book Author(s) Date Major Themes Central Theme Passage
Proverbs Sage 5th BC God's omniscience Fear of the Lord is the beginning
Míshlê Shelomoh Solomon ? Abandonment to God of knowledge 1.7
Righteousness and virtue
Job Sage? 6th-4th BC Humility and trust in God The Lord gave and the Lord has taken
איוב Enigma of suffering of righteous away; blessed be the name of the Lord! 1.21
Job's restoration
Ecclesiastes/ Qoheleth 300 BC Everything is vanity Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity! 1.2
Qoheleth Sage Mystery of life and cosmos
קֹהֶלֶת Rhythm of life and nature
Genesis JEDP sources 950-400 BC God's creation God created humankind in his image, in
בְּרֵאשִׁית, Promise to Abraham the image of God he created them 1.27
Covenant with Noah
Psalms King David 6th- 165BC Lamentation Happy are those who fear the Lord, who
Tehilim, תהילים Group of authors? Praises to the Lord walk in the ways of God. Ps 128
Prayers
Esther Persian Jew? 4th-3rd BC Survival in dangerous world
אֶסְתֵּר Origin of Jewish festival of Purim The Lord saved his people and delivered us from all these evils. F6 (Gk)
God's providence over Israel (Gk version)
Song of Songs Unknown poet 4th-3rd BC Celebration of human love (eros and agape) Set me as a seal upon your heart as a seal upon your arm;
שיר השירים, Shir ha-Shirim Love between God and Israel for love is strong as death, passion fierce as the grave. 8.6
Sacredness of married union.
Ecclesiasticus Yeshua ben Sira 180 BC Duties to oneself, family, community, and God
חכמת בן סירא Sympathy to the poor and oppressed Trust God and he will help you; make straight your ways
Eulogy of heroes of Israel and hope in him. 2.6
Wisdom of Anonymous 1st BC Justice, wisdom and immortality
Solomon Hellenistic Jew? Solomon and sophia God formed man to be imperishable; the image
God's Providence during Exodus of his own nature he made him. 2.23
Judith Anonymous 2nd-1st BC God's presence in his people post Exodus ...all the people have recognized your prudence which
יְהוּדִית God saves Israelites through God-fearing Judith corresponds to the worthy disposition of your heart. 8.29
God of the poor /oppressed responds to prayer
Tobit Anonymous 2nd BC Intercession of angels; prayer and almsgiving Prayer and fasting are good but better than either is
Τωβείτ Family values almsgiving accompanied by righteousness. 12.8
(The Rev.) Hugh R. Page, Jr., Dmin, PhD Edgar A. Gamboa
Synoptic Chart of the Canonical and Deutero-Canonical Wisdom Books
Book Author(s) Date Major Themes Central Theme Passage
Proverbs Sage 5th BC God's omniscience Fear of the Lord is the beginning
Míshlê Shelomoh Solomon ? Abandonment to God of knowledge 1.7
Righteousness and virtue
Job Sage? 6th-4th BC Humility and trust in God The Lord gave and the Lord has taken
איוב Enigma of suffering of righteous away; blessed be the name of the Lord! 1.21
Job's restoration
Ecclesiastes/ Qoheleth 300 BC Everything is vanity Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity! 1.2
Qoheleth Sage Mystery of life and cosmos
קֹהֶלֶת Rhythm of life and nature
Genesis JEDP sources 950-400 BC God's creation God created humankind in his image, in
בְּרֵאשִׁית, Promise to Abraham the image of God he created them 1.27
Covenant with Noah
Psalms King David 6th- 165BC Lamentation Happy are those who fear the Lord, who
Tehilim, תהילים Group of authors? Praises to the Lord walk in the ways of God. Ps 128
Prayers
Esther Persian Jew? 4th-3rd BC Survival in dangerous world
אֶסְתֵּר Origin of Jewish festival of Purim The Lord saved his people and delivered us from all these evils. F6 (Gk)
God's providence over Israel (Gk version)
Song of Songs Unknown poet 4th-3rd BC Celebration of human love (eros and agape) Set me as a seal upon your heart as a seal upon your arm;
שיר השירים, Shir ha-Shirim Love between God and Israel for love is strong as death, passion fierce as the grave. 8.6
Sacredness of married union.
Ecclesiasticus Yeshua ben Sira 180 BC Duties to oneself, family, community, and God
חכמת בן סירא Sympathy to the poor and oppressed Trust God and he will help you; make straight your ways
Eulogy of heroes of Israel and hope in him. 2.6
Wisdom of Anonymous 1st BC Justice, wisdom and immortality
Solomon Hellenistic Jew? Solomon and sophia God formed man to be imperishable; the image
God's Providence during Exodus of his own nature he made him. 2.23
Judith Anonymous 2nd-1st BC God's presence in his people post Exodus ...all the people have recognized your prudence which
יְהוּדִית God saves Israelites through God-fearing Judith corresponds to the worthy disposition of your heart. 8.29
God of the poor /oppressed responds to prayer
Tobit Anonymous 2nd BC Intercession of angels; prayer and almsgiving Prayer and fasting are good but better than either is
Τωβείτ Family values almsgiving accompanied by righteousness. 12.8
Student guidelines for reading and appreciating the Wisdom Books
Edgar A. Gamboa
THEO 60108
Final Examination
(The Rev.) Hugh R. Page, Jr., Dmin, PhD
Student guidelines for reading and appreciating the Wisdom Books
What is wisdom?
For a student venturing into the world of wisdom, it would appear that wisdom has the following constituents: knowledge, understanding, prudence, common sense, and the innate ability to make sense out of things. Wisdom is the ability to unravel profound mysteries in life and in the world and express them in simplified, understandable media, whether oral, written, or symbolic. One would, for example, find wisdom in stories handed down from generation to generation and in aphorisms, poems, and symbols; in “Aesop’s Fables”, in Antoine de Saint Exupery’s “The Little Prince,” and in Rembrandt’s “The Prodigal Son.”
From a student’s view, wisdom may be defined as essential knowledge and selfless understanding, enhanced by life experiences and tempered with common sense, which enlighten and inspire us to find meaning in life, discover order in the cosmos, and transcend existential barriers to reach out to the Divine.
“The first human never finished comprehending wisdom, nor will the last succeed in fathoming her.” (Sir 24.28). Bearing that in mind, it might help to view wisdom as a profound but simplified aggregation of knowledge, which links philosophy and theology and overlaps into both, illustrated as follows:
What is the biblical concept of wisdom?
From a scholar’s viewpoint, biblical wisdom is the “intellectual tradition reflected in biblical literature that centers on the Hebrew “hokmah” in its mystical and concrete attributes. (1) “Hokmah, “according to Katherine Dell, “covers a wide range of attributes…it includes the skill needed to win a war... (the) shrewdness required in government or administration; the hidden secrets and knowledge of prophets…the prudence required to deal with difficult situations; the ability to make ethical or religious decisions, and ultimately the ability to discern God as the one who created the world through wisdom and who is the fount of all knowledge and understanding. It is a rich and multifaceted term covering both the human quest for wisdom and the divine origin of wisdom. ” (2)
Ronald E. Murphy, O.Carm., drawing from the theology of Karl Rahner, defines biblical wisdom as “a thematic expression of God’s revelation as mediated through creation…(in other words) God drew the people, through their daily experience of themselves and creation, into the mystery of God’s dealing with each individual human being.” (3) Taking its unappreciated role a step farther, biblical wisdom “could well be the key to understanding the purpose of the entire biblical canon.” (4)
What is the modern concept of wisdom?
Based on a cursory survey of popular media in the United States, modern wisdom is equated with prudent advice closely associated with American pragmatism and individualism, with practical applications to the promotion of health, and the acquisition of wealth, knowledge, success, and happiness. Relying mainly on one’s character, intelligence, diligence, and potential, modern wisdom is primarily egocentric while Israel’s wisdom, as noted above and expressed in the Book of Proverbs, is theocentric. “The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Prov 1.7).
What constitutes Wisdom Literature in the Jewish tradition (Hebrew Bible and Apocrypha)?
According to Roland E. Murphy, this is the end result of literary efforts “to explain the mystery at the heart of human existence.” (5) Specifically, wisdom literature includes books or texts written approximately between 1800 BC – 180 BC, which convey to the reader, directly or indirectly, an understanding or some perspective on any or all of the following:
Meaning and purpose of human existence
Meaning, mystery, and paradox of life in general
Relationship between human beings (practical advise on how to live a good and meaningful life)
Humankind’s relationship with the cosmos (making sense and order of the universe)
Nature and mystery of the afterlife (relationship between the physical and spiritual)
Transcendence and Divine Mystery
Books that are canonically considered Wisdom Literature are:
1.The Book of Proverbs
2.The Book of Job
3.Ecclesiastes
Literature that contain wisdom motifs are:
1.The Book of Psalms
2.The Book of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)
3.The Song of Songs
4.The Book of Wisdom
5.The Book of Genesis (part of The Pentateuch)
6.The Book of Esther (part of The Historical Books) )
7.The Book of Judith (part of the Historical Books)
8.The Book of Tobit (part of the Historical Books)
9.The Book of Daniel (part of the Prophetic Books)
Wisdom Genre and Hermeneutics
The following guidelines are useful in the reading, interpretation, and appreciation of traditional Wisdom Literature as well as other books which, though not canonically belonging to Wisdom Literature (see list above), may ,nevertheless, be considered part of the wisdom genre by reason of wisdom texts or motifs.
1.Date and authorship
2.Background and Context – Historical, Cultural, Social, Economic, Political, Educational
3.Original text, translation, redaction, edition, sources
4.Reading of the text and interpretation
5.Structure, Form, Tone and Style (use of language, key words, symbolism, etc.)
6.Content and Themes
Nature of the Divine
Nature of humanity
Relationship of Human and Divine
Meaning in life
Foundational Cosmology (Theological, Anthropological, Teleological)
7.Dominant or unifying topic (wisdom motif/echoes)
8.Questions
9.Wise counsels or teachings
10.Relation to other texts and traditions
11.Old, medieval, and modern commentaries
12.Current relevance, timelessness, and universality
13.Reflection and personal insight
14.Distilling and sharing of wisdom derived from text
Brief/Selected Commentary:
Historical dating of ancient texts, in many instances, is difficult, as is the confirmation of authorship. Works are often attributed to King Solomon because of his regal role and reputed wisdom. Having as much contextual information obviously enhances exegesis. It is helpful to know if Ben Sira was a wealthy, erudite retiree teaching the children of society’s elite (which appears to be the case) or a struggling countercultural poet or impoverished sage.
Research on text authenticity, redaction, etc. alerts the reader to which parts of the book are original ideas and which are later additions by well-meaning scribes. In any careful reading, it is important to be sensitive to the structure of the work (i.e. prose, poetry, allegory, parable, etc.) and to key words and subtle meanings.
One gets a more systematic understanding of a wisdom book if it is analyzed according to its explorations into the following major topics:
1.Essence of God
2.Nature of Humanity
3.Divine and Human Relationship
4.Meaning of Life
5.Cosmology or a view of the universe vis-à-vis God (as active or passive creator), Humankind (as masters or stewards of creation), and the created world’s ultimate purpose. (6)
Discovering the unifying theme is helpful, particularly in works that might appear to be random collections of wisdom sayings (i.e. Proverbs). Such exercise is easier in tales like the Book of Job and the Book of Tobit. Attempts to relate the wisdom texts to other wisdom motifs (i.e. Ecclesiasticus and the Egyptian Instruction of Ptahhotop, Tobit and the Wisdom of Ahikar), enhance our understanding of cross-cultural influences and widen our concept of what constitutes wisdom. (7)
Hermeneutics, derived from the Greek god Hermes who was messenger to the gods, was introduced into philosophy by Aristotle’s work “On Interpretation”. It is the science and art of biblical interpretation. Exegesis, from the Greek verb “to lead out” is the critical and extensive interpretation of a text (i.e. bible commentary). While exegesis is concerned with interpretation of the text per se, hermeneutics deals with how the text is interpreted from a certain point of view, i.e., contemporary relevance of the text. Hermeneutics in medieval Christian era built on the tradition of the Patristic writers and drew a distinction between the letter and the spirit of the text. The literal sense (sensus historicus) denoted what the text stated directly. The allegorical sense (sensus allegoricus) explained the text vis-à-vis church dogma. The moral application of the text to the reader or hearer was sensus moralis or sensus tropologicus. Metaphysical or eschatological allusions of the text represented the fourth level of meaning or sensus anagocicus. (8)
Wisdom Literature in contemporary theological reflection
The importance and significance of the Wisdom books are not as appreciated as the other books of the canonical bible that deal with and elucidate promise, covenant, and salvation history. Canonically limited to three books (Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes), the wisdom literature includes other books containing wisdom motifs so that the study of wisdom texts reveals that “hokma” has an extensive reach, to the point of being key to a better understanding of the canonical bible (see earlier comments).
Even in church liturgy, we notice that the wisdom books are underutilized. Yet, from an analysis of readings from the Revised Common Lectionary, it is clear that in the New Year’s Day selections for example, Ecclesiastes and Psalm enhance the interpretation of the apocalyptic gospel verses in Matthew and the Book of Revelation. (cf. part 2 of this paper).
Today, popular televangelists cherry pick from the wisdom books (i.e. Osteen et al.) and gloss over difficult passages (i.e. human suffering as depicted in Job and Tobit). This is a disservice, because valuable lessons are obtainable from the latter books, particularly relevant in the current debate on ethical “quality of life issues” in medicine and the legal professions. J.K. Rowling did touch on “the fringe benefits of failure” during her recent commencement address at Harvard University, though the famous author fell short of attributing her personal restoration and success to God or to a higher power. She saw her resurgence from failure as the effect of what Plutarch said: “What we change inwardly will change outward reality.”(9). JK Rowling might have aimed to be politically correct to avoid trouble from the ACLU but the fact is that contemporary wisdom is characteristically pragmatic and egocentric, while the God-inspired wisdom of the Hebrew bible is unapologetically theocentric.
Yet many lessons applicable to contemporary society can be drawn from the Wisdom Literature, to name a few:
Family and Parenting: “A wise child makes a glad father, but a foolish child is a mother’s gift.” (Prov. 10.1) “A child who gathers in summer is prudent, but a child who sleeps in harvest brings shame.” (Prov. 10.5)
Medicine: “(The Physician) too beseeches God that his diagnosis may be correct and his treatment bring about a cure.” (Sir 38.14)
Law: “A bribe corrupts the heart.” (Eccl 7.7)
Business: “A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but an accurate weight is his delight.” (Prov 11.1)
Politics: “Wisdom is better than weapons of war.” (Eccl. 9.18)
Academia: “Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.” (Eccl. 12.12)
Everyday life: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” (Eccl. 3.1)
The Wisdom Books have a timelessness that makes them relevant and meaningful through the centuries. It behooves us to bring these treasured scrolls to be read and studied not only in our churches, but also in our schools and our workplaces, despite and because of the cacophony of the marketplace. The curse and blessing of our age is that we have been transformed into one global digital village, and the accessibility and rapidity with which we can convey wisdom is unprecedented in humankind’s history.
May we, the recipients (and stewards) of these wisdom scrolls, be inspired to extend the quest to help make wisdom’s “Tree of Life” grow and flourish as intended by its Creator.
Notes:
1.Lecture on Wisdom Literature, Dr. Hugh R. Page, Jr.
2.Katherine Dell. ‘Get Wisdom, Get Insight’: An Introduction to Israel’s Wisdom Literature (Smyth & Helwys Publishing, Inc., Macon, Georgia, 2000), p. 1-2
3.Ronald E. Murphy. The Tree of Life: An Exploration of Biblical Wisdom Literature (W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2002), p. 124
4.Lecture, Dr. Page.
5.Murphy, p. 232
6.Lecture, Dr. Page
7.Dell, p. 140-142.
8.Wikipedia notes on exegesis and hermeneutics.
9.JK Rowling’s Commencement Address at Harvard University, June 2008
THEO 60108
Final Examination
(The Rev.) Hugh R. Page, Jr., Dmin, PhD
Student guidelines for reading and appreciating the Wisdom Books
What is wisdom?
For a student venturing into the world of wisdom, it would appear that wisdom has the following constituents: knowledge, understanding, prudence, common sense, and the innate ability to make sense out of things. Wisdom is the ability to unravel profound mysteries in life and in the world and express them in simplified, understandable media, whether oral, written, or symbolic. One would, for example, find wisdom in stories handed down from generation to generation and in aphorisms, poems, and symbols; in “Aesop’s Fables”, in Antoine de Saint Exupery’s “The Little Prince,” and in Rembrandt’s “The Prodigal Son.”
From a student’s view, wisdom may be defined as essential knowledge and selfless understanding, enhanced by life experiences and tempered with common sense, which enlighten and inspire us to find meaning in life, discover order in the cosmos, and transcend existential barriers to reach out to the Divine.
“The first human never finished comprehending wisdom, nor will the last succeed in fathoming her.” (Sir 24.28). Bearing that in mind, it might help to view wisdom as a profound but simplified aggregation of knowledge, which links philosophy and theology and overlaps into both, illustrated as follows:
What is the biblical concept of wisdom?
From a scholar’s viewpoint, biblical wisdom is the “intellectual tradition reflected in biblical literature that centers on the Hebrew “hokmah” in its mystical and concrete attributes. (1) “Hokmah, “according to Katherine Dell, “covers a wide range of attributes…it includes the skill needed to win a war... (the) shrewdness required in government or administration; the hidden secrets and knowledge of prophets…the prudence required to deal with difficult situations; the ability to make ethical or religious decisions, and ultimately the ability to discern God as the one who created the world through wisdom and who is the fount of all knowledge and understanding. It is a rich and multifaceted term covering both the human quest for wisdom and the divine origin of wisdom. ” (2)
Ronald E. Murphy, O.Carm., drawing from the theology of Karl Rahner, defines biblical wisdom as “a thematic expression of God’s revelation as mediated through creation…(in other words) God drew the people, through their daily experience of themselves and creation, into the mystery of God’s dealing with each individual human being.” (3) Taking its unappreciated role a step farther, biblical wisdom “could well be the key to understanding the purpose of the entire biblical canon.” (4)
What is the modern concept of wisdom?
Based on a cursory survey of popular media in the United States, modern wisdom is equated with prudent advice closely associated with American pragmatism and individualism, with practical applications to the promotion of health, and the acquisition of wealth, knowledge, success, and happiness. Relying mainly on one’s character, intelligence, diligence, and potential, modern wisdom is primarily egocentric while Israel’s wisdom, as noted above and expressed in the Book of Proverbs, is theocentric. “The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Prov 1.7).
What constitutes Wisdom Literature in the Jewish tradition (Hebrew Bible and Apocrypha)?
According to Roland E. Murphy, this is the end result of literary efforts “to explain the mystery at the heart of human existence.” (5) Specifically, wisdom literature includes books or texts written approximately between 1800 BC – 180 BC, which convey to the reader, directly or indirectly, an understanding or some perspective on any or all of the following:
Meaning and purpose of human existence
Meaning, mystery, and paradox of life in general
Relationship between human beings (practical advise on how to live a good and meaningful life)
Humankind’s relationship with the cosmos (making sense and order of the universe)
Nature and mystery of the afterlife (relationship between the physical and spiritual)
Transcendence and Divine Mystery
Books that are canonically considered Wisdom Literature are:
1.The Book of Proverbs
2.The Book of Job
3.Ecclesiastes
Literature that contain wisdom motifs are:
1.The Book of Psalms
2.The Book of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)
3.The Song of Songs
4.The Book of Wisdom
5.The Book of Genesis (part of The Pentateuch)
6.The Book of Esther (part of The Historical Books) )
7.The Book of Judith (part of the Historical Books)
8.The Book of Tobit (part of the Historical Books)
9.The Book of Daniel (part of the Prophetic Books)
Wisdom Genre and Hermeneutics
The following guidelines are useful in the reading, interpretation, and appreciation of traditional Wisdom Literature as well as other books which, though not canonically belonging to Wisdom Literature (see list above), may ,nevertheless, be considered part of the wisdom genre by reason of wisdom texts or motifs.
1.Date and authorship
2.Background and Context – Historical, Cultural, Social, Economic, Political, Educational
3.Original text, translation, redaction, edition, sources
4.Reading of the text and interpretation
5.Structure, Form, Tone and Style (use of language, key words, symbolism, etc.)
6.Content and Themes
Nature of the Divine
Nature of humanity
Relationship of Human and Divine
Meaning in life
Foundational Cosmology (Theological, Anthropological, Teleological)
7.Dominant or unifying topic (wisdom motif/echoes)
8.Questions
9.Wise counsels or teachings
10.Relation to other texts and traditions
11.Old, medieval, and modern commentaries
12.Current relevance, timelessness, and universality
13.Reflection and personal insight
14.Distilling and sharing of wisdom derived from text
Brief/Selected Commentary:
Historical dating of ancient texts, in many instances, is difficult, as is the confirmation of authorship. Works are often attributed to King Solomon because of his regal role and reputed wisdom. Having as much contextual information obviously enhances exegesis. It is helpful to know if Ben Sira was a wealthy, erudite retiree teaching the children of society’s elite (which appears to be the case) or a struggling countercultural poet or impoverished sage.
Research on text authenticity, redaction, etc. alerts the reader to which parts of the book are original ideas and which are later additions by well-meaning scribes. In any careful reading, it is important to be sensitive to the structure of the work (i.e. prose, poetry, allegory, parable, etc.) and to key words and subtle meanings.
One gets a more systematic understanding of a wisdom book if it is analyzed according to its explorations into the following major topics:
1.Essence of God
2.Nature of Humanity
3.Divine and Human Relationship
4.Meaning of Life
5.Cosmology or a view of the universe vis-à-vis God (as active or passive creator), Humankind (as masters or stewards of creation), and the created world’s ultimate purpose. (6)
Discovering the unifying theme is helpful, particularly in works that might appear to be random collections of wisdom sayings (i.e. Proverbs). Such exercise is easier in tales like the Book of Job and the Book of Tobit. Attempts to relate the wisdom texts to other wisdom motifs (i.e. Ecclesiasticus and the Egyptian Instruction of Ptahhotop, Tobit and the Wisdom of Ahikar), enhance our understanding of cross-cultural influences and widen our concept of what constitutes wisdom. (7)
Hermeneutics, derived from the Greek god Hermes who was messenger to the gods, was introduced into philosophy by Aristotle’s work “On Interpretation”. It is the science and art of biblical interpretation. Exegesis, from the Greek verb “to lead out” is the critical and extensive interpretation of a text (i.e. bible commentary). While exegesis is concerned with interpretation of the text per se, hermeneutics deals with how the text is interpreted from a certain point of view, i.e., contemporary relevance of the text. Hermeneutics in medieval Christian era built on the tradition of the Patristic writers and drew a distinction between the letter and the spirit of the text. The literal sense (sensus historicus) denoted what the text stated directly. The allegorical sense (sensus allegoricus) explained the text vis-à-vis church dogma. The moral application of the text to the reader or hearer was sensus moralis or sensus tropologicus. Metaphysical or eschatological allusions of the text represented the fourth level of meaning or sensus anagocicus. (8)
Wisdom Literature in contemporary theological reflection
The importance and significance of the Wisdom books are not as appreciated as the other books of the canonical bible that deal with and elucidate promise, covenant, and salvation history. Canonically limited to three books (Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes), the wisdom literature includes other books containing wisdom motifs so that the study of wisdom texts reveals that “hokma” has an extensive reach, to the point of being key to a better understanding of the canonical bible (see earlier comments).
Even in church liturgy, we notice that the wisdom books are underutilized. Yet, from an analysis of readings from the Revised Common Lectionary, it is clear that in the New Year’s Day selections for example, Ecclesiastes and Psalm enhance the interpretation of the apocalyptic gospel verses in Matthew and the Book of Revelation. (cf. part 2 of this paper).
Today, popular televangelists cherry pick from the wisdom books (i.e. Osteen et al.) and gloss over difficult passages (i.e. human suffering as depicted in Job and Tobit). This is a disservice, because valuable lessons are obtainable from the latter books, particularly relevant in the current debate on ethical “quality of life issues” in medicine and the legal professions. J.K. Rowling did touch on “the fringe benefits of failure” during her recent commencement address at Harvard University, though the famous author fell short of attributing her personal restoration and success to God or to a higher power. She saw her resurgence from failure as the effect of what Plutarch said: “What we change inwardly will change outward reality.”(9). JK Rowling might have aimed to be politically correct to avoid trouble from the ACLU but the fact is that contemporary wisdom is characteristically pragmatic and egocentric, while the God-inspired wisdom of the Hebrew bible is unapologetically theocentric.
Yet many lessons applicable to contemporary society can be drawn from the Wisdom Literature, to name a few:
Family and Parenting: “A wise child makes a glad father, but a foolish child is a mother’s gift.” (Prov. 10.1) “A child who gathers in summer is prudent, but a child who sleeps in harvest brings shame.” (Prov. 10.5)
Medicine: “(The Physician) too beseeches God that his diagnosis may be correct and his treatment bring about a cure.” (Sir 38.14)
Law: “A bribe corrupts the heart.” (Eccl 7.7)
Business: “A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but an accurate weight is his delight.” (Prov 11.1)
Politics: “Wisdom is better than weapons of war.” (Eccl. 9.18)
Academia: “Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.” (Eccl. 12.12)
Everyday life: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” (Eccl. 3.1)
The Wisdom Books have a timelessness that makes them relevant and meaningful through the centuries. It behooves us to bring these treasured scrolls to be read and studied not only in our churches, but also in our schools and our workplaces, despite and because of the cacophony of the marketplace. The curse and blessing of our age is that we have been transformed into one global digital village, and the accessibility and rapidity with which we can convey wisdom is unprecedented in humankind’s history.
May we, the recipients (and stewards) of these wisdom scrolls, be inspired to extend the quest to help make wisdom’s “Tree of Life” grow and flourish as intended by its Creator.
Notes:
1.Lecture on Wisdom Literature, Dr. Hugh R. Page, Jr.
2.Katherine Dell. ‘Get Wisdom, Get Insight’: An Introduction to Israel’s Wisdom Literature (Smyth & Helwys Publishing, Inc., Macon, Georgia, 2000), p. 1-2
3.Ronald E. Murphy. The Tree of Life: An Exploration of Biblical Wisdom Literature (W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2002), p. 124
4.Lecture, Dr. Page.
5.Murphy, p. 232
6.Lecture, Dr. Page
7.Dell, p. 140-142.
8.Wikipedia notes on exegesis and hermeneutics.
9.JK Rowling’s Commencement Address at Harvard University, June 2008
Four Similarities in the Lives of Jesus Christ and St. Paul
Edgar A. Gamboa
THEO 60114-01
Rev. Fr. Jerome Murphy-O’Connor, OP
Four Similarities in the Lives of Jesus Christ and St. Paul
It is interesting to note that there are perceptible similarities between the lives of Our Lord Jesus Christ and St. Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles. Four remarkable connections come to mind.
The Time of Birth
St. Paul (Saul of Tarsus) was by birth a Galilean (1). He was born, not in Tarsus as is commonly assumed, but in Gischala, a region in Judea (Jish in Galilee), at about the time Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judea (Matthew 2.1), 6-4 BC. In the letter to Philemon (Phil 1.9), written when Paul was in captivity, the Apostle refers to himself as a presbytes (Gk.) translated as “ambassador” (NAB and RSV). A position of authority, however, does not fit the context of the letter and the term for “ambassador” (Gk. presbeutes) does not appear in any surviving manuscript of the book. (2) The more accurate translation, therefore, is “old man” (NRSV, NJB) or “elderly”. (3)
This would have indicated that Paul was in his mid 50s or older when he wrote to the slave owner Philemon, urging him to welcome back Onesimus, one of his runaway slaves. This is the logical assumption if we take into consideration the Greek and Jewish traditions which relate to a man’s normal lifespan. Philo, the Jewish philosopher from Alexandria, in his De Opificio Mundi measured infancy to old age by seven year periods, as did Solon, the Athenian lawgiver, who divided the lifespan of a man into ten periods of seven years each. (3a) Solon’s stages corresponds well to that of the Bible (Ps. 90.10) and the characteristics he assigned to his ninth stage (“gentle but not marked decline”) are similar to what we today consider as “elderly” rather than “old”. (3b). It is commonly held that Paul wrote the “Captivity Letters” (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon) under house arrest in Rome, around AD 60-62. However, as painstakingly analyzed by Fr. Jerome Murphy-O’Connor, the letter to Philemon was likely written earlier in AD 53 (3c) and not in Rome but in Ephesus (3d).
If the “presbytes” or “elderly” Paul was indeed 56-63 years old at the time, a more accurate (revised) chronological framework, with its consequent historical implications, would “put his birth in the last years of the pre-Christian era….(St. Paul) would have been born about the same time as Christ” (3e).
Growing up as Child Refugees
Jesus and Paul were child refugees. The story of the Flight to Egypt is familiar. As recounted in Matthew’s Gospel (2.13-15), “the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said: ‘Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child to destroy him’. Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod.” In Paul’s case, the death of King Herod in 4 BC caused an uprising among the Jews who revolted against the dead king’s heirs. To quell the uprising, Roman legions, ordered by Varus, the governor of Syria, marched into Palestine and destroyed Sepphoris, the capital of Galilee. (4)
Paul’s parents were taken as captives and, as was the practice with dealing with non-combatant but vanquished civilians at the time, sold to slave traders. Two-year old Paul and his parents would have been shipped out of Ptolemais, ending up as slave refugees in Tarsus, the capital of the Roman province of Cilicia Pedias. (4a) In Tarsus, the refugee family would have been purchased by a Roman, which could explain how Paul eventually obtained Roman citizenship (Acts 22.27-8). (4b)
Temporary Vocation and Second Conversion
Jesus and Paul both had temporary vocations before finding their authentic calling in life. Jesus apprenticed under his foster father, Joseph, who was a carpenter --“Is not this the carpenter’s son?” (Matthew 13.55) or “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary?”(Mark 6.3) --before he became an itinerant prophet and rabbi, subsequent to the illuminating and transforming event of his baptism in the Jordan river by John the Baptist (Matthew 3.16-17, Mark 1.9-11, Luke 3.21-22, John 1.32-34). Early in life, Jesus had been a faithful Jew and a follower of the Mosaic Law. Later, in juxtaposition to the law, he consorted with sinners and people with questionable reputations, loving and accepting them as they were. He healed on the Sabbath and challenged the Pharisees, saying: “The sabbath was made for humankind and not humankind for the sabbath...” (Mark 2.27). He even instructed his followers to disregard the law altogether in favor of the kingdom of God. “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God” (Luke 9.60).
Paul, on the other hand, was a law-abiding Pharisee in Jerusalem (Phil. 3.5) before the life-changing event happened on his journey to Tarsus by way of Damascus, when the Risen Christ appeared to him (1Cor.12.8). The specific details of Paul’s conversion experience are subject to speculation but the impact it had on him was, without question, extraordinarily profound and lasting. “I was apprehended by Christ Jesus”, Paul proclaimed years later (Phil. 3.12). From that transforming moment on, the erstwhile Pharisee, whose life had been dedicated to strict adherence to Jewish traditions and the Mosaic Law, became a zealous missionary for Christ the Messiah and dedicated Apostle to the Gentiles.
Steadfastness and Sacrifice
Jesus Christ was steadfast in His mission, unwaveringly faithful to His Father’s will, and “obedient unto death, even to death on the cross” (Philippians 2.8). Paul, too, once he realized what his mission was, traveled back and forth, through Asia and Europe to evangelize the Gentile world, risking life and limb in the relentless pursuit of his missionary goals.
Christ did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, Paul pointed out (Philippians 2.6). Rather, as the sinless Messiah (the New Adam who was not subject to the inevitability of death), Christ totally emptied himself (Philippians 2.7), freely choosing to give His life fully to others (and to us, to all humanity) in an act of Infinite Love. Following in Christ’s footsteps, Paul ultimately gave his life in selfless love and sacrifice. He was martyred under the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero in 67 AD. (5)
Parenthetically, it is interesting to note that St. Paul gradually came to the conclusion that this complete emptying (kenosis) in the act of giving oneself and offering one’s life in selfless love to others was the core of Christ’s message and mission (Philippians 2.7). To this end, he enjoined us to be, as he was, “imitators of Christ” (1Cor. 11.1) (Ephesians 5.1-2). Such radical Christology should “make Christianity an authentic instrument of change. It is not that the Pauline version of Christianity has failed”, as Fr. Jerome Murphy-O’Connor contends, “it has never been seriously tried”. (6)
In summary, we recognize four notable links in the lives of Jesus Christ and St. Paul:
(a) they were born in Judea at about the same time, 6-4 BC; (b) both were child refugees;
(c) they underwent a second conversion upon discovering their true humanity, and
(d) they persevered in their mission to the point of sacrificing their lives.
Notes
1.Jerome Murphy-O’Connor. Paul: His Story (Oxford University Press, 2005), p.2.
2.Ignatius Catholic Study Bible. The Letters of St. Paul to the Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 2005), p. 39.
3.Jerome Murphy-O’Connor. Paul: A Critical Life (Oxford University Press, 1997), p.1.
a.p. 2
b.p. 3
c.p 4
d.pp. 175-179
e.p. 4
4.Jerome Murphy-O’Connor. Paul: His Story (Oxford University Press, 2005), p.2.
a.p.2-3
b.p.4
5.Murphy-O’Connor. His Story, p. 233-234, Critical Life, p. 370-371.
6.Murphy-O’Connor. Paul: His Story, p. 239.
THEO 60114-01
Rev. Fr. Jerome Murphy-O’Connor, OP
Four Similarities in the Lives of Jesus Christ and St. Paul
It is interesting to note that there are perceptible similarities between the lives of Our Lord Jesus Christ and St. Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles. Four remarkable connections come to mind.
The Time of Birth
St. Paul (Saul of Tarsus) was by birth a Galilean (1). He was born, not in Tarsus as is commonly assumed, but in Gischala, a region in Judea (Jish in Galilee), at about the time Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judea (Matthew 2.1), 6-4 BC. In the letter to Philemon (Phil 1.9), written when Paul was in captivity, the Apostle refers to himself as a presbytes (Gk.) translated as “ambassador” (NAB and RSV). A position of authority, however, does not fit the context of the letter and the term for “ambassador” (Gk. presbeutes) does not appear in any surviving manuscript of the book. (2) The more accurate translation, therefore, is “old man” (NRSV, NJB) or “elderly”. (3)
This would have indicated that Paul was in his mid 50s or older when he wrote to the slave owner Philemon, urging him to welcome back Onesimus, one of his runaway slaves. This is the logical assumption if we take into consideration the Greek and Jewish traditions which relate to a man’s normal lifespan. Philo, the Jewish philosopher from Alexandria, in his De Opificio Mundi measured infancy to old age by seven year periods, as did Solon, the Athenian lawgiver, who divided the lifespan of a man into ten periods of seven years each. (3a) Solon’s stages corresponds well to that of the Bible (Ps. 90.10) and the characteristics he assigned to his ninth stage (“gentle but not marked decline”) are similar to what we today consider as “elderly” rather than “old”. (3b). It is commonly held that Paul wrote the “Captivity Letters” (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon) under house arrest in Rome, around AD 60-62. However, as painstakingly analyzed by Fr. Jerome Murphy-O’Connor, the letter to Philemon was likely written earlier in AD 53 (3c) and not in Rome but in Ephesus (3d).
If the “presbytes” or “elderly” Paul was indeed 56-63 years old at the time, a more accurate (revised) chronological framework, with its consequent historical implications, would “put his birth in the last years of the pre-Christian era….(St. Paul) would have been born about the same time as Christ” (3e).
Growing up as Child Refugees
Jesus and Paul were child refugees. The story of the Flight to Egypt is familiar. As recounted in Matthew’s Gospel (2.13-15), “the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said: ‘Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child to destroy him’. Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod.” In Paul’s case, the death of King Herod in 4 BC caused an uprising among the Jews who revolted against the dead king’s heirs. To quell the uprising, Roman legions, ordered by Varus, the governor of Syria, marched into Palestine and destroyed Sepphoris, the capital of Galilee. (4)
Paul’s parents were taken as captives and, as was the practice with dealing with non-combatant but vanquished civilians at the time, sold to slave traders. Two-year old Paul and his parents would have been shipped out of Ptolemais, ending up as slave refugees in Tarsus, the capital of the Roman province of Cilicia Pedias. (4a) In Tarsus, the refugee family would have been purchased by a Roman, which could explain how Paul eventually obtained Roman citizenship (Acts 22.27-8). (4b)
Temporary Vocation and Second Conversion
Jesus and Paul both had temporary vocations before finding their authentic calling in life. Jesus apprenticed under his foster father, Joseph, who was a carpenter --“Is not this the carpenter’s son?” (Matthew 13.55) or “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary?”(Mark 6.3) --before he became an itinerant prophet and rabbi, subsequent to the illuminating and transforming event of his baptism in the Jordan river by John the Baptist (Matthew 3.16-17, Mark 1.9-11, Luke 3.21-22, John 1.32-34). Early in life, Jesus had been a faithful Jew and a follower of the Mosaic Law. Later, in juxtaposition to the law, he consorted with sinners and people with questionable reputations, loving and accepting them as they were. He healed on the Sabbath and challenged the Pharisees, saying: “The sabbath was made for humankind and not humankind for the sabbath...” (Mark 2.27). He even instructed his followers to disregard the law altogether in favor of the kingdom of God. “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God” (Luke 9.60).
Paul, on the other hand, was a law-abiding Pharisee in Jerusalem (Phil. 3.5) before the life-changing event happened on his journey to Tarsus by way of Damascus, when the Risen Christ appeared to him (1Cor.12.8). The specific details of Paul’s conversion experience are subject to speculation but the impact it had on him was, without question, extraordinarily profound and lasting. “I was apprehended by Christ Jesus”, Paul proclaimed years later (Phil. 3.12). From that transforming moment on, the erstwhile Pharisee, whose life had been dedicated to strict adherence to Jewish traditions and the Mosaic Law, became a zealous missionary for Christ the Messiah and dedicated Apostle to the Gentiles.
Steadfastness and Sacrifice
Jesus Christ was steadfast in His mission, unwaveringly faithful to His Father’s will, and “obedient unto death, even to death on the cross” (Philippians 2.8). Paul, too, once he realized what his mission was, traveled back and forth, through Asia and Europe to evangelize the Gentile world, risking life and limb in the relentless pursuit of his missionary goals.
Christ did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, Paul pointed out (Philippians 2.6). Rather, as the sinless Messiah (the New Adam who was not subject to the inevitability of death), Christ totally emptied himself (Philippians 2.7), freely choosing to give His life fully to others (and to us, to all humanity) in an act of Infinite Love. Following in Christ’s footsteps, Paul ultimately gave his life in selfless love and sacrifice. He was martyred under the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero in 67 AD. (5)
Parenthetically, it is interesting to note that St. Paul gradually came to the conclusion that this complete emptying (kenosis) in the act of giving oneself and offering one’s life in selfless love to others was the core of Christ’s message and mission (Philippians 2.7). To this end, he enjoined us to be, as he was, “imitators of Christ” (1Cor. 11.1) (Ephesians 5.1-2). Such radical Christology should “make Christianity an authentic instrument of change. It is not that the Pauline version of Christianity has failed”, as Fr. Jerome Murphy-O’Connor contends, “it has never been seriously tried”. (6)
In summary, we recognize four notable links in the lives of Jesus Christ and St. Paul:
(a) they were born in Judea at about the same time, 6-4 BC; (b) both were child refugees;
(c) they underwent a second conversion upon discovering their true humanity, and
(d) they persevered in their mission to the point of sacrificing their lives.
Notes
1.Jerome Murphy-O’Connor. Paul: His Story (Oxford University Press, 2005), p.2.
2.Ignatius Catholic Study Bible. The Letters of St. Paul to the Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 2005), p. 39.
3.Jerome Murphy-O’Connor. Paul: A Critical Life (Oxford University Press, 1997), p.1.
a.p. 2
b.p. 3
c.p 4
d.pp. 175-179
e.p. 4
4.Jerome Murphy-O’Connor. Paul: His Story (Oxford University Press, 2005), p.2.
a.p.2-3
b.p.4
5.Murphy-O’Connor. His Story, p. 233-234, Critical Life, p. 370-371.
6.Murphy-O’Connor. Paul: His Story, p. 239.
The Christology of St. Paul, Apostle to the Gentiles
Edgar A. Gamboa
THEO 60114-01
Rev. Fr. Jerome Murphy-O’Connor, OP
The Christology of St. Paul, Apostle to the Gentiles
In the spring of 53 AD, critical news from Galatia reached St. Paul. Jewish Christians from Antioch (likely from the austere Essene sect) had infiltrated the Galatian churches during St. Paul’s absence. These “Judaizers” were enticing St. Paul’s converts to undergo the rite of circumcision and to observe the ceremonial laws of the old Covenant as the indispensable means to sanctification and salvation. (1) They insisted on adherence to the Mosaic Law, while undermining St. Paul’s apostolic authority by asserting that the gospel he had preached to them was not in accordance with the teachings of the original apostles in Jerusalem. (2) In a carefully crafted response (and not without restrained anger), St. Paul wrote the letter to the Galatians which manifests for the first time his distinctive Christology.
The Judaizers accepted the Messianic character of Jesus but based their arguments on the history of salvation – Abraham’s faith, God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants (cf. Gn 17.4-7), circumcision as the mark of the covenant (cf. Gn 17.10-14) and sacrament of initiation into the Jewish community (cf. Lv 12.3), the centrality of the Mosaic Law – which, as a former Pharisee, St. Paul knew by heart (“I was even more a zealot for my ancestral traditions”. Gal 1:14). While the letter was addressed to the Galatians, St. Paul intended his message for the Judaizers. To effectively deconstruct their arguments, St. Paul posed his thesis on Christ’s humanity. Jesus was ‘born of woman” (Gal. 4:4), a card-carrying member of the human race, the pre-eminent descendant of Abraham and heir to the covenant. In the process of exploring Jesus’
individual humanity (the historical Jesus), St. Paul gained further insights into Christ (the Cosmic Christ) and into the nature of the Christian community (Ecclesial Body of Christ).
To St. Paul, the key element was pistis. In the letter to the Galatians, he referred to pistis Iesou Christou (Gal 2:15; 3:22; cf. Rom. 3:22), pistis Christou (Gal 2:16; cf. Phil. 3:9), and pistis tou hyioutou theou (Gal: 2:20). Interpretation can be difficult because pistis can mean “belief” or “fidelity/faithfulness”. Furthermore, the genitive “of Jesus” can either be objective (“faith in Christ”) or subjective (“Christ’s faith”). St. Paul argued that just as Abraham found favor with God through his faith, so did Christ. “Through you shall all the nations be blessed.” Consequently, those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham who had faith. (Gal. 3.9).
God’s promises were made to Abraham and to his descendant (literally “and to his seed”). (Gal 3.16). St. Paul interpreted the collective singular to literally refer to Christ as the descendant of Abraham and, therefore, the preeminent heir to God’s covenant. By dying on the cross, “Christ ransomed us from the curse of the law” (Gal 3.13). In effect, the old covenant became irrelevant because through faith in Christ the promise would be given to believers in Jesus Christ (Gal 3:22). Indeed, “if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing”. (Gal 2.21). In St. Paul’s view, to add the rite of circumcision and other requirements of the old Covenant to the Gospel was to exchange freedom in Christ for spiritual slavery. (3) “For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery (Gal. 5.1). By Christ’s redemptive offering of himself on the cross, the Mosaic Law was superseded by the new law, which is Christ himself (Gal 6.2).
Christ is both the cause and exemplar of the faith/fidelity of believers (Christians). Their actions are, through grace, enabled by Christ and modeled after Christ. Through faith, all become “children of God in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3.26.). “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendant, heir according to the promise.” (Gal 3:28-29).
Reflecting on Christ’s historical persona, St. Paul’s thoughts focused on his own transformation in Christ when he wrote: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me, and the life I live in the flesh I live by faith, that of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal:2:19-20). This text identifies the pistis of Christ (Christ’s faith) as “love expressed in self-sacrifice for others”, in other words, “faith working through love” (Gal. 5:6), which is the essence of Christ’s humanity.
St. Paul was not inclined to pursue his reflections further (or, at least, he did not write them) unless situations in his various churches prompted him to react and to write his letters. Had he been a speculative theologian, we would have been the beneficiaries of far-reaching dissertations and even more profound meditations on how, after Christ had “apprehended” him (Phil 3.12), his intense union with Christ transformed him. We do get glimpses, as when he wrote in Phil 1.21-25 that “Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me life is Christ, and death is gain...I long to depart this life and be with Christ, for that is far better.” Later, in 2 Cor. 4.8-11, St. Paul talks about being “afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body. For we are constantly being given up to death for the sake of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” These texts indicate that the basis of St. Paul’s identification with Jesus, which was the bedrock of his
ministry, as explained in 2 Corinthians, was their shared experience of suffering. St. Paul viewed his suffering as a prolongation of the sacrifice of Christ.
Christ’s supreme act of self-sacrifice by ignominious death on the cross revealed the unimaginable magnitude of Christ’s unconditional love for us. That is why St. Paul consistently insisted that Christ suffered and died in a particularly horrible manner: “(Christ) emptied himself, taking the form of a slave” (Phil 2.7). “He humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.”(Phil 2.8). By his death and resurrection, Jesus Christ became the New Adam of the new creation (Gal 6.15; cf.2 Cor 5.17), “the image and glory of God” (1 Cor 11.7), what Adam should have been, the living reality of what God intended a human being to be. As the sinless Messiah who did not need to be reconciled with God, Christ differed from Adam (and his descendants) but he was otherwise truly a member of the human race. To St. Paul, it was Christ’s authentic humanity which enabled him to gain salvation for humanity through the magnitude of his love and fidelity to his mission which culminated in his crucifixion (“faith working through love” Gal.5.6).
God then raised Christ from the dead and exalted him, St. Paul expressed later in Phil 2:9-11, quoting a liturgical hymn which, biblical scholars say, he edited (bold italics) to convey his insights into the cosmic dimension of Christ: “God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” The same hymn is further modified in Colossian 1: 15-20. In brief, St. Paul aimed to express the universality of the work of Christ achieved through his crucifixion, an “Adamic Christology” -- Christ gained salvation for all by becoming the new Adam of the new creation.
In the new order, those who believe in Christ and are baptized and sanctified in Christ form the ecclesial body of Christ (Cor 12.12-31), which is the physical presence of Christ in the world. Its mission is the continuation of Christ’s ministry by manifesting, as Christ did, the power and wisdom of God (1 Cor 1.24). It is not like any other community, secular or otherwise, because its unity, which is rooted in Christ’s love (1 Thess 4.9), is not functional but organic. The Christian community does not only have a common mission; it also shares a common existence in Christ’s love. Though many, “we are one body in Christ” (1 Cor 10.17, Rom 12.5). Each member is endowed with a different spiritual gift which is necessary for the common good of the community (1 Cor 12:4-7). In such a community, Christians freed from the slavery of sin by Christ’s death and resurrection are kept protected from the world of sin (Gal 5.1). Bearing one another’s burdens and loving one another, in imitation of Christ, such Christian community “will fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal 6.2). “Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law” (Rom 13.8).
Sanctified by grace in His love, Christ brings together everyone who believes in him, so that he may incorporate everyone in himself (the Ecclesial body of Christ). In St. Paul’s breathtaking vision, the Cosmic Christ subordinates everything -- “in heaven, on earth, and under the earth” (Phil 2.10) -- in Himself, and then He subordinates Himself to God. “When everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subjected to the one who subjected everything to him so that God may be all in all.” (1 Cor 15.28).
Notes
1.Ignatius Catholic Study Bible. The Letter of St. Paul to the Galatians and to the Ephesians. (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 2005), p. 13.
2.St. Joseph Edition of the New American Bible. (Catholic Book Publishing, New York, 1992), p. 283.
3.Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, p. 13.
Bibliography
1.Jerome Murphy-O’Connor. Paul: A Critical Life (Oxford University Press, 1997)
2.Jerome Murphy-2. O’Connor. Paul: His Story (Oxford University Press, 2005)
3.James D. G. Dunn (Ed.). The Cambridge Companion to St. Paul (Cambridge University Press, 2008)
THEO 60114-01
Rev. Fr. Jerome Murphy-O’Connor, OP
The Christology of St. Paul, Apostle to the Gentiles
In the spring of 53 AD, critical news from Galatia reached St. Paul. Jewish Christians from Antioch (likely from the austere Essene sect) had infiltrated the Galatian churches during St. Paul’s absence. These “Judaizers” were enticing St. Paul’s converts to undergo the rite of circumcision and to observe the ceremonial laws of the old Covenant as the indispensable means to sanctification and salvation. (1) They insisted on adherence to the Mosaic Law, while undermining St. Paul’s apostolic authority by asserting that the gospel he had preached to them was not in accordance with the teachings of the original apostles in Jerusalem. (2) In a carefully crafted response (and not without restrained anger), St. Paul wrote the letter to the Galatians which manifests for the first time his distinctive Christology.
The Judaizers accepted the Messianic character of Jesus but based their arguments on the history of salvation – Abraham’s faith, God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants (cf. Gn 17.4-7), circumcision as the mark of the covenant (cf. Gn 17.10-14) and sacrament of initiation into the Jewish community (cf. Lv 12.3), the centrality of the Mosaic Law – which, as a former Pharisee, St. Paul knew by heart (“I was even more a zealot for my ancestral traditions”. Gal 1:14). While the letter was addressed to the Galatians, St. Paul intended his message for the Judaizers. To effectively deconstruct their arguments, St. Paul posed his thesis on Christ’s humanity. Jesus was ‘born of woman” (Gal. 4:4), a card-carrying member of the human race, the pre-eminent descendant of Abraham and heir to the covenant. In the process of exploring Jesus’
individual humanity (the historical Jesus), St. Paul gained further insights into Christ (the Cosmic Christ) and into the nature of the Christian community (Ecclesial Body of Christ).
To St. Paul, the key element was pistis. In the letter to the Galatians, he referred to pistis Iesou Christou (Gal 2:15; 3:22; cf. Rom. 3:22), pistis Christou (Gal 2:16; cf. Phil. 3:9), and pistis tou hyioutou theou (Gal: 2:20). Interpretation can be difficult because pistis can mean “belief” or “fidelity/faithfulness”. Furthermore, the genitive “of Jesus” can either be objective (“faith in Christ”) or subjective (“Christ’s faith”). St. Paul argued that just as Abraham found favor with God through his faith, so did Christ. “Through you shall all the nations be blessed.” Consequently, those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham who had faith. (Gal. 3.9).
God’s promises were made to Abraham and to his descendant (literally “and to his seed”). (Gal 3.16). St. Paul interpreted the collective singular to literally refer to Christ as the descendant of Abraham and, therefore, the preeminent heir to God’s covenant. By dying on the cross, “Christ ransomed us from the curse of the law” (Gal 3.13). In effect, the old covenant became irrelevant because through faith in Christ the promise would be given to believers in Jesus Christ (Gal 3:22). Indeed, “if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing”. (Gal 2.21). In St. Paul’s view, to add the rite of circumcision and other requirements of the old Covenant to the Gospel was to exchange freedom in Christ for spiritual slavery. (3) “For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery (Gal. 5.1). By Christ’s redemptive offering of himself on the cross, the Mosaic Law was superseded by the new law, which is Christ himself (Gal 6.2).
Christ is both the cause and exemplar of the faith/fidelity of believers (Christians). Their actions are, through grace, enabled by Christ and modeled after Christ. Through faith, all become “children of God in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3.26.). “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendant, heir according to the promise.” (Gal 3:28-29).
Reflecting on Christ’s historical persona, St. Paul’s thoughts focused on his own transformation in Christ when he wrote: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me, and the life I live in the flesh I live by faith, that of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal:2:19-20). This text identifies the pistis of Christ (Christ’s faith) as “love expressed in self-sacrifice for others”, in other words, “faith working through love” (Gal. 5:6), which is the essence of Christ’s humanity.
St. Paul was not inclined to pursue his reflections further (or, at least, he did not write them) unless situations in his various churches prompted him to react and to write his letters. Had he been a speculative theologian, we would have been the beneficiaries of far-reaching dissertations and even more profound meditations on how, after Christ had “apprehended” him (Phil 3.12), his intense union with Christ transformed him. We do get glimpses, as when he wrote in Phil 1.21-25 that “Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me life is Christ, and death is gain...I long to depart this life and be with Christ, for that is far better.” Later, in 2 Cor. 4.8-11, St. Paul talks about being “afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body. For we are constantly being given up to death for the sake of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” These texts indicate that the basis of St. Paul’s identification with Jesus, which was the bedrock of his
ministry, as explained in 2 Corinthians, was their shared experience of suffering. St. Paul viewed his suffering as a prolongation of the sacrifice of Christ.
Christ’s supreme act of self-sacrifice by ignominious death on the cross revealed the unimaginable magnitude of Christ’s unconditional love for us. That is why St. Paul consistently insisted that Christ suffered and died in a particularly horrible manner: “(Christ) emptied himself, taking the form of a slave” (Phil 2.7). “He humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.”(Phil 2.8). By his death and resurrection, Jesus Christ became the New Adam of the new creation (Gal 6.15; cf.2 Cor 5.17), “the image and glory of God” (1 Cor 11.7), what Adam should have been, the living reality of what God intended a human being to be. As the sinless Messiah who did not need to be reconciled with God, Christ differed from Adam (and his descendants) but he was otherwise truly a member of the human race. To St. Paul, it was Christ’s authentic humanity which enabled him to gain salvation for humanity through the magnitude of his love and fidelity to his mission which culminated in his crucifixion (“faith working through love” Gal.5.6).
God then raised Christ from the dead and exalted him, St. Paul expressed later in Phil 2:9-11, quoting a liturgical hymn which, biblical scholars say, he edited (bold italics) to convey his insights into the cosmic dimension of Christ: “God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” The same hymn is further modified in Colossian 1: 15-20. In brief, St. Paul aimed to express the universality of the work of Christ achieved through his crucifixion, an “Adamic Christology” -- Christ gained salvation for all by becoming the new Adam of the new creation.
In the new order, those who believe in Christ and are baptized and sanctified in Christ form the ecclesial body of Christ (Cor 12.12-31), which is the physical presence of Christ in the world. Its mission is the continuation of Christ’s ministry by manifesting, as Christ did, the power and wisdom of God (1 Cor 1.24). It is not like any other community, secular or otherwise, because its unity, which is rooted in Christ’s love (1 Thess 4.9), is not functional but organic. The Christian community does not only have a common mission; it also shares a common existence in Christ’s love. Though many, “we are one body in Christ” (1 Cor 10.17, Rom 12.5). Each member is endowed with a different spiritual gift which is necessary for the common good of the community (1 Cor 12:4-7). In such a community, Christians freed from the slavery of sin by Christ’s death and resurrection are kept protected from the world of sin (Gal 5.1). Bearing one another’s burdens and loving one another, in imitation of Christ, such Christian community “will fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal 6.2). “Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law” (Rom 13.8).
Sanctified by grace in His love, Christ brings together everyone who believes in him, so that he may incorporate everyone in himself (the Ecclesial body of Christ). In St. Paul’s breathtaking vision, the Cosmic Christ subordinates everything -- “in heaven, on earth, and under the earth” (Phil 2.10) -- in Himself, and then He subordinates Himself to God. “When everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subjected to the one who subjected everything to him so that God may be all in all.” (1 Cor 15.28).
Notes
1.Ignatius Catholic Study Bible. The Letter of St. Paul to the Galatians and to the Ephesians. (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 2005), p. 13.
2.St. Joseph Edition of the New American Bible. (Catholic Book Publishing, New York, 1992), p. 283.
3.Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, p. 13.
Bibliography
1.Jerome Murphy-O’Connor. Paul: A Critical Life (Oxford University Press, 1997)
2.Jerome Murphy-2. O’Connor. Paul: His Story (Oxford University Press, 2005)
3.James D. G. Dunn (Ed.). The Cambridge Companion to St. Paul (Cambridge University Press, 2008)
Sunday, December 28, 2008
The Christology of St. Paul, Apostle to the Gentiles
Edgar A. Gamboa
THEO 60114-01
Rev. Fr. Jerome Murphy-O'Connor, OP
In the spring of 53 AD, critical news from Galatia reached St. Paul. Jewish Christians from Antioch had infiltrated the Galatian churches during St. Paul's absence. These "Judaizers" were enticing St. Paul's converts to undergo the rite of circumcision and to observe the ceremonial laws of the old Covenant as the indispensable means to sanctification and salvation. (1) They insisted on adherence to the Mosaic Law, while undermining St. Paul's apostolic authority by asserting that the gospel he had preached to them was not in accordance with the teachings of the original apostles in Jerusalem. (2) In a carefully crafted response (and not without restrained anger),St. Paul wrote the letter to the Galatians which manifest for the first time his distinctive Christology.
The Judaizers accepted the Messianic character of Jesus but based their arguments on the history of salvation -- Abraham's faith, God's covenant with Abraham and his descendants (cf. Gn 17.4-7), circumcision as the mark of the covenant (cf.Gn 17.10-14) and sacrament of inititation into the Jewish community (cf. Lv 12.3), the centrality of the Mosaic Law -- which, as a former Pharisee, St. Paul knew by heart (I was even more a zealot for my ancestral traditions." (Gal 1:14). While the letter was addressed to the Galatians, St. Paul intended his message for the Judaizers. To effectively deconstruct their arguments, St. Paul posed his thesis on Christ's humanity. Jesus was "born of woman" (Gal. 4:4), a card-carrying member of the human race, the pre-eminent descendant of Abraham and heir to the covenant. In the process of exploring Jesus'individual humanity (the historical Jesus), St. Paul gained further insights into Christ (the Cosmic Christ( and into the nature of the Christian community (the Ecclesial Body of Christ).
To St. Paul, the key element was pistis.
THEO 60114-01
Rev. Fr. Jerome Murphy-O'Connor, OP
In the spring of 53 AD, critical news from Galatia reached St. Paul. Jewish Christians from Antioch had infiltrated the Galatian churches during St. Paul's absence. These "Judaizers" were enticing St. Paul's converts to undergo the rite of circumcision and to observe the ceremonial laws of the old Covenant as the indispensable means to sanctification and salvation. (1) They insisted on adherence to the Mosaic Law, while undermining St. Paul's apostolic authority by asserting that the gospel he had preached to them was not in accordance with the teachings of the original apostles in Jerusalem. (2) In a carefully crafted response (and not without restrained anger),St. Paul wrote the letter to the Galatians which manifest for the first time his distinctive Christology.
The Judaizers accepted the Messianic character of Jesus but based their arguments on the history of salvation -- Abraham's faith, God's covenant with Abraham and his descendants (cf. Gn 17.4-7), circumcision as the mark of the covenant (cf.Gn 17.10-14) and sacrament of inititation into the Jewish community (cf. Lv 12.3), the centrality of the Mosaic Law -- which, as a former Pharisee, St. Paul knew by heart (I was even more a zealot for my ancestral traditions." (Gal 1:14). While the letter was addressed to the Galatians, St. Paul intended his message for the Judaizers. To effectively deconstruct their arguments, St. Paul posed his thesis on Christ's humanity. Jesus was "born of woman" (Gal. 4:4), a card-carrying member of the human race, the pre-eminent descendant of Abraham and heir to the covenant. In the process of exploring Jesus'individual humanity (the historical Jesus), St. Paul gained further insights into Christ (the Cosmic Christ( and into the nature of the Christian community (the Ecclesial Body of Christ).
To St. Paul, the key element was pistis.
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