Christosis: Pauline Soteriology in Light of Deification in Irenaeus and Cyril of Alexandria (Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen Zum Neuen Testament 2.Reihe)

Utilising the Wirkungsgeschichte of the Pauline letters, Ben C. Blackwell reassesses Paul's soteriology expressed in Romans 8 and 2 Corinthinas 3-5 (and other texts) by comparing it with Greek patristic notions of theosis, or deification, represented by Irenaeus and Cyril of Alexandria. Preface .................................................................................................. VII Table of Contents .................................................................................... IX List of Tables ........................................................................................ XV List of Illustrations ............................................................................... XVI Abbreviations ..................................................................................... XVII I. Setting the Stage ............................................................................... 1 1. Introduction ....................................................................................... 3 1. The Question ..................................................................................... 3 2. Review of Literature.......................................................................... 5 2.1 Histories of Deification ................................................................ 6 2.1.1 Jules Gross ............................................................................ 6 2.1.2 Norman Russell ..................................................................... 6 2.2 Morna Hooker ............................................................................. 7 2.3 Stephen Finlan ............................................................................. 8 2.4 M. David Litwa ........................................................................... 9 2.5 Michael Gorman ........................................................................ 11 2.6 Issues and Questions .................................................................. 13 3. Route of Study: History of Interpretation ........................................ 14 3.1 Two Paths .................................................................................. 14 3.2 Hermeneutical Justification and Methodology ........................... 15 3.3 Conclusion ................................................................................. 24 4. Selection of Patristic Theologians ................................................... 25 4.1 Criteria For Selection ................................................................. 25 4.2 Selection of Irenaeus as the Early Writer ................................... 26 4.3 Selection of Cyril of Alexandria as the Later Writer .................. 28 4.4 Formulations of Deification ....................................................... 29 5. Conclusion ...................................................................................... 31 II. Patristic Views of Deification ..................................................... 33 2. Deification in Irenaeus .................................................................. 35 1. Introduction ..................................................................................... 35 2. God and Humanity .......................................................................... 38 2.1 The Creator and His Two Hands ................................................ 38 2.2 Humanity: The Created .............................................................. 39 2.3 The Work of Christ and the Spirit .............................................. 41 3. Humanity and God .......................................................................... 43 3.1 Believers as ‘Gods’ and Psalm 82 .............................................. 43 3.1.1 ‘Gods’ and Divine Adoption (3.6.1–3) ................................ 44 3.1.2 ‘Gods’, Adoption, and Immortality (3.19.1–2) ..................... 45 3.1.3 The Adopted as ‘Gods’ (4.Pr.4; 4.1.1) ................................. 50 3.1.4 ‘Gods’ but Not Perfect From the Beginning (4.38.1–4; 4.39.1–3) ............................................................................ 50 3.2 Being ‘Like Gods’ and Knowing Good and Evil ........................ 54 3.2.1 Against Heresies 3.20–23 .................................................... 55 3.2.2 Against Heresies 4.38–39 .................................................... 56 3.2.3 Against Heresies 5.20–23 .................................................... 57 3.2.4 Deification and Knowing Good and Evil ............................. 58 3.3 Relational Models ...................................................................... 59 3.3.1 Adoption as Children of God ............................................... 59 3.3.2 The Vision of God ............................................................... 60 3.3.3 Union, Communion, and Participation ................................. 61 3.4 Anthropological Effects ............................................................. 63 3.4.1 Immortality and Incorruption .............................................. 63 3.4.2 Progress .............................................................................. 64 3.4.3 Image and Likeness ............................................................. 65 4. Conclusion ...................................................................................... 66 4.1 Irenaeus’ Soteriology ................................................................. 66 4.2 Deification in Irenaeus ............................................................... 67 4.3 Irenaeus and Paul ....................................................................... 69 3. Deification in Cyril of Alexandria .............................................. 71 1. Introduction ..................................................................................... 71 2. The Trinity, Humanity, and Soteriology .......................................... 73 2.1 The Trinity ................................................................................. 73 2.2 Humanity ................................................................................... 74 2.2.1 Humans are Composite ........................................................ 75 2.2.2 Humans are Derivative ........................................................ 76 2.2.3 Problem of Sin .................................................................... 77 2.3 Cyril’s Soteriology ..................................................................... 77 2.3.1 Christ’s Baptism .................................................................. 77 2.3.2 Salvation Accomplished and Realised ................................. 79 3. Deification ...................................................................................... 83 3.1 Scriptural References ................................................................. 84 3.1.1 Believers as Gods and Ps 82.6 ............................................. 84 3.1.2 Participation in the Divine Nature and 2 Pet 1.4 .................. 86 3.1.2.1 In Luc. 3.21–23 ............................................................ 87 3.1.2.2 In Jo. 17.18–23 ............................................................. 88 3.2 Central Themes .......................................................................... 91 3.2.1 Basis: Nature versus Grace .................................................. 91 3.2.2 Means: Participation in the Divine ...................................... 91 3.2.3 Result: Likeness to God ...................................................... 93 3.2.3.1 Restored Life ................................................................ 94 3.2.3.2 Restored Sanctification ................................................. 94 3.2.4 Adoption as Children of God ............................................... 96 4. Conclusion ...................................................................................... 97 4.1 Deification in Cyril .................................................................... 97 4.2 Cyril and Paul ............................................................................ 97 4. Patristic Summary and Questions for Paul ................................ 99 1. Patristic Summary ........................................................................... 99 1.1 Problems and Solutions ............................................................ 100 1.2 Likeness to God ....................................................................... 105 1.3 Relational Participation ............................................................ 106 1.4 Creation, Nature, and Grace ..................................................... 106 1.5 Pauline Texts and Themes ....................................................... 108 1.6 Conclusion ............................................................................... 109 2. Paul and His Patristic Interpreters ................................................. 110 2.1 Questions for Paul ................................................................... 110 2.1.1 Areas of Interest ................................................................ 111 2.1.2 Proposed Questions ........................................................... 112 2.2 Pauline Passages ...................................................................... 113 III. Pauline Soteriology ................................................................... 115 5. Romans 8 ....................................................................................... 117 1. Introduction ................................................................................... 117 1.1 Romans 8 in Context ................................................................ 117 1.2 Summary of Chapter 8 ............................................................. 120 2. Powers and Divine Presence: 8.1–13 ............................................. 121 2.1 The Law and The Spirit (8.1–2, 4) ........................................... 122 2.2 God Condemns Sin: Incarnation, Death, and Resurrection (8.3–4) .................................................................................... 125 2.3 Spheres of Existence: Flesh and Spirit (8.4–13) ....................... 129 2.3.1 The Problem of the Flesh .................................................. 130 2.3.2 The Life of the Spirit ......................................................... 132 2.4 Conclusion ............................................................................... 135 2.5 Excursus: Colossians 2.6–3.4 ................................................... 135 2.5.1 Colossians 2.9: ‘All the fullness of deity dwells in him bodily’ .............................................................................. 136 2.5.2 Colossians 2.10: ‘You are filled in him’ ............................ 138 2.5.2.1 Presence of Salvation.................................................. 139 2.5.2.2 Noetic Enlightenment ................................................. 139 2.5.2.3 Functional Mission ..................................................... 140 2.5.3 Filled with Christ: The Embodiment of Christ’s Death and Life ............................................................................ 140 2.5.4 Conclusion: Christoformity is Theoformity ....................... 142 3. Adoption: 8.14–17 ......................................................................... 143 3.1 Adoption and the People of God .............................................. 143 3.2 Adoption as Liberation ............................................................. 145 3.3 Adoption as Eschatological Reality .......................................... 147 3.4 Excursus: Galatians 3.23–4.11 ................................................. 148 3.5 Conclusion ............................................................................... 152 4. Conformation to Christ: 8.17–30 ................................................... 152 4.1 Suffering and Glory ................................................................. 153 4.1.1 Suffering With Christ ........................................................ 155 4.1.2 Being Glorified With Christ .............................................. 157 4.2 Sonship as Conformation ......................................................... 161 4.3 Adam, Creation, and Re-creation ............................................. 163 4.4 Conclusion ............................................................................... 167 5. Summary and Conclusion .............................................................. 167 5.1 Primary Questions .................................................................... 168 5.1.1 The Shape of Soteriology: Death and Life ......................... 168 5.1.2 The Timing: Present/Future ............................................... 169 5.1.3 The Means: Participation in the Divine.............................. 171 5.1.4 Eschatology and Protology ................................................ 172 5.2 Conclusion ............................................................................... 173 6. 2 Corinthians 3–5 ......................................................................... 174 1. Introduction ................................................................................... 174 2. The Spirit, Life, and Transformation: 3.1–4.6 ................................ 175 2.1 Spirit of the New Covenant (3.1–6) .......................................... 176 2.2 Transformation into Unveiled Glory (3.7–18) .......................... 179 2.2.1 Moses’ Glory (3.7-11) ....................................................... 180 2.2.2 Moses’ Veil (3.12–18) ....................................................... 181 2.2.3 Glory and Transformation (3.18) ....................................... 183 2.3 Transformation and Deification (3.18) ..................................... 191 2.4 The Glory of Christ (4.1–6) ...................................................... 193 2.5 Conclusion ............................................................................... 196 3. Death and Life in Christ: 4.7–5.10 ................................................. 197 3.1 Embodying Christ’s Death and Life (4.7–15) ........................... 197 3.1.1 Excursus: The Body .......................................................... 199 3.2 Excursus: Philippians 2–3 ........................................................ 204 3.3 Hope of Resurrection (4.16–5.10) ............................................ 209 3.3.1 2 Corinthians 4.16–18 ....................................................... 210 3.3.2 2 Corinthians 5.1–10 ......................................................... 212 3.4 Excursus: 1 Corinthians 15 ...................................................... 216 3.5 Conclusion ............................................................................... 218 4. Salvation Explored: 5.11–6.2 ........................................................ 219 4.1 Death and Life in Christ (5.11–15) ........................................... 219 4.2 New Creation, Reconciliation, and Righteousness (5.16–6.2) ... 221 4.2.1 New Creation: 2 Corinthians 5.17 ..................................... 221 4.2.2 Reconciliation: 2 Corinthians 5.18–20 ............................... 225 4.2.3 Sin and Righteousness: 2 Corinthians 5.21 ........................ 226 4.3 Conclusion ............................................................................... 232 5. Summary and Conclusion .............................................................. 233 5.1 Questions ................................................................................. 233 5.1.1 The Shape of Soteriology and When It Occurs .................. 233 5.1.1.1 Problems .................................................................... 233 5.1.1.2 Present Salvation ........................................................ 234 5.1.1.3 Future Salvation ......................................................... 235 5.1.2 How It Occurs ................................................................... 235 5.1.3 Eschatology and Protology ................................................ 237 5.2 Conclusion ............................................................................... 237 7. Summary of Paul’s Soteriology ................................................ 239 1. Introduction ................................................................................... 239 2. Shape and Timing of Pauline Soteriology ...................................... 239 3. How This Soteriology Comes About ............................................. 243 4. Continuity and Discontinuity with Creation ................................... 246 IV. Conclusion .................................................................................. 249 8. Conclusion .................................................................................... 251 1. Patristic Soteriology ...................................................................... 251 1.1 Irenaeus ................................................................................... 251 1.2 Cyril ........................................................................................ 252 1.3 Synthesis ................................................................................. 252 2. Pauline Soteriology ....................................................................... 253 3. Analysis and Conclusions .............................................................. 254 3.1 Common Emphases ................................................................. 254 3.1.1 Life, Incorruption, and Glory ............................................ 255 3.1.2 Image of God .................................................................... 256 3.1.3 Participatory Triune Divine Encounter .............................. 257 3.2 Distinct Pauline Emphases: Law and Suffering ........................ 259 3.2.1 Law and Righteousness ..................................................... 259 3.2.2 Suffering ........................................................................... 261 3.3 Conclusions ............................................................................. 262 4. Significance and Implications ........................................................ 267 5. Further Study ................................................................................ 270 6. Final Reflections ........................................................................... 271 Bibliography ......................................................................................... 273 Index of Ancient Sources ...................................................................... 289 Index of Modern Authors ...................................................................... 305 Index of Subjects .................................................................................. 309 With increasing interaction between Eastern and Western theologians, several recent biblical interpreters have characterised Paul's soteriology as theosis, or deification. In response to these affirmations, Ben C. Blackwell explores the anthropological dimension of Paul's soteriology to determine how helpful this characterisation is. Utilising the Wirkungsgeschichte of the Pauline letters, he first examines two Greek patristic interpreters of Paul - Irenaeus and Cyril of Alexandria - to clarify what deification entails and to determine which Pauline texts they used to support their soteriological constructions. The monograph then focuses on Paul's soteriology expressed in Romans 8 and 2 Corinthians 3-5 (with excursus on other passages) and explores how believers embody Christ's death and life, his suffering and glory, through the Spirit. Blackwell concludes with a comparison of deification as presented by these two Greek patristic interpreters and Paul's soteriology, noting the substantial overlap as well as key differences. Introduction -- Patristic Views Of Deification. Deification In Irenaeus -- Deification In Cyril Of Alexandria -- Patristic Summary And Questions For Paul -- Pauline Soteriology. Romans 8 -- 2 Corinthians 3-5 -- Summary Of Paul's Soteriology -- Conclusion. Ben C. Blackwell. This Monograph Is A Slightly Altered Form Of My Doctoral Thesis Submitted To Durham University In 2010--p. [vii]. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 273- 288) And Indexes.