New Creation In Paul's Letters And Thought (Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series, Series Number 119)

M.V. Hubbard offers a full investigation of St. Paul's understanding of "new life" and "new creation", working closely with the language of his letters to unpack, in socio-anthropological context, the images and metaphors he uses. Professor Hubbard examines other approaches and literature on the topic, providing an important new perspective on the Pauline oeuvre and its meaning. Half-title......Page 3 Title......Page 7 Copyright......Page 8 Dedication......Page 9 CONTENTS......Page 11 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 13 ABBREVIATIONS......Page 15 The current debate......Page 17 New creature......Page 18 New community......Page 20 Method and sources......Page 21 PART I New creation: central Jewish texts......Page 25 2 NEW CREATION IN THE JEWISH SCRIPTURES: AN OVERVIEW......Page 27 Creation and redemption......Page 28 New creation and second exodus......Page 30 The “former” and the “new”......Page 31 Isaiah 65 and 66: a new heaven and new earth......Page 32 Jeremiah: a new covenant......Page 33 Israel’s wicked heart......Page 34 The plight and the solution......Page 35 Ezekiel: a new heart and a new spirit......Page 36 Israel’s adulterous heart......Page 37 Israel’s hardened heart......Page 38 Summary and conclusions......Page 39 Jubilees: a case study......Page 42 Jubilees as apocalyptic......Page 43 Divine disclosure and the decoding of history......Page 44 Apology and historiography......Page 45 Hope and despair......Page 49 Central texts......Page 52 A thematic synopsis of Jubilees 1.7–29 and 23.11–32......Page 53 Sin, Satan, and the Gentiles......Page 54 Moral renovation......Page 59 New creation: cosmological transformation......Page 62 Eschatology and the apocalyptic paradigm......Page 64 New creation and the apocalyptic paradigm......Page 66 Summary and conclusions......Page 68 Plot summary......Page 70 Language, date, provenance, and character......Page 71 Purpose and theme......Page 72 New creation......Page 73 Joseph and Aseneth 8.9: translation and structure......Page 74 Strophes A and B: analysis and interpretation......Page 75 Strophe C: analysis and interpretation......Page 79 Excursus: honey in the conversion cycle......Page 81 Strophe D: analysis and interpretation......Page 87 Summary and conclusions......Page 89 Summary of part I......Page 91 PART II From death to life: new creation in the contours of Paul’s thought......Page 93 The work of Arnold van Gennep......Page 95 Death and life......Page 97 Transformation......Page 98 Empowerment......Page 99 Demarcation......Page 100 Betwixt and between......Page 101 The cosmic simile......Page 102 Excursus: Paul and new birth......Page 103 Interpreting religious symbolism......Page 104 Summary and conclusions......Page 105 6 NEWNESS OF LIFE: ROMANS 6.1–11......Page 107 Context......Page 108 Structure......Page 109 Death to sin......Page 111 The subjects of death......Page 112 The old person......Page 113 Newness of life......Page 116 Summary......Page 119 Context......Page 120 Structure......Page 123 The law, the flesh, sin, and death......Page 124 Newness of the Spirit, oldness of the letter......Page 125 The meaning of the letter–Spirit antithesis......Page 126 The origin of the Letter–Spirit antithesis......Page 127 Summary......Page 128 8 SPIRIT, NEWNESS, LIFE: THE PAULINE ANTECEDENTS......Page 129 The Spirit and the eschaton......Page 130 The Spirit and life......Page 132 The Spirit of life......Page 136 Summary......Page 138 9 CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST: GALATIANS 2.19–20......Page 139 Dying and living......Page 140 Paul’s emphatic “I”......Page 142 The love of Christ......Page 143 Summary of part II......Page 144 PART III The old and the new: new creation in the context of Paul’s letters......Page 147 The literary context of 2 Corinthians 5.11–21......Page 149 The literary tone of 2 Corinthians 2.14–7.4......Page 150 The salvation-historical context of 2 Corinthians 2.14–7.4......Page 151 2 Corinthians 1.21–22......Page 152 2 Corinthians 5.5......Page 153 The programmatic character of the introductory thanksgiving (2.14–17)......Page 155 Identifying Paul’s “opponents”......Page 156 Paul’s spoken message in 2.17d......Page 158 Paul’s spoken message in 1 Corinthians 1–4......Page 159 Paul’s spoken message in 2 Corinthians 10–13......Page 161 Paul’s spoken message in 2 Corinthians 3–4......Page 164 Summary......Page 165 The theological antecedents of Paul’s argument: Jeremiah and Ezekiel......Page 166 The New Covenant antitheses of 2 Corinthians 2–7......Page 167 From life to life: the motif of transformation......Page 169 Image and glory......Page 170 2 Corinthians 3.18......Page 171 2 Corinthians 4.4, 6......Page 174 Paul’s ministry of.........Page 177 The complaint of Paul’s.........Page 179 New creation......Page 187 New creation and the Spirit......Page 199 Adam, image, and new creation......Page 201 The social function of new creation in 2 Corinthians 5.17......Page 202 Galatians: recent issues in interpretation......Page 204 Galatians 6.12–18 in epistolary and rhetorical perspective......Page 206 Paul as paradigm (Galatians 1 and 2)......Page 207 Paul’s “biography of reversal”......Page 208 Appearance versus reality......Page 211 Summary......Page 214 The decisive question.........Page 215 The decisive evidence: the Spirit......Page 217 The blessing, the inheritance, the promise, and the Spirit......Page 218 Children, heirs, the Spirit and the covenants......Page 219 The Spirit and the flesh (Gal. 5.13–6.10)......Page 223 New creation......Page 225 Excursus: boasting in Paul and Jeremiah......Page 236 ...in the argument of Galatians......Page 241 ...and the Spirit......Page 242 ...and death–life symbolism......Page 243 Galatians 6.15 and the motif of transformation......Page 245 ...and the Gentile mission......Page 246 Galatians 6.15 and 2 Cor. 5.17......Page 247 From death to life......Page 249 The Spirit and the flesh......Page 250 An analogical versus a history-of-traditions methodology......Page 252 Jubilees and Joseph and Aseneth......Page 253 Paul and apocalyptic......Page 254 New creation and conversion......Page 256 REFERENCES......Page 258 INDEX OF PASSAGES CITED......Page 284 INDEX OF MODERN AUTHORS......Page 303 As A Biblical Motif, 'new Creation' Resonates Throughout The Pages Of The Jewish And Christian Scriptures, And Occupies A Central Place In The Apostle Paul's Vision Of The Christian Life. Yet The Biblical And Extra-biblical Occurrences Of This Theme Vary Widely In Meaning, Referring To Either A New Cosmos, A New Community, Or A New Individual. Beginning With The Old Testament And Working Through The Important Texts Of Second Temple Judaism, Moyer V. Hubbard Focuses On How The Motif Functions In The Argument, Strategy, And Literary Structure Of These Documents, Highlighting Its Role As The Solution To The Perceived Plight. He Then Explores In Detail Which Senses Of The Term Paul Intends In Galatians 6.15 And 2 Corinthians 5.17, Concluding That 'new Creation' In Paul's Letters Describes The Spirit-wrought Newness Of The Person In Christ, And Is Fundamentally Anthropological In Orientation. Introduction: The Current Debate -- New Creation In The Jewish Scriptures : An Overview -- New Creation In Apocalyptic Judaism : Jubilees -- New Creation In Diaspora Judaism : Joseph And Aseneth -- From Death To Life : Insights From Cultural Anthropology -- Newness Of Life : Romans 6:1-11 -- Newness Of The Spirit : Romans 7:1-6 -- Spirit, Newness, Life : The Pauline Antecedents -- Crucified With Christ : Galatians 2:19-20 -- If Anyone Be In Christ : 2 Corinthians 5:17 -- Neither Circumcision Nor Uncircumcision : Galatians 6:15 -- Summary And Conclusions. Moyer V. Hubbard. Originally Presented As The Author's Thesis (doctoral)--university Of Oxford, 1998. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 242-267) And Indexes.