Swimming in the Sea of Scripture: Paul’s Use of the Old Testament in 2 Corinthians 4:7–13:13 (The Library of New Testament Studies, 519)

In examining the appropriation of Scripture in 2 Corinthians 4–13, Han argues that the apostle is not only aware of the original contexts of the passages he refers to, but goes beyond the immediate contexts and brings in the larger context of the Old Testament. This is indicated by the presence of major themes from a large part of the Old Testament and also by concatenation of passages from different places. This suggests that Paul is not so much concerned with exact reproduction of the scriptural texts as with thematic and structural correspondences. In the course of adapting the Scripture, necessary changes of referent occur and Paul appears to use the method of identification in reading the Old Testament. Whether it is Paul himself, the Corinthians or the opponents, various kinds of identification take place with the scriptural writers and the characters mentioned in it. This identification extends even to the point of identifying the Corinthians with the Servant of Isaiah, Jesus and God. From this it is suggested that there is a concept of ‘corporate identity’ present throughout the chapters, which is also seen in the Old Testament. In many cases Paul’s basic thrust is sufficiently clear even without any understanding of scriptural references he makes. This is because Paul often makes a rhetorical use of the Scripture by citing a text at climactic points or near the closing of a section he is developing to strengthen his points, even as he brings in the ‘big picture’ of the Old Testament. This monograph is the fruit of my PhD dissertation at the London School of Theology. First of all, my heartfelt gratitude is offered to Steve Walton who has shown exceptional patience and gentleness in guiding and encouraging me with his keen eye for details as well as his breadth of knowledge. I would also like to thank Max Turner, Steve Moyise, and Steve Motyer for their warm encouragement and helpful comments. I want to express my gratitude for the generous support from the Laing Scholarship that helped me bring the project to completion. My appreciation also goes to Dominic Mattos and the editorial staff at Bloomsbury T&T Clark for accepting the thesis and bringing it to publication. I have come to realize that the research cannot be separated from personal and spiritual formation, which has become for me a solid foundation and a reason for persevering. Much appreciated is the warm and faithful support from my family members, friends at London Calvary Church, Ealing Korean Church, and Myungsung Presbyterian Church, and my colleagues at the London School of Theology, who were willing to share the joys and tears of life together. Special thanks are due to Samuel and Grace Han, Sun-Yi Park, Seokyoung and Kwanok Kim. My wife, Sungah, deserves special mention as she has been constant source of encouragement, wisdom, and joy. Above all, I want to express my unfathomable indebtedness to my Lord for his steadfast grace and love in forming a jar out of clay for use in his kingdom. In examining the appropriation of Scripture in 2 Corinthians 4–13, Han argues that the apostle is not only aware of the original contexts of the passages he refers to, but also goes beyond the immediate contexts and brings in the larger context of the Old Testament. In the course of adapting the Scripture, necessary changes of referent occur and Paul appears to use the method of identification in reading the Old Testament. Whether it is Paul himself, the Corinthians or the opponents, various kinds of identification take place with the scriptural writers and the characters mentioned in it. This identification extends even to the point of identifying the Corinthians with the Servant of Isaiah, Jesus and God. From this it is suggested that there is a concept of 'corporate identity' present throughout the chapters, which is also seen in the Old Testament. In many cases Paul's basic thrust is sufficiently clear even without any understanding of scriptural references he makes. This is because Paul often makes a rhetorical use of the Scripture by citing a text at climactic points or near the closing of a section he is developing to strengthen his points, even as he brings in the 'big picture' of the Old Testament. Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Acknowlegments -- Abbreviations -- Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION -- I. A Survey on the Use of the Scripture in 2 Corinthians -- a. 2 Corinthians 3 -- b. The Rest of 2 Corinthians -- II. Methodology -- a. Approach of this Study -- b. A Note on Terminology -- Chapter 2 CORINTHIANS 4.7-6.13 -- 4.7 -- 4.11 -- 4.13 -- 4.16-18 -- 5.1 -- 5.4 -- 5.1 -- 5.12 -- 5.14-6.2 -- 5.17 -- 5.18-20 -- 5.21 -- a. The Servant of YHWH -- b. 5.21 in the Light of the Servant -- 6.2 -- 6.9 -- 6.11, 13 -- Conclusion -- Chapter 3 2 CORINTHIANS 6.14-7.16 -- 6.14 -- 6.15 -- 6.16 -- 9.17 -- 6.18 -- Excursus: Scriptural Correspondences - An Enemy or a Friend of Interpolation Theory? -- 7.6 -- 7.15-16 -- Conclusion -- Chapter 4 2 CORINTHIANS 8 AND 9 -- 8.12 -- 8.15 -- 8.21 -- 9.6-8 -- 9.9 -- 9.1 -- Conclusion -- Chapter 5 2 CORINTHIANS 10-13 -- 10.3-5 -- 10.8 -- 10.17 -- 11.3 -- 11.2 -- 11.24 -- 12.7 -- 13.1 -- Conclusion -- Chapter 6 PAUL AS A SWIMMER IN THE SEA OF SCRIPTURE -- PAUL AS A SWIMMER IN THE SEA OF SCRIPTURE -- Summary -- Observations and Implications -- Bibliography -- Index of References -- Index of Authors