Corpus-Paul

[Eric Potts <eric AT revpotts.freeserve.co.uk>]

Stephen Finlan wrote:

> I think Paul knew there would be a double resonance
> among his readers whenever he used the "slave"
> metaphor: the literary-religious image of slavery
> in Egypt, and the image or reality of current or
> recent slave status of many of his Gentile readers.
> The notion of Christ buying one's freedom from social
> slavery, would be just as vivid to a Gentile reader
> as the new-Exodus notion would be for a Jewish reader.


Dunn mentions that although APOLYTRWSIS is itself little used, there are 
uses in Philo and Josephus, where it has the meaning of redeeming a captive 
or prisoner of war from slavery. Moreover LYTROYN is often used in LXX of 
God's redemption of Israel, especially from Egypt. Dunn gives a string of 
references  (eg Deut 7.8; 9.26; 13.5) There is also Deutero-Isaiah,  where 
the reference is also to the restoration from exile, of course: eg Isa 
41.14; 43.1; 44.22-23 )
He also suggests that "it is quite possible that the Christian tradition or 
Paul himself deliberately chose the weightier compound form to strengthen 
the sense of ransoming from (sin) or back (to God.)"


> Paul was expert at using images that could reach
> diverse auditors, having different resonances for
> different readers.  Isn't this what we would expect
> of a great preacher?

Yes.  I'm fairly sure Paul had both the Exodus and the Exile in mind when 
he used the word. But that doesn't mean we have to press home the analogy 
too closely. It is the resonance that matters, rather than the precise 
corresponence of the imagery.






Eric Potts: Lowestoft, England.
Superintendent Minister, Lowestoft and East Suffolk Circuit of the 
Methodist Church in Great Britain.
http://www.bigfoot.com/~ericpotts