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  • From: Eric Potts <eric AT revpotts.freeserve.co.uk>
  • To: "Corpus-paul" <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: slave
  • Date: Sat, 29 Jul 2000 18:06:25 +0100


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




  • slave, Stephen.Finlan, 07/28/2000
    • <Possible follow-up(s)>
    • Re: slave, Eric Potts, 07/29/2000
    • Re: slave, Jim Hester, 07/29/2000
    • Re: slave, Stephen.Finlan, 07/30/2000

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