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  • From: Jim Hester <hester AT jasper.uor.edu>
  • To: Corpus-paul <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Sacred cows
  • Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2000 08:49:43 -0700


Virginia Wiles wrote:

> 3) A smaller issue that I seem to have bumped up against unwittingly on a
> number of occasions now: the assumption (undefended by those in
> conversation with me, at any rate) that Phil 2:6-11 is *obviously* a
> prescriptive exhortation for correcting the Philippians' behavior. I argue
> that the hymn is descriptive of the Philippians' life and experience rather
> than prescriptive, but have had difficulty getting any hearing for that
> reading. Granted, my interpretation may simply be wrong (though I don't
> think so, of course!), but the responses (in reader reviews) to my efforts
> have certainly smelled "sacred cow-ish." So I pose the question: is Phil
> 2:6-11 a sacred cow?

Virginia, thanks for raising this issue, but I need some elaboration. Based
just on what you have said, I take it that you interpret the verb in verse 5
to be indicative rather than imperative, and then understand the "therefore"
in verse 12 to be a kind of "result" clause. In other words, since it is the
case that you "have this mind" or "hold this attitude", then the result
should be working out your salvation with fear and trembling.

Is that something like what you are getting at?

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