Corpus-Paul

["Stephen.Finlan" <Stephen.Finlan AT durham.ac.uk>]

> who have been alienated (5:19). Then in 5:21 he uses the metaphor of

> sin-bearing drawn from sacrifice in the Temple."

Dear Bob, I think you are right to see some connection between
2 Cor 5:21 and Temple ritual, although the particular ritual
may not be the red heifer.  

I think the point of contact that you see is that the priest was
pure and became impure, just as "he who knew no sin" became sin.
However, that same "exchange" takes place with regard to the
whole community in the scapegoat ritual (which is NOT a
sacrifice, by the way).  The scapegoat differs from sacrifice
at all these points:
SCAPEGOAT                     SACRIFICE
driven out                    carefully offered
to Azazel                     offered to God
becomes an impure thing       pure thing
not a gift                    can be described as a gift
sins of people loaded on it   nothing like that is stated

I don't think a sacrifice ever "becomes sin," but that could
easily be said about the scapegoat.

Your suggestion should be examined, of course, but these are
my thoughts as to the most likely cultic background to 2Co 5:21.

Thanks,
Stephen Finlan
University of Durham