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  • From: "Mark D. Nanos" <nanosmd AT home.com>
  • To: Corpus-paul <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Sanders and the "New" Perspective
  • Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2001 08:15:32 -0500


[Jim Hester wrote:
> The phrase "works of the law" appears six times in Galatians -- that's not
> news to anyone, just an observation. ISTM that within the context of the
> argument of Galatians it can be described as an example of the figure
> "antonomasia," i.e. a descriptive phrase used for a proper name. That
> raises the question, what proper name? Circumcision.

Thank you for this observation Jim. I was not aware of this term for what I
was trying to communicate. I would like to push this a little further.

Is not "circumcision" also a similar figure in Galatians? And don't both
"works of law" and "circumcision" refer to an identity that Jewish people
have but non-Jewish people, such as those whom Paul addresses, don't have?
that is, unless they undertake the identity transformation that will render
them Jewish people. For example, in v. 12 the "ones for circumcision" are
"the ones for proselyte conversion."

So are not both expressions antonomasia, descriptive phrases for the proper
name "Jews," although in the case of those who "become Jews," "circumcision"
is used here for a certain category of Jewish people with the proper name
"proselytes"?

Regards,
Mark
--
Mark D. Nanos, Ph.D.
313 NE Landings Dr.
Lee's Summit, MO 64064
USA
nanosmd AT home.com






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