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  • From: Frich107 AT aol.com
  • To: corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Corpus-Paul] Ambiguous irony in Galatians 1 & 2
  • Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 11:42:32 EDT

Dear Mark,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Galatians 2:9 with the group and I.

>The kind of irony suspected must of course be defined, and its context
>established. I believe that this is classic Socratic irony, as it is
>throughout the letter (The Irony of Galatians, Fortress, 2002). Such
>irony is directed toward those expected to share one's point of view, to
>recognized from the irony that they have been entertaining thoughts or
>behavior that deviates from their valued and shared norms. It seeks to
>undermine appearances by an appeal to a shared concept of reality,
>however, at the moment, perhaps suppressed or trivialized. One
>expresses surprise, uncertainty, and ask questions as though
>uninformed, naive, etc., when it is the naivete of the other that the
>speaker/writer (who is not surprised, uncertain, uninformed, or naive)
>seeks to expose.

Before I respond in detail to your comments above I will need to re-read your
arguments in 'The Irony of Galatians'. However, I will respond in more
general terms for now. On the whole I tend to see Paul's use of rhetoric more
in
line with Philip Kern, who rather sees persuasive arguments, that life
experience
and exposure to Greek thought have influenced Paul towards in his letters.
Hence I am always a little wary of describing any of Paul's letters, or
idiosyncrasies as 'classic' this rhetorical motif, or that rhetorical style.
However,
I will feel happier to comment having re-read your arguments.

>The implication: the addressees should not finally trust even in the
>examples Paul gives to the degree that humans--even apostles--can fail <snip>

I agree wholeheartedly with your conclusion in this form, but ultimately feel
that Paul's use of irony (and I think sarcasm also) reveals more than this. I
would propose that he at least partially means what he says. Paul, to my
mind, is not the most humble of people, and hence for him to argue that the
Galatian believers should not follow him, but rather Christ, without any
qualification that he is acting on behalf of Christ, seems a little out of
character. I
still think that it is more likely that he wishes to undermine the other
apostles, or non-apostles in James' case, to heighten his own standing before
the
Galatian believers.

As I said earlier these are only some preliminary thoughts and responses. I
will respond in more detail in the next couple of days.

Regards,
Fred Rich.

Ph.D. Student,
Department of Biblical Studies,
University of Sheffield,
Sheffield,
South Yorkshire,
UK.




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