La esfera pública, los medios de comunicación y el activismo político

Paul’s sel - n ol e ent n the “sp r t o a th” that leads to the pract cal ministry of preaching also best accounts for the transition from verse twelve, where Paul has ust con e ed the purpose o h s part c pat on n hr st’s su er ng; such afflictions result in life abounding in the Corinthians, just as the suffering and death of Christ results in life for those who believe.493 As Paul explicates his ministry through the lens o hr st’s su er ngs h s part c pat on n ol es the sa e outward pro ect on o g ng l e to others that hr st’s death and resurrect on acco pl shed. This theme of other-centredness had been established in the opening doxology, where Paul discloses that the comfort he receives from the Father is for the purpose of being able to comfort others with that same comfort he received (2 Cor 1:4, 6-7). This pattern is repeated in chapter four when Paul proclaims Jesus as Lord and himself as a servant for the benefit of the Corinthians (4:5). In the immediate context, Paul reiterates that all of this suffering is for the sake of the Corinthians and to the glory of God (4:12, 15).494 This thread reveals an interesting and crucial point about agency. Paul is an active agent, but here we see that agency can be understood in terms of

instrumentality. As Paul suffers with Christ, he becomes the instrument through which God works to strengthen other believers (12:19). Yet we have seen that his suffering is intended to yield faith. Thus through his participatory faith he consistently exhibits the intention to bless and serve others.

2.2.4 Summary

As we have engaged with one o Paul’s ost pro ound express ons o participation in Christ in 4:7–15, we have uncovered that faith is vital to

understanding precisely how believers participate n the d na c o hr st’s death and resurrection. Participation and faith were connected in these verses first of all through Paul’s own con dence that what s true o hr st w ll be true o h sel —he will be raised with Jesus (4:10, 14). Even more, Paul understands his own

participation in Christ as somehow sharing in the life-giving death and resurrection of Christ. Participation in Christ by faith is not solely for the sake of his own future hope, but bringing others into this Christ-mediated process of salvation as well. While

493 _{Cf. 1 Cor 15:22; Gal 2:19-20.}

494 _{Paul habitually implicates the Corinthians in his defence. With him, they are confirmed}

(βεβαιόω) n hr st (1:21). The are h s letter o reco endat on ro hr st (3:2-3). His authority is for the sake of building up the Corinthians (10:8). In a final summary, Paul exclaims that it has been for the purpose of building them up that he has spoken in Christ (12:19).

125 a pbell understands the “ p r t o a th” to re er to hr st’s a th we ha e argued that it is more tenable that Paul understands this faith to be the point of connection within the human where participation happens. More specifically, faith is the mode of dependence on Christ that manifests his life-giving ministry.

2.3 Faith: Confident Knowing

Thus ar we ha e argued that Paul’s re erence to πίστις n 4:13 s not s pl an aside to his detailed exposition on sharing in the sufferings of Christ. Rather it is central to and integrated with this theme of participation in Christ. The centrality of faith to participation in Christ is supported by the fact that the context of this passage is couched in confidence terms. In 4:14, Paul qualifies his statement of faith (4:13) with a participial phrase. Dependent on the main verb, πιστεύω (4:13) ἶδα qualifies a th n concrete cogn t e ter s: εἰδότες ὅτι ὁ ἐγεί ας τὸν κύ ι ν Ἰησ ν καὶ ἡμᾶς σὺν Ἰησ ἐγε εῖ καὶ πα αστήσει σὺν ὑμῖν. The per ect part c ple εἰδότες s

functioning causally here, explaining the content of his faith and the basis of his ministr . Paul’s a th produced act on that o procla ng the gospel and he can continue preaching in adverse situations because he knows that even should he die, he will be raised with Jesus. Thus Paul does not lose heart (ἐγκακέω – 4:16)495 because the spiritual reality that he looks forward to far outweighs the light and temporal suffering (4:16-18).

In the opening verses of chapter five, Paul conveys his confidence, alternating between the words ἶδα ( .1 6) and θα έω ( .6 8) w th a qu ntessent al

procla at on concern ng πίστις n 5:7: διὰ πίστεως γὰ πε ιπατ μεν ὐ διὰ εἴδ υς. Th s s the rst occurence o θα έω n th s letter.496 _{This verb is understood}

generally to mean: “to have certainty in a matter, be confident, be courageous.”497 The content of his confidence, while being rooted in having the Spirit as an ἀ αβών

495 _{Cf. 4:1. The verb ἐγκακέω s used b Paul onl n 2 or 4:1 16; Gal 6:9. In the d sputed}

letters it occurs in Eph 3:13; 2 Thess 3:13, and in the Gospels, it occurs only in Luke 18:1. BDAG offers two de n t ons or the erb: 1) To lose one’s ot at on n cont nu ng a des rable pattern o conduct or activity, lose enthusiasm, be discouraged; 2) To be afraid in the face of a great difficulty (BDAG, ἐγκακέω 2178).

496 _{In fact, Paul does not employ θα έω n an o h s other letters. Bes des these two}

instances in chapter 5, the word occurs later in 2 Cor 7:16; 10:1, 2, but with the emphasis directed to having confidence before humanity, rather than as a kind of commentary on faith in God as it is here. The only other New Testament occurrence of this verb is in Hebrews 13:6. In the Gospels and Acts, a ar ant or o the erb θα σέω s used on occas on and carr es the sa e lex cal connotat ons as θα έω (c . Mt. 9:22; 14:27; Mark 6:50; 10:49; John 16:33; Acts 23:11; 28:15).

126 (5:5), is that he will be with the Lord. After the earlier emphasis on his present

exper ence o hr st’s death and l e work ng through h (4:10-11), the future experience of presence with Christ is emphasised in this passage (5:6-8) as he began to suggest in 4:14. Bounded by his two expressions of confidence (5:6, 8), Paul contrasts living by faith and living by sight:

5:6 Θα ντες ὖν πάντ τε καὶ εἰδότες 5:6b ὅτι ἐνδημ ντες ἐν τῷ σώματι ἐκδημ μεν ἀπὸ τ κυ ί υ· 5:7 διὰ498 πίστεως γὰ πε ιπατ μεν ὐ διὰ εἴδ υς· 5:8 θα μεν δὲ καὶ εὐδ κ μεν μᾶλλ ν ἐκδημῆσαι ἐκ τ σώματ ς καὶ ἐνδημῆσαι π ὸς τὸν κύ ι ν.

Thus we understand the three expressions ἶδα θα έω and πίστις to be descriptive of one another. The metaphorical depiction of an earthly house compared with a heavenly, eternal dwelling with God relates to the affliction Paul delineated in 4:7-18. The central themes of “life operating through death” and “glory arising through suffering” are continued in 5:1-10. As Paul here ponders his own death prior to the Parousia of Christ,499 he nds co ort n know ng ( ἶδα) that h s uture hea enl dwelling is secure, and even far superior to his earthly dwelling. It is indeed this confidence, this knowledge, this faith that carries him through the darkest nights of this present life.

2.4 New Creation and Reconciliation in Christ

After expounding on this mode of courageous faith while awaiting a future of glorious and holistic union with the Lord, Paul transitions again to defend and to explicate his ministry of reconciliation (5:11-21). As he proceeds, he ties in the theme of participation: ὅτι εἷς ὑπὲ πάντων ἀπέθανεν ἄ α ἱ πάντες ἀπέθαν ν·καὶ ὑπὲ πάντων ἀπέθανεν ἵνα ἱ ζῶντες μηκέτι ἑαυτ ῖς ζῶσιν ἀλλὰ τῷ ὑπὲ αὐτῶν

ἀπ θανόντι καὶ ἐγε θέντι (5:14b-15). hr st’s death beco es the representat e death in which all believers participate. Yet such death yields new life. Paul states explicitly that the purpose of Christ’s death was to re bel e ers n a sel -negating and Christ-glorifying way of life (5:15). In the next verse, Paul articulates this state of ex stence as “new creat on”: ὥστε εἴ τις ἐν ιστῷ καινὴ κτίσις· τὰ ἀ χαῖα

498 _{Harr s expla ns that the prepos t onal phrases here that beg n w th a parallel use o διά ( .7)}

are examples of accompanying circumstance. This interpretation gives the sense therefore of walking “ n the real o a th not [ n the real ] o s ght.” (Harr s Second Epistle, 365–66).

127 πα ῆλθεν ἰδ ὺ γέγ νεν καινά (5:17).500 Whether th s καινὴ κτίσις re ers to renewal o the whole cosmos or more specifically to human transformation has been widely debated.501 _{However, there are a couple of key indications that Paul has human}

transformation primarily in view. First, Harris and Thrall note that the conditional and nd dual cast o the sentence εἴ τις leans n a our o the ew that καινὴ κτίσις relates to an nd dual’s un on w th hr st b a th.502 Secondly, the theme of human trans or at on and “newness” has been recurrent through the letter. This is evident in Paul’s requent use o ζωή πνε μα δόξα εἰκών 503 and n the context o Paul’s discussion of new creation, which follows on his discussion of the new covenant ministry. One of the key features of the new covenant ministry is the life-giving Spirit (3:6, 9) who is at work on human hearts (3:3), transforming believers into the image of the glory of the Lord (3:18; 4:6, 16-17).504

The passage concludes with another significant passage about participation: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might beco e the r ghteousness o God” (2 or 5:21).505 Morna Hooker has famously dep cted th s passage as an exa ple o “ nterchange.” B nterchange Hooker eans to distinguish that Paul is not speaking of a simple exchange of status, but rather, Christ enters our experience and we then enter his by sharing in his death and

resurrection.506 _{As Paul is dealing with the theme of reconciliation in 2 Corinthians 5,}

it follows that the interchange involves Christ entering into the human struggle of sin

500 _{Guthrie points out that the ὥστε clause that beg ns erse 17 stands n parallel w th the ὥστε}

clause in verse 16. The two phrases flow from the idea of verse fifteen that those who are alive in Christ no longer live for themselves (Guthrie, 2 Corinthians, 307).

501 _{In the New Testament, the phrase occurs only one other time—in Galatians 6:15. This}

citation will be dealt with in more detail in chapter six of this thesis. It finds a background in three related passages in Isaiah: Isa 43:18-19; 65:17; 66:22. The rst speaks o a new order w th the ter s τὰ ἀ χαῖα ἰδ ύ and καινά parallel to 2 or 5:17. The latter two deta l a new cos os that the Lord s creat ng ( ὐ ανὸς καινός and γῆ καινή). The phrase s noted n the Qu ran l terature as well. . Peter tuhl acher “Erwägungen zu Ontolog schen harakter der καινὴ κτίσις be Paulus ” EvT 27 (1967): 1–35; Ulrich Mell, Neue Schöpfung: Eine Traditionsgeschichtliche und Exegetische Studie zu einem

Soteriologischen Grundsatz Paulinischer Theologie, BZNW 56 (Berlin: de Gruyter, 1989).

502 _{Harris, Second Epistle, 432; Thrall, Second Epistle, 427. Thrall notes that the new world}

and new age are already objective realties in principle through the Christ-event.

503 _{Cf. Hubbard, New Creation, 154.}

504 _{Some take it as a reference to the church in general. Ferd nand Hahn “ ehe Jetzt Ist der}

Tag des Heils: Neuschöpfung und Versöhnung nach 2 Korinther 5:14–6:2 ” EvT 33 (1973): 250.

505 _{Cf. Gal 3:13 which will be dealt with in more detail in chapter six.}

506 _{Morna D. Hooker “Interchange n hr st ” n From Adam to Christ: Essays on Paul}

(Eugene: Wipf & Stock, 2008), 16. It ust be noted that n her proposal o “ nterchange ” Hooker takes a strong stance aga nst subst tut onar atone ent. ee Gathercole or a sol d cr t que o Hooker’s stance against substitution. Indeed, the idea of interchange which emphasises participation is integral to Paul’s soter olog but not exclus e o other portant etaphors for salvation. Simon Gathercole,

Defending Substitution: An Essay on Atonement in Paul, ASBT (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic,

128 and therefore that humans are enabled to share in the righteousness of Christ. Hooker wr tes: “In so e un atho able wa hr st s dent ed w th what s opposed to God in order that man should be reconciled to h .”507

That this passage on participation in 5:11-21 follows upon the emphasis on faith leading up to it (4:13-5:10) presents us with an interesting juxtaposition. In 5:1- 10 especially, Paul presents faith with a future focus. There he emphasises the intense waiting and longing to be in the presence of the Lord (5:8), unhindered anymore by mortal flesh and dwelling finally in the fullness of eternal glory. Earthly existence is a matter of faith and not of sight (5:7). In other words, faith is presented here in such a way as to inspire hope when the mortal life weighs heavily on the believer. In bodies that are decaying, believers do groan for the eternal weight of glory that is beyond all comparison (4:17). Yet, 5:11-21 presents clearly that the promise of participation in Christ is not just for the future, but an inaugurated reality in the present.508 Having been reconciled to God, the believer is now a new creation in Christ (5:17)—sharing in his very life for the purpose of exemplifying his self-giving love (5:15) and reconciling sinners to him (5:19-20). In Christ, believers even become the very righteousness of God (5:21). The flow of the passage is significant. Paul has moved back and forth between the two themes of participation and faith. Such movement shows that they cannot be separated. Participation in Christ is absolutely a matter of faith as believers identify with the Christ-event in daily dependence upon him while awaiting a future of full fellowship with him.509

2.5. Summary: Participation by Faith

Our exegesis of 2 Corinthians 4:7–5:21 has been lengthy and detailed, so we pause to tie together some of our conclusions. We first began by exploring the theme o part c pat on n hr st and d sco ered that Paul’s l e and n str are centred n a dynamic conformity to Christ crucified so that as Paul suffers, he somehow shares in the er death o hr st. At the sa e t e Paul’s l e and n str operate n the resurrection life of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is both a future hope of be ng ra sed w th Jesus and a present exper ence o eld ng new l e n others. Paul’s

507 _{Hooker “Interchange n hr st ” 17.}

508 _{Cf. 5:5 in which the Spirit is given as a guarantee.}

509 _{Harris notes that “In 5:17 ἐν ιστῷ a be paraphrased ‘un ted n aith to the risen}

129 part c pat on n th s d na c o hr st’s death and resurrect on exe pl es the sel - giving love of Christ.

losel l nked w th Paul’s d scuss on o part c pat on is his reference to the “sp r t o a th.” F rst we not ced how a pbell uses th s erse n an attempt to bolster a case or the sub ect e gen t e read ng o πίστις ιστ . Contra Campbell, we obser ed Paul’s ntent on to c te th s erse n the context o h s apologia and thus to provide additional justification to his own ministry. Paul is precisely emphasising his own appropriation of faith; indeed, this faith is Christologically shaped, but it is in no wa e dent that he ntends to suggest that he s part c pat ng n hr st’s a th. Rather, he places emphasis on himself as the subject of faith.

Faith was seen to be pneumatologically inspired. By the power of the life- g ng p r t Paul s reconst tuted as an agent n God’s new co enant. Paul’s n str of proclaiming the gospel revealed faith to be active and self-involving in the word and work of Christ. Christological participation is evident by the outward trajectory of Paul’s n str ; he su ers n ser ng or the sake o the gospel but h s con dent trust motivates him to carry on, knowing his own ministry yields life in the Corinthians (4:12, 15) and that he will experience future resurrection with Christ (4:14).

Upon closer examination of these two themes presented in 4:7-15, an

important thread of our argument comes into clearer focus. The flow of the passage is such that Paul first expounds on this sharing in the sufferings of Christ in 4:7-12 but then connects this discussion about participation to the quotation about the spirit of a th w th a connect e δέ show ng that th s ode o part c pator ex stence s experienced by faith. In verses 7-12, Paul clearly demonstrates that his weakness and suffering, insofar as they are sharing in the death of Christ, reflect the glory of God and yield life in others (4:12).510 But verse thirteen embodies this work of God in the πίστις o the hu an. Indeed, without faith, the idea of sharing in the gruesome crucifixion and miraculous resurrection of the Christ seems rather nebulous and abstract. But when linked together with the way Paul presents this relationship of confident reliance upon God, the idea of participation becomes less perplexing. Faith is indeed the mode of existence in which the believer shares in the continuous reality of the self-giving love and life-creating power of Christ. They represent two sides of the same coin; on the face of one is the Christological frame and priority, on the other

510 _{Note the similarity to Gal 2:19. In both, Paul writes of sharing in the sufferings of Christ,}

130 side is the face of a transformed anthropology. The metaphor falls short in that the human side exhibits full dependence on and absolute confidence in the divine. The human recognises his or her impotence and insignificance without Christ and thus operates in a self-negating and self-involving way in the life of Christ.

Realising faith as the point of convergence for the life of Christ to be enacted in the believer fits with the broader underpinn ng o the whole letter. We recall Paul’s assert on n 2 or nth ans 1:9: “Indeed we elt that we had rece ed the sentence o death so that we would rel not on oursel es but on God who ra ses the dead.” Throughout the letter, Paul places great theological emphasis on the fact of human insufficiency and thus the need for absolute reliance upon the Christ-event.

Finally, we observe that interpreting faith in this way does not eliminate the Christocentric focus of the passage, which seems to be the concern of writers such as Campbell and Hays. Rather, reading faith as a Christologically shaped human act bolsters its Christo-centricity. The context, both in the pericope in which this verse lies and the letter as a whole, leaves no room for one to doubt that Paul is absolutely concerned to portray a Christological focus. Placing faith in Christ is precisely self- negating and simultaneously deems him worthy of a posture of full dependence. Furthermore, the Christological focus of this passage is obvious through Paul’s appeal to Jesus’ representat e death and resurrect on as well as bel e ers’ part c pat on through “carr ng about n the bod the d ng o Jesus.” The hr stolog cal ocus s still present as Paul directs his faith to the one whose death justifies all believers (2 Cor 3:9) and whose resurrection raises believers to new life (4:14).