The Origin of Paul's ReligionMachen, J. Gresham (John Gresham)
Religion
The Origin of Paul's Religion
Machen, J. Gresham (John Gresham)
Bible. Epistles of Paul -- Theology; Paul, the Apostle, Saint
What has caused the vast majority of commentators to supply "him"
rather than "me" at the end of verse 4 is apparently the parallel
with 2 Cor. xi. 19, 20, where Paul certainly expresses the thought,
"Bear with me, for you bear with my arrogant opponents only too
well." The parallel does indeed constitute the strongest argument
in favor of the ordinary view of verse 4 which supplies the pronoun
"him," and regards the adverb "well" as sarcastic--"only too
well." But the argument is not decisive. The connection with verse
5 really fixes the pronoun which is to be supplied at the end of
the preceding verse. Paul is defending himself against the charge,
implied in verse 6, that he had not made the full truth known. The
opponents had claimed to have further information about Jesus, the
Spirit, and the gospel. "But," says Paul, "if that is their claim,
ye do well to listen to my defense. For I have made Jesus and the
Spirit and the gospel just as fully known to you as they have." The
thought is perfectly clear if only the pronoun "me" be supplied at
the end of verse 4.
If, however, exegetical tradition be followed, and the pronoun "him"
be supplied, the essential implications of the passage are not
really different. In no case is anything said about a conception
of Jesus really differing from that of Paul. One interpretation,
indeed, definitely excludes such an implication. The passage may
mean, "If the one who comes to you preaches another Jesus--in that
case you would do well to bear with him. But as a matter of fact
there is only one Jesus. Therefore you will do well to be content
with me. For I have made Jesus fully known to you." According
to this interpretation, which has much to be said in its favor,
Paul refutes the opponents and their arrogant claims of bringing
something superior to Paul's message, by a reference to the obvious
fact that there is only one Jesus. "If they had another Jesus,"
Paul says, "then they might claim to bring you something that I did
not bring. But since, unfortunately for them, there is of course
only one Jesus, and since I made that Jesus fully known to you, they
cannot maintain any superiority." This interpretation is probably to
be preferred among all those which supply the pronoun "him" rather
than "me" at the end of verse 4.
At any rate, whichever interpretation be adopted, Paul would surely
have expressed himself very differently if the opponents had
presented an account of Jesus radically contradictory to his own. In
that case he could hardly have appealed merely to the completeness
of his presentation. Instead, he would have had to establish the
truth of his presentation. As it is, the "other Jesus" of the
Judaizers existed only in their own inordinate claims. They really
had no other Jesus to offer; Paul had made the whole Jesus known.
The passage contains no hint, therefore, of a primitive conception
of Jesus differing from the lofty conception proclaimed by Paul.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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