Tag: Exaltation of Christ

“God Sent Forth His Son…”: Philippians 2:6-11 (Part 4)

Philippians 2:6-11, continued

(See Parts 1, 2, and 3 of this article)

3. The Christ-Hymn and the Pauline view of the Incarnation

We have already examined the idea of the incarnation of Christ as presented in the first half (vv. 6-8) of the Philippians hymn—both in terms of the language/wording used and the overall structure of the hymn. Now it remains to consider how this portrait relates to the other references and allusions to the incarnation elsewhere in Paul’s letters.

Of particular importance is description of Christ’s Divine/heavenly pre-existence in verse 6. As we have seen, there are several other references that suggest pre-existence (the closest parallel being 2 Cor 8:9), but these are allusive at best; it is only here at the beginning of the Christ-hymn that we find anything approaching a developed conception of pre-existence. Even so, the idea of pre-existence can be affirmed only indirectly, on the basis of the sequence and structure of the hymn, in two major ways: (1) a description of Divine/heavenly existence (verbs u(pa/rxw and ei)mi) precedes Christ’s life as a human being (with the verb gi/nomai alluding to his human birth); and (2) the chiastic thematic/conceptual structure of the hymn indicates that an exalted existence prior to Christ’s human birth corresponds to a similar existence after his death (vv. 9-11).

We are also provided with very little information about the nature of this pre-existence. The parallel with the post-resurrection exaltation (vv. 9ff) tells us that Christ possessed an exalted status and position in heaven alongside God; the context of v. 6 in relation to vv. 7-8, with the language of emptying (vb keno/w) and lowering (vb tapeino/w) oneself, confirms this point of orientation. Beyond this, there is only the statement that he existed “in (the) form of God” (e)n morfh=| qeou=), in a manner that came near to being “equal to God” (i&sa qew=|). As I argued in Part 1 (and again in Part 3), the expression e)n morfh=| qeou= should be understood primarily in terms of status and position, though, in a fundamental sense, it must also refer to the possession of the (visible) Divine/heavenly glory.

It is worth considering the conceptual framework in which Paul (and/or the author of the hymn [if it was someone other than Paul]) envisioned the exalted pre-existence of Christ. There are four major lines of interpretation that one might pursue, for each of which there have been advocates among modern commentators:

    • A heavenly/angelic (Messianic) being, akin to the “Son of Man” figure from Daniel and the Enoch Tradition.
    • A heavenly ‘Adam’, corresponding to the earthly Adam—i.e., the first human, after whom all others are patterned; cf. 1 Corinthians 15; Romans 5.
    • The Divine Wisdom, comparable to the Word (Logos) of the Johannine Gospel Prologue (1:1-18).
    • The Son of God, similar to the pre-existent Son referenced throughout the Gospel of John.

There is obviously a certain amount of conceptual overlap between these four figure-types, as we can see, for example, from the Johannine Prologue, in which the idea of the Divine/pre-existent Wisdom from Jewish tradition is blended together with the figure of the Son of God. Similarly, among early Christians the concept of the Messiah as the ‘Son of God’ (drawn from Scriptural and religious tradition) came to be joined together with a heavenly ‘Son of Man’ figure (from Daniel 7) and applied to the person of Christ; a somewhat comparable dynamic seems to have occurred within the Enochic Tradition, applied to the person of Enoch.

If we turn to the other Pauline references that we have studied, we find that the primary point of reference is to the pre-existent Christ as the Son of God. This is very much clear from Gal 4:4 and Rom 8:3, which specifically refer to God sending forth His Son. In Rom 8:3, the simple verb pe/mpw (“send”) is used, but in Gal 4:4 it is the compound verb e)caposte/llw (“send out from”); if one takes the compound verb in a precisely literal sense, then the reference is to God sending forth His Son from where He is (i.e., the Divine realm of heaven). In Rom 1:3-4, the point of reference is also to Christ as the Son, even though, in this instance his Messianic identity is more clearly in view, and thus the Sonship could be understood in a traditional Messianic (rather than heavenly/pre-existent) sense. Cf. also Rom 5:10, which alludes to the possession of Divine Sonship by Christ prior to his death.

It is noteworthy, however, that there is no specific mention of Christ as God’s Son anywhere in the Christ-hymn (nor in Philippians at all, for that matter). This is somewhat surprising if Divine Sonship were the primary idea being emphasized in verse 6. It could be argued that the expression “(the) form [morfh/] of God” here is comparable to “(the) image [ei)kw/n] of God” in 2 Cor 4:4 (cf. also Col 1:15), with the Son being understood as the “image” of the Father. However, Sonship does not seem particularly to be emphasized in either 2 Cor 3:1-4:6 or the ‘Christ-hymn’ of Col 1:15-20 (to be discussed). Rather, in these two passages, Paul seems to be drawing upon Hellenistic Jewish tradition regarding the personification of the Wisdom of God; Christ is thus being identified as the Divine (and pre-existent) Wisdom (cf. Prov 8:22-31). Such an identification is likely in view also in 1 Cor 8:6, with the allusions to Christ’s role in Creation and in sustaining the cosmos (cf. John 1:3f, 10).

At the same time, if the expression “(the) form of God” in Phil 2:6 is in any way comparable with “(the) image of God”, then the use of this terminology in 1 Cor 11:7 and 15:49 could imply an allusion to the Creation account and the idea that humankind (Adam) was made “in the image of God” (Gen 1:26-27); this, in turn, would tend to support the Adam/Christ parallelism that Paul utilizes in 1 Cor 15 and Romans 5. The context of Romans 8:29 seems to draw upon this same line of interpretation; indeed, in Romans 8 the theme of (Divine) sonship is blended together with that of humanity’s corporate identity in Christ (i.e., the new ‘Adam’).

Thus, as this brief survey indicates, Paul was capable of utilizing all four of the conceptual frameworks outlined above, even combining them in different and creative ways. In my view, the pre-existence of Christ in Phil 2:6, in the context of the Christ-hymn as a whole, is best understood in the light of the exaltation Christology of vv. 9-11. Within this early Christology, which informed all of the earliest Christian preaching (and featured in the first Gospel narratives), Jesus’ identity as the Son of God (and as the heavenly Son of Man [of Daniel 7]) was understood primarily in terms of his resurrection and exaltation to heaven (at God’s right hand). The chiastic structure of the Christ-hymn produces an inverse ‘mirror-image’ of the exaltation-Christology, so that, in the first half of the hymn (vv. 6-8), the conception of Christ’s exalted pre-existent status (and subsequent incarnation) mirrors the traditional portrait of his post-resurrection exaltation. It is doubtful whether the pre-existence Christology of the hymn goes much beyond this.

As noted above, in 2 Corinthians 3:1-4:6, followed by Colossians 1:15-20, Paul does seem to be developing a seminal Wisdom Christology, by which Jesus Christ was identified with the personified (and pre-existent) Wisdom of God. More distinctive as a Pauline contribution is his Adam/Christ typology that he utilizes in 1 Corinthians 15 and then develops more extensively in Romans 5-8. However, for most of the incarnation-references that we have examined, these Christological developments are only marginally in evidence. More commonly, Paul simply refers to Jesus’ Messianic identity and to his exalted status as Son of God and “Lord”, evincing a tendency to attribute these to Jesus’ person even prior to his death and resurrection. This certainly implies at least a rudimentary pre-existence Christology, but one that was as yet not defined with theological precision, not even in the Philippians Christ-hymn. Given the context of this hymn within the letter, it would be unrealistic to expect such precision, in any case.

In the Christ-hymn of Colossians (1:15-20), we perhaps find evidence for a Christology that has gone a step or two further in its development. It is to this key passage, complicated by questions regarding the Pauline authorship of the letter, that we will turn for the next article in our series.

Notes on Prayer: Thy Kingdom Come (Conclusion)

“May your Kingdom come!”
e)lqe/tw h( basilei/a sou

As a belated conclusion to the series on the Kingdom-petition in the Lord’s Prayer (Matt 6:10a; Lk 11:2b), this final study will survey the Kingdom-theme as it features in the Book of Revelation. Not surprisingly, it is the eschatological aspect of the Kingdom (and its coming) which is emphasized in Revelation; however, nearly all of the aspects which we have examined are present in some form or fashion. In this regard, the Book of Revelation represents a compendium of early Christian thought regarding the coming of God’s Kingdom. Moreover, the Kingdom (and its coming) runs as a primary thematic thread throughout the book—both its dramatic-narrative framework and the visions contained therein

The Kingdom in the Book of Revelation

We can see this motivic and thematic integration from the very beginning of the book, in the author-seer’s introductory greeting (exordium), 1:4-8. In the context of the imminent appearance of the exalted Christ at the end of the current Age (vv. 1-3, 4, 7, etc), which is clearly central to the book’s message, the coming of the Kingdom is unquestionably tied to end-time coming (i.e., the return, second coming) of Christ and his identity as King. The Kingship of Christ has been the focus in a number of the prior studies, and it features even more prominently (and dramatically) in the book of Revelation.

There are two principal aspects of this Kingship: (1) Jesus’ Messianic identity, particularly his fulfillment of the royal/Davidic figure-type; and (2) the Divine status and position of Jesus, following his resurrection and exaltation to the right-hand of God (in heaven). Both of these aspects are combined in vv. 5ff. Jesus is called by the title of Christ (Xristo/$, “Anointed [One]”, Messiah) and declared to be “the chief/ruler [a)rxw/n] of the kings of the earth”. This rulership over the nations (and their kings) is certainly essential to Jesus’ Messianic identity (viz., as the royal/Davidic Messiah), confirmed both by Jewish and early Christian tradition (regarding this Messianic figure-type, see Parts 6–8 of the series “Yeshua the Anointed”), and by the context of the portrait which we find here throughout the book of Revelation (see below).

The exalted (Divine) status and position of Jesus is also alluded to quite precisely by reference to Daniel 7:13, with the end-time appearance of Jesus being defined as “coming with the clouds” (i.e., from heaven, v. 7), according to well-established early Christian tradition (Mk 13:26; 14:62 pars; Acts 7:55-56). The pairing of Dan 7:13 with an allusion to Zech 2:10 here is paralleled by the reference in the Matthean version of the eschatological Discourse (24:30); cf. also John 19:37.

Moreover, the Divine status and position of the exalted Christ is vividly portrayed in the vision that follows in vv. 9-20, and is further confirmed by key details and references in the prophetic announcements (for the seven Asian churches) in chapters 2-3 (e.g., 2:1, 8, 12, 18, 26-27; 3:1, 5, 7, 12, 14, 21). Jesus’ identity as the royal/Davidic Messiah is similarly alluded to in these references (see esp. 2:26-27; 3:7).

Another important aspect of the Kingdom-theme is the role of believers in the Kingdom, and how they/we, through faithfulness to Christ (even during the end-time period of distress), are allowed and enabled to share in his kingship, obtaining a royal status bequeathed by the exalted Christ himself. This thematic aspect is a key component of the treatment of the Kingdom in the book of Revelation, one which is also established here at the beginning of the work. Note the reference in 1:6 to believers as a priestly kingdom (combining both royal and priestly aspects), drawing upon ancient Israelite and Scriptural tradition (see esp. Exodus 19:6) even as we find elsewhere in the New Testament (esp. 1 Peter 2:9 [see also v. 5]). The holy/priestly status of believers is emphasized at a number of points in the book of Revelation, most notably in 5:10 (where the royal and priestly aspects are again combined) and 20:6; but there are other significant references and allusions as well, such as the references to the sacrificial ritual and the Jerusalem Temple (e.g., 3:12; 5:8; 6:9; 7:15; 8:3; 11:1ff; 15:5ff), including the final climactic vision of the holy city of the New Jerusalem (chaps. 21-22). The idea of believers sharing in the royal status and kingship of Christ is prominent in the beatific announcements of blessing and reward for faithfulness in chaps. 2-3 (esp. 2:26-28; 3:12; cf. also 7:15ff), and is subsequently depicted throughout the following visions as well.

A number of these same thematic motifs and aspects of the Kingdom of God are integrated within the dramatic portrayal of the Throne-vision in chapters 4-5. In chapter 4, there is a vision of God Almighty on His throne, described in traditional theophanic terms (cf. Exodus 19, 24; Ezekiel 1; Daniel 7) and confirming the fundamental theological message of YHWH as King over all Creation, to be worshiped by all beings (including humankind and all the nations). Then, in chapter 5, the focus shifts to the exalted Christ, standing at the “right hand” of God (v. 1)—only the exalted Christ is distinctively described here in terms of his sacrificial death (i.e., as the “Lamb who was slain”, v. 12, cf. also vv. 6, 9). This simply reflects the well-established exaltation-Christology held by early Christians, whereby the Divine status and position of Christ (at the “right hand” of God) was understood primarily as a result of his death and resurrection. Jesus’ faithfulness in completing his Messianic mission (note the Messianic allusions in v. 5), culminating in his sacrificial death (which serves to ransom/redeem humankind [i.e. believers], v. 9), leads to his receiving the greatest possible honor from God—viz., a ruling place at His side, so that he might rule (as King) with the same power and authority. Indeed, Christ (the Lamb) is portrayed as receiving honor and worship from all living creatures—the same honor which they give to God Himself (compare 4:8-11 with 5:8-14).

Believers, in their own way, share in this same exalted and royal status (see above), as indicated by the declaration in 5:10, but also by the figure-portrait of the “twenty-four elders” seated on thrones (of their own) surrounding the central throne of God, 4:4; 5:6, 8, 14. The identification of believers (the true and faithful ones) with these “elders” is more or less confirmed by the scene in 7:9-17, in which worship of the Lamb (Christ) is reiterated.

The great Vision-cycles which form the core of the book of Revelation primarily depict the coming Judgment (on humankind), and reflect, in various ways, the traditional association of the royal/Davidic Messiah with the end-time Judgment (viz., the Judgment of the nations). The Messiah functions as God’s appointed (i.e., anointed) representative, who ushers in and oversees the Great Judgment. A key prophetic reference in this regard was Psalm 2:7ff (v. 9), which is quoted or alluded to several times in the book—first in 2:26-27 (see above), and then in 12:5 and 19:15. Christ’s role, at least in the initial vision-cycle (6:1-8:5), is expressed by his authoritative act of opening the seals, and thus bringing about the events of the Judgment (6:1, etc). Toward the close of the cycle (7:9-17), at a dramatic moment just prior to the opening of the seventh seal (8:1-5), the scene from chapter 5 is reprised, with believers joining the “elders” (and the heavenly “living creatures”) in worshiping the Lamb (i.e., the exalted Christ).

At the close of the second Vision-cycle (8:6-11:19), there is a similar Kingdom-scene (11:15-19), in which the “elders” (on their thrones) give worship to God and Christ (on the central throne). In many ways, this represents the central point of the book, and a climactic moment in which the “coming of the Kingdom” is ultimately realized—in its eschatological (and final) sense. At this point, the Kingdom-petition of the Lord’s Prayer, including its qualifying petition in Matt 6:10c, truly has been fulfilled: God’s Kingdom has been established on earth, just as it has been in heaven. Here is how this is expressed in 11:15:

“The kingdom of the world [i.e., ‘on earth’] has become the (Kingdom) of our Lord and His Anointed (One) [i.e., ‘as in heaven’]—”

It is the Kingdom of God Almighty (“our Lord”) and the exalted Christ (“His Anointed”), since they share the same ruling position and authority. The final statement in verse 15 (“and He shall rule as king into the Ages of the Ages”) also should be understood as applying to both God and Christ. The everlasting rule and dominion of God (as King) is traditional (e.g., Exod 15:18; Psalm 145:13; 146:10; Dan 4:34; 6:26), but the Messianic context of the reference here is almost certainly inspired by Dan 7:14 (and the entire Judgment scene in chap. 7). The everlasting character of the Messiah’s kingdom is further indicated by references such as 2 Sam 7:13 and Isa 9:7, interpreted as Messianic prophecies. This was clearly part of the early Christian understanding of Jesus’ identity as the royal/Davidic Messiah (note Luke 1:33 and Heb 1:8 [citing Ps 45:6]; and cf. also John 12:34).

The coming of God’s Kingdom “upon earth” was finally realized (in its ultimate eschatological sense) through the end-time Judgment, which (as noted above) was ushered in and overseen by the Messiah (Christ, the Lamb). This is clearly expressed by the poetic verses (of praise and worship) that conclude the section (vv. 17-18). The Vision-cycle itself ends with a final theophany (v. 19), in which all of creation itself effectively gives worship to God.

The final Vision-cycle (chapters 15-16ff), depicting (again) the great Judgment, is preceded by a series of visionary scenes (chaps. 12-14) which dramatically portray the end-time period of distress, during which believers in Christ face oppression and persecution from the nations. This reflects the opposition of “the kingdom of the world”, dominated by the forces of evil, against the Kingdom of God (and Christ). For the original author and audience of the book, the Roman Empire unquestionably serves as the model for this depiction of the “kingdom of the world” as the domain of a great evil “beast” (cf. the vision in Daniel 7), even as it also does in the following chapters 17-18 (utilizing the political image of “Babylon” as the great and wicked world-ruling city). For believers to emerge from this time of distress faithful to Christ, they must resist the evil influence of this “kingdom of the world”. Note, in particular, the imagery of marking/sealing in chapters 13-14 (cf. also earlier in chap. 7), which indicates a person’s allegiance, and the one to whom he/she properly belongs. The true believer belongs to God and to Christ, and to the Kingdom (of God and Christ), while the unbeliever (and false believer) belongs to the “beast” and the “kingdom of the world”.

These intermediary visionary scenes conclude with another short climactic vision of the great Judgment (chap. 14), but this time connected specifically with the return to earth of the exalted Christ (cf. Mark 13:26ff par)—in his Messianic role of a conquering King (vv. 14-16ff) who brings about the Judgment of the nations (vv. 17-20). The opening of the final Vision-cycle (15:1-4) picks up this same line of imagery, as believers (in heaven) sing praise to God, declaring his rule (as King) over the nations.

The final visions of the Judgment (in chaps. 19-20) alternate between the scenes of judgment (on earth) and the blessed and exalted state of believers in heaven. Believers themselves have a royal status and place in this Kingdom of God (19:6-8ff), even sharing in the rule (held by God and Christ) of the eternal Kingdom (20:4-6).

An even more comprehensive portrait of this eternal Kingdom of God is given in the final vision (chaps. 21-22)—that of the “New Jerusalem”, the Holy City that serves as a traditional and representative symbol of the Kingdom. In this regard, “Jerusalem” stands in marked contrast to “Babylon” (chaps. 17-18) the symbol of the “kingdom of the world” in all its wickedness. An important point of emphasis is that, in this new “Jerusalem”, there is no longer any temple (21:22). The Temple had functioned, in a ritual and symbolic sense, as the dwelling-place for God among His people (cf. the wording in 21:3). Moreover, the golden chest (i.e., ‘ark’) in the sanctuary, with its winged kerub-figures, symbolized the throne of God (cf. the theophany-scene in 11:19), the place where He ruled (as King) over His people. Now, in the eternal Kingdom of God, there is no temple sanctuary; rather, the entire holy city serves as the throne of God (and Christ), where believers also sit (on their own thrones), surrounding God (and Christ) and ruling alongside.

The final reference to the Divine throne is the beatific scene of eternal life that closes the vision (22:1-5), in which the flowing river of the “water of life” flows forth from the throne upon which both God and the Lamb (Christ) sit, v. 1. This imagery, which is drawn (primarily) from several prophetic passages (Ezek 47:1; Zech 13:1; 14:8; cf. also Joel 3:18; Isa 33:20-21), is utilized as a way of depicting the Divine life that fills the city, perpetually giving life and blessedness to all who reside there (vv. 2-3). This experience of eternal life is ultimately defined in terms of being in the presence of God and Christ. This beatific vision, described in the traditional language of ‘seeing God’s face’ (v. 4) and with the traditional imagery of light (v. 5), offers us the truest sense of what it means to belong to the Kingdom of God—as believers, to “enter” and to “inherit” the Kingdom. It is a scenario—and a message—which one finds throughout the New Testament, beginning with the words and teaching of Jesus, just as we have seen in our examination over the course of this series.

One aspect of the Kingdom, which is surprisingly absent from the book of Revelation, is the identification of God’s Kingdom with the Spirit. Throughout the book, the Spirit is primarily associated with the prophetic word (and vision); cf. 19:10; 22:6. The seer (John) is said to be “in the Spirit” when the visions come to him (1:10); he then hears the Spirit speaking to him (2:7, 11, et al.) and sees visions in the Spirit (4:2), being transported by the Spirit from one visionary location to another (17:3; 21:10). The Spirit also, along with the entire inspired Community of the faithful, declares the final word of exhortation (21:17).

However, there is another line of Spirit-reference in the book which is of particular interest in relation to the Kingdom-theme: namely, the references to the “seven spirits” of God, which are specifically said to stand “in the sight of” God as He sits upon His throne (1:4; 4:5). The plural “spirits” (pneu/mata) are probably to be understood as separate divine/heavenly spirit-beings (i.e., angels), since they are said to be sent out by God throughout the earth on missions (5:6). And yet, in Zechariah 4, which is clearly the principal source for these references, the seven fiery “lamps” are specifically associated with the Spirit (singular) of God (v. 6). Moreover, the Spirit can also be conceived as being ‘sent forth’ by God (and/or by the exalted Christ), such as for the purpose of coming upon His people (i.e., believers) at the end-time (Acts 2:1-4ff, 17-21 [Joel 2:28-32], etc). In any case, these Spirit-references in the book of Revelation allow for at least the possibility of specifically connecting God’s throne (and His Kingdom) with His Spirit.

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For the remainder of the summer, the Notes on Prayer feature will focus on the role of prayer in the Book of Daniel.

Studies on the Spirit: The Spirit and the Death/Resurrection of Jesus (Study 13)

Study 13: The Spirit and the Communication of Jesus’ Resurrection to Believers (Paul)

Having examined how the power and effect of Jesus’ death is communicated to believers through the Spirit (Studies 11 and 12), our focus is now on the communication of his resurrection. We begin with the treatment of this subject by Paul in his letters. Much of our discussion in Study 11, dealing with the communication of Jesus’ death to believers, applies to the resurrection as well. In particular, the Pauline theme of believers’ participation in the death and resurrection of Christ is central, relating to both aspects—death and resurrection alike. This idea of participation is basic to the fundamental theological tenet of believers’ union with Christ (“in Christ”)—a union that is realized and experienced through the Spirit. The union is symbolized by the baptism ritual, as is clear from Paul’s most direct and extensive treatments of the subject, in Galatians 3-4 and Romans 6-8. In particular, we note again the statements in Gal 3:26-28 in the context of 4:4-6ff, with the participation-theme having been introduced in 2:20 (cf. 1 Cor 12:13; Col 2:12).

The same participation theme (and baptism-symbolism) is established at the beginning of Romans 6 (vv. 3-4ff), and is developed throughout the remainder of chaps. 6-8, being expounded extensively by Paul, expressing more fully the theological significance and its application to the lives of believers. He begins from the point of reference of Jesus’ death, since the death of Christ is more immediately relevant for the symbolism of baptism:

“Or are you without knowledge (of the fact) that, (for) as (many) of us as were dunked [i.e., baptized] into (the) Anointed Yeshua, we were dunked into his death?” (v. 3)

And yet, the symbolism of Jesus’ death represents just one side, or aspect, of the baptism ritual; for, just as believers go down into/under the water (i.e., death and burial), so they/we also come up again out of the water—symbolizing the resurrection into new life. Paul brings both of these aspects together, relating them one to the other:

“Thus, we were buried together with him through the dunking into his death, (so) that, just as (the) Anointed was raised out of the dead through the do/ca of the Father, so also we should walk about in newness of life.” (v. 4)

The ethical orientation of the passage (see vv. 1-2, 6ff) is clear from Paul’s wording of the resurrection-portion of this declaration (4b), phrased as an exhortation to believers that “we should walk about in newness of life”; the verb peripate/w (“walk about”) represents a traditional ethical-religious idiom (cf. use of the Hebrew El^h* [“walk”] in a reflexive and iterative/frequentive sense, “walk about”) referring to a person’s habitual (i.e., daily) conduct and behavior (compare Paul’s use in Rom 8:4; 13:13; Gal 5:16, etc). This is important for Paul’s understanding of the relation of believers to the resurrection, and will be discussed further below.

The dual-aspect of the believer’s union with Christ—i.e., participation in his death and resurrection—is reiterated in verse 5:

“For, if we have come to be planted together in the likeness of his death, (so) indeed we will also be (in the likeness) of his standing up [i.e., resurrection] (out of the dead)!”

Paul uses a planting motif, imagery that, in many ways is just as traditional for early Christians as the baptism-image; it would have been particularly familiar and popular as a result of Jesus’ own illustrative teaching (e.g., Mark 4:1-9ff par)—see esp. John 12:24, where this seed/planting motif is applied to Jesus’ death (and resurrection). Of more immediate significance is Paul’s use of the motif in 1 Cor 15:35-41, with its specific application to the resurrection in vv. 42-44ff. The same line of imagery is indicated by the noun a)parxh/ in vv. 20, 23 (also in Rom 8:23) as a term denoting the beginning of the harvest (i.e., ‘first-fruits’), with the “harvest” being referenced in an eschatological sense (viz., the end of the growing season = the end of the current Age).

Another important element of Paul’s language in Romans 6-8 is use of sun-prefixed compound verbs and terms. The preposition su/n means “together with”, and the terminology is utilized by Paul specifically to express the idea of believers’ union with Christ—and, in particular, their/our participation in his death and resurrection. In the Study 11, I listed out the occurrences of this terminology, in chapters 6 and 8; it is worth noting these again:

In chapter 6:

    • Vb sunta/fw (“bury together with”), v. 4 (cf. also Col 2:12)
    • Adj su/mfuto$, denoting something “planted together with”, v. 5
    • Phrase “died off together with [su/n] Christ”, v. 8
    • Vb suza/w, “live together with”, v. 8

In chapter 8:

    • Vb summarture/w, “give witness together with”, v. 16 (note that it is the Spirit who gives witness together with believers)
    • Noun sugklhrono/mo$, denoting one who receives the lot (i.e., inherits) together with another (i.e., co-heir), v. 17
    • Vb sumpa/sxw, “suffer together with”, v. 17
    • Vb sundoca/zw, “be honored/esteemed together with”, v. 17
    • Vb sustena/zw, “groan together with”, v. 22
    • Vb sunwdi/nw, “be in pain together with”, v. 22
    • Vb sunantilamba/nomai, “take hold together with”, v. 26 (again, the Spirit is the subject)
    • Vb sunerge/w, “work together with”, v. 28
    • Adj summorfo/$, denoting one who is “formed together with” another, v. 29

This thematic emphasis on union and participation must be clearly recognized and understood. The resurrection of believers is intimately (and existentially) tied to Jesus’ own resurrection; indeed, our resurrection (as believers) comes about and is made possible because we share in Christ’s own resurrection. This is clear enough from Paul’s exposition and line of argument in both 1 Cor 15 and Rom 8, but he also makes the point in other passages: see, most notably, the statements in 1 Cor 6:14; 2 Cor 4:14, and Col 2:12; 3:1 (cf. also Eph 2:6).

After 1 Corinthians 15 (see above), Romans 8 is the main Pauline passage dealing with the resurrection. The focus is on the resurrection of believers, but, as noted here (and elsewhere), the resurrection of believers is dependent upon believers’ participation in Jesus’ own resurrection. Working from Romans 8 as our primary point of reference, let us consider how, or in what way, the Spirit communicates the resurrection of Christ to believers.

It is first necessary to recognize the basic understanding which Paul held, shared with other early Christians, regarding the nature and significance of the resurrection. This understanding is fundamentally eschatological—viz., the resurrection as an end-time event. While the eschatological nature of the resurrection is basic to Jewish and early Christian tradition, it is important to realize that, for early Christians, the resurrection of Jesus was also an eschatological event—a point too often ignored or missed by Christians today. The death and resurrection of Jesus marked the end of the current Age and the beginning of the New Age.

For early Christians (including Paul) there are three primary points of significance which I would emphasize, with regard to the resurrection:

    1. The eschatological new life of the resurrection is (currently) only experienced by believers in Christ; yet the reality and power of the resurrection is experienced in the present by believers. There are numerous consequences to this experience of the resurrection life, many of which Paul references or alludes to in his letters. This new life is experienced through the presence of the Spirit.
    2. As believers, our experience of the resurrection will only be realized fully with our own bodily resurrection (from the dead), following the pattern of Jesus’ own (bodily) resurrection—cf. the paradigm expounded by Paul in 1 Cor 15. Again, the resurrection will only be realized through the power and presence of the Spirit—the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead (Rom 8:11; cf. 1:4; 1 Cor 15:45, etc).
    3. This full and final resurrection also represents the completion of our salvation as believers in Christ. The resurrection is thus fundamentally soteriological; we will not fully understand what it means to be saved until we are raised from the dead, for only then will be completely set free from bondage to the power of sin (in our flesh) and death (viz., for our mortal bodies).
1. The Experience of the Resurrection in the Present

With regard to the first point, Paul specifically refers to the presence of the Spirit as an a)parxh/ (v. 23, cf. above)—that is, the beginning of the end-time ‘harvest’. In the present, until the final consummation of the Age, it is only believers who are able (and allowed) to experience the New Age (i.e., the ‘new creation’, 2 Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15). It is experienced as a result of our union with Christ, realized through the presence of the Spirit. United with Christ, we as believers participate in the power of both his death and resurrection—this language and idiom of participation is reiterated by Paul here in chapter 8 (vv. 10-11). Beginning in verses 1-2, this resurrection life is described according to the designation of new life (7:6, “new life of the Spirit” [lit., “newness of the Spirit”], just as in 6:3 [“newness of life”], see above). This new life in the Spirit is characterized primarily by freedom (cf. 2 Cor 3:17)—freedom from bondage to the power of sin (and death), and, secondarily, freedom from the law of the old covenant (tied to the old creation):

“For the Law of the Spirit of Life in (the) Anointed Yeshua has set you free from the law of sin and death.” (v. 2)

As Paul makes clear by his exposition in vv. 3-4, this was achieved through the death (and resurrection) of Christ, and through our participation (as believers) in his death. By participating in the death of Jesus, we also died—dying to our old human nature (which was in bondage to the power of sin), and dying to the law of the old covenant as well. Our death to sin is primarily in view here in Romans (see 6:2, 6-11), but Paul also emphasizes our death to the old covenant law (viz., the binding regulations and requirements of the Torah)—7:1-6ff, 8:3-4—the latter emphasis being much more prominent in Galatians (2:4, 16-21; 3:23ff; 4:1-7, 21-22ff; 5:1ff, 13ff).

These two aspects of the freedom/bondage theme are brought together in chapter 8 under the common motif of “flesh” —in the negative sense that Paul typically uses the term sa/rc, juxtaposed in contrast to the Spirit. As believers in Christ, set free from bondage, we are free to live according to the Spirit, rather than the flesh. As in Galatians 5 (see esp. vv. 16-25), Paul exhorts his readers to submit to the authority of the Spirit’s power and presence, allowing themselves to be guided by the Spirit (i.e., to “walk about” according to the Spirit, v. 4 [cf. above]). The hearts and minds (and lives) of believers are to be governed by the Spirit. To the extent that this takes place, we become conformed to the living presence of Christ himself, with whom we are united (through the Spirit). This conformity, by which we reflect the character and mind of Christ—a Christ-likeness—is another consequence of our participatory union with him. Here in Romans 8 (vv. 14-17; cf. Gal 3:26-4:7), our likeness to Christ, by way of our union (and shared characteristics) with him, is expressed through the thematic motif of sonship—by sharing in the Sonship of Christ, we also become the sons (i.e., children) of God.

Yet this shared sonship and Christ-likeness is not just a matter of personal/individual ethics and morality. The “new life of the Spirit” encompasses many other aspects of Christian life and experience. For example, here in chapter 8 (vv. 26-27), Paul specifically mentions the role of the Spirit in the prayer-life of believers. The Spirit’s role is given far greater emphasis in 1 Corinthians, particularly as it relates to the life of believers in community. At the corporate/communal level, believers ought to be united, reflecting the unity that we share in Christ through the Spirit. This is a point that Paul argues for vigorously in the first division of the letter (1:18-4:6; cf. the propositio of 1:10-17), and it governs the practical instruction that he offers throughout the remaining chapters. The individual believer is united with Christ; but the community of believers (including individual congregations) is also united with him, forming a “body” of Christ (12:12-27ff). The Spirit works through individual believers in various ways, for the benefit of the entire Community (see throughout chapters 11-14). These manifestations of the Spirit certainly apply to the communal worship practiced by believers but cannot be limited to that portion of the Christian life.

2. The Experience of the Resurrection in the Future

In Romans 8, Paul clearly delineates between the experience of the resurrection by believers in the present (vv. 1-10ff) with that which they/we will experience in the future, at the final culmination of the present Age. Already believers in Christian are living in the New Age, experiencing the New Creation (Section 1., above), and yet the current Age has not fully come to an end. We as believers experience this limitation in several ways, which Paul would subsume under the common concept of the “flesh” (sa/rc, see vv. 3-9ff and the discussion above). Though freed from bondage to the power of sin, we still experience a vestigial impulse (e)piqumi/a, vb e)piqume/w) toward sin in our “flesh” (see 6:12; 7:7-8; 13:14; Gal 5:16, 24; Col 3:5). And, even though we share in the resurrection life of the Spirit, we still live in physical bodies that are subject to death. In this way our freedom from bondage to the power of sin and death, in the flesh, has not yet been fully realized.

As noted above, Paul refers to the Spirit in and among believers (in the present) as the very beginning of the end-time harvest (i.e., the ‘first-fruit[s]’, a)parxh/), v. 23, indicating that the fulness of the harvest is yet to come. In 2 Cor 1:22 and 5:5 (cf. also Eph 1:14), he uses a different motif, referring to the Spirit as a ‘deposit’ or ‘down-payment’ (a)rrabw/n) for the fulness of the future glory that awaits us as believers. This refers, primarily, to the end-time resurrection. At this moment, at the end of the current Age (and the return of the exalted Christ to earth, see section 3. below), believers in Christ will be completely transformed by the Spirit. The Spirit will no longer simply reside within our bodies; rather, it will completely envelop and transform our bodies, even as Jesus Christ himself was transformed by the Spirit (1 Cor 15:45, cf. also Rom 1:4, etc). Our participation in the resurrection of Jesus will be completed by a bodily resurrection that follows the pattern of his own resurrection (see throughout 1 Cor 15, and the other references noted above). Here, in verse 11, the role of the Spirit (cf. vv. 2-10ff) in this regard is made specific:

“But, if the Spirit of the (One hav)ing raised Yeshua out of (the) dead houses [i.e., dwells] in you, (then) the (One hav)ing raised (the) Anointed out of (the) dead will make alive also your dying bodies, through His Spirit housing in you.”

The message is straightforward and clear: the same Spirit of God that currently dwells in us (as believers) will ultimately give life to our dying bodies (even raising us from the dead)—just as God, by His Spirit, raised Jesus from the dead. The phrasing “will make alive your dying bodies” is probably meant to account for the belief (held by Paul and other first-century Christians) that most of the believers currently living at the time would still be alive (i.e., would not yet have died) at the return of Christ and the end of the Age (cf. 1 Thess 4:13-18). Following the pattern of Christ’s own resurrection, believers in Christ will be exalted and transformed into living Spirit-beings. This is the ultimate consequence of our participation in the resurrection of Jesus, and our union with him through the Spirit. The exalted Christ shares a single Spirit with God the Father (see 1 Cor 6:17), and we, in our own way, as God’s offspring also share in this same Spirit.

Here in Romans 8, Paul poignantly expresses the nature of present time, at the close of the current Age, as we wait for the full realization of the resurrection life. In one of the most striking and remarkable passages of the Pauline corpus, vv. 18-25, this future hope of believers is related to hope of all creation. Believers in Christ currently experience the “new creation” (of the New Age); but eventually all of creation will be transformed to become a new creation, and will come to know the same freedom which we as believers already experience (v. 21). This transformation of creation is unquestionably connected with the physical resurrection of believers, following which they/we will be exalted so as to share in the Divine glory/splendor (do/ca, see 6:3)—the very do/ca which Jesus Christ experienced with his own resurrection and exaltation.

3. The Resurrection as Salvation

This final point can be made briefly, by way of summary of the key statements made by Paul throughout Romans 8 (and elsewhere in his letters).

To begin with, believers’ experience of the resurrection, and of the “new life of the Spirit”, entails at its heart freedom from bondage—and thus, salvation, in a very real and basic sense. As believers in Christ, we have been set free from bondage to the power of sin and death (v. 2); and, along with this we have been liberated from the effects of our bondage to sin (guilt and punishment, etc, v. 1). For first-century Christians, living with a strong sense of eschatological imminence, salvation primarily meant being saved from the end-time Judgment. Paul helped to give an increasing (and greater) emphasis on the present experience of salvation; and his main contribution in this regard was his development of the freedom/bondage theme, emphasizing how believers have been set free from bondage to sin, and are no longer compelled to live in a sinful or wicked manner.

At the same time, Paul still followed the lines of early Christian tradition in thinking of, and referring to, the end-time resurrection and return of Christ as the full realization of our salvation. Here in Romans 8, there is no mention of the Judgment, nor even of our being saved/rescued from it (but note the allusions in v. 1 and the closing vv. 31-38); rather, the focus is on our freedom from bondage to the power of death. Through the resurrection of our bodies, with the accompanying exaltation and glory (do/ca) that results from it (v. 18), we will finally be set free entirely from the power of death. Paul expresses this by way of the term a)polu/trwsi$ (lit., a “loosing from [bondage]”): the resurrection involves “the loosing of our body from (bondage)” (v. 24). This represents the future fulfillment of a salvation (i.e., loosing from bondage) that begins now in the present; cf. Paul’s use of the term a)polu/trwsi$ earlier in 3:24, and also in 1 Cor 1:30; Col 1:14 (and cf. Eph 1:7, 14 [note the eschatological context in 4:30, cp. Lk 21:28]).

The exaltation of believers that will come about through our resurrection and transformation (by the Spirit) represents the culmination of our salvation. In the climactic portion of chapter 8, Paul expresses this through a soteriological sequence or chain of Divine blessings which believers in Christ experience. It begins with God calling us to salvation, as Paul states in v. 28, defining believers as “the (one)s being called [klhtoi] according to (the) plan set forth (by Him)”. This calling reflects foreknowledge and foreordination by God, indicated in v. 29 by the verbs proginw/skw (“know before[hand]”) and proori/zw (“mark out before[hand]”)—together these represent the first stage of our salvation:

“(For it is) that the (one)s that he knew before(hand) He also marked out before(hand) (to be) formed together as the image of His Son, unto his being (the) first-produced [i.e., firstborn] among many brothers”

Note the idea of the shared sonship of believers, through our union with Christ (thus participating and sharing in his Sonship), which is here reiterated from vv. 14-18 and 19-24 (see above). As indicated by Paul in verse 23, with the resurrection, the Divine sonship of believers will be fully realized. The chain of salvation continues in verse 30:

“and the (one)s whom He marked out before(hand), these He also called [vb kale/w];
and the (one)s whom He called, these He also made right [vb dikaio/w];
and the (one)s whom He made right, these He also honored [vb doca/zw].”

The final verb (doca/zw), which means “give/show honor, esteem”, refers to the final stage of salvation—the exaltation of believers through the end-time resurrection (and transformation by the Spirit). This verb is, of course, related to the noun do/ca, used in 6:4 in reference to the resurrection of Christ, and here in vv. 18 and 21 in reference to the resurrection of believers. As in much of the New Testament, do/ca (“esteem, honor”) is used here as a Divine attribute, basically referring to the splendor and glory which God possesses, and which makes Him worthy of our honor and esteem. This same Divine splendor/glory, which Jesus experienced and received with his own resurrection (and exaltation) will also be given to believers at the time of their/our resurrection. With this exaltation, our salvation will be complete.

*       *       *      *       *       *

In our next study (Study 14), we will turn our attention again to the Johannine writings (Gospel and Letters), to explore how these writings understand the Spirit’s role in communicating the resurrection of Christ to believers.

 

“God Sent Forth His Son…”: Philippians 2:6-11 (Part 1)

Philippians 2:6-11

The next article in this series will look at the so-called Christ-hymn of Philippians 2:6-11. The designation ‘Christ-hymn’ reflects a general scholarly consensus (with few exceptions) regarding this passage, whereby its poetic and hymnic features are recognized. The poetic analysis can be traced back to at least the end of the 19th century (with the work of Johannine Weiss), and has continued throughout the decades until the present day. The identification of Phil 2:6-11 as an early Christian hymn owes much to the landmark study by Ernest Lohmeyer in 1928 (Kyrios Jesus: Eine Untersuchung zu Phil. 2,5-11), and it is only in recent decades that this theory has begun to be seriously questioned by a number of scholars. It remains the majority view, however, and even more skeptically-minded commentators tend to follow it.

In using the designation ‘Christ-hymn’ there are three basic features and criteria which are understood:

    • The passage has a poetic, hymn-like structure, comprised of verses and stanzas
    • It contains a confessional formula or statement of belief that is Christological in nature—viz., regarding what early Christians believed about the person of Christ, who he is and what he did (or what God the Father did through him)
    • It had a liturgical use and purpose, utilized within the context of a communal worship setting.

The last of these three criteria is the most doubtful and speculative.

Along with the basic critical theory that identifies Phil 2:6-11 as a hymn, there has been considerable discussion and debate among commentators as to whether Paul was the author of this hymn, or whether he utilized and adapted an existing hymn which others may have composed. Scholars are somewhat divided on the question, which is approached on the basis of: (1) the poetic style and structure of the hymn, (2) the language and vocabulary, and (3) the theological points of emphasis. Sound arguments for and against Pauline authorship have been put forward, and you will find a detailed presentation of them in Ralph P. Martin, Carmen Christi: Philippians 2:5-11 in Recent Interpretation and in the Setting of early Christian Worship, Revised Edition (Eerdmans: 1983), pp. 42-62. With regard to the vocabulary and theological emphases, I find the arguments for non-Pauline authorship much stronger in the case of Rom 1:3-4 (cf. the earlier article in this series) than that of Phil 2:6-11. While it is certainly possible that Paul adapted an existing (non-Pauline) hymn, he could just as well have composed the passage himself. If he did adapt an existing work, then at least two points must be admitted: (i) it was adapted in such a way as to be accord with much of Paul’s own language and style, and (ii) Paul was himself in basic agreement with its theology (and Christology).

I have previously examined all of the New Testament passages which can reasonably be regarded as ‘Christ-hymns’, including a set of notes on Phil 2:6-11. Furthermore, my intention is to embark on an even more detailed series of exegetical notes on the passage in the coming weeks. Thus, I will not be engaging in that level of exegesis here in this article. Rather, I will focus on key questions and issues regarding the twin Christological tenets of the pre-existence and incarnation of Christ—the evidence for these in Phil 2:6-11, and the manner in which they are expressed.

Throughout the history of interpretation, most commentators have accepted (or assumed) that both of these Christological tenets—Divine pre-existence and incarnation—are present in the hymn (esp. verses 6-8). However, increasingly there have been a number of commentators in recent decades who would have argued that the idea of Divine pre-existence (and incarnation) is not (or is not necessarily) present at all. The most common view in this regard is one which explains vv. 6-8 in terms of an Adam-Christ paradigm, of the sort which Paul utilizes in 1 Corinthians 15 (vv. 22ff, 45-49) and Romans 5-8 (esp. 5:12-21). According to this line of interpretation, verse 6 does not refer to Christ’s Divine pre-existence, but to the fulfillment of his role as the “second Adam”. Thus, for example, to speak of Christ being “in the form [morfh/] of God” is just another way of referring to Adam (i.e., humankind originally) as having been created “in the image [ei)kw/n, Heb <l#x#] of God” (Gen 1:26). Similarly, the idea of possessing “equality [lit. being equal, ei@nai i&sa] to God”, and of this as something one might ‘seize’ or ‘hold onto’ (i.e., a(rpagmo/$), is to be understood as an allusion to Gen 3 (vv. 5, 22), along with the use of tWmD= in Gen 1:26. Whereas the first Adam lost his likeness/equality to God through disobedience, the second Adam (Christ) gave it up willingly (v. 7), in an act of obedience to God (v. 8).

However, as I indicated, most commentators still understand vv. 6-8 as referring both to Divine pre-existence and incarnation. Yet, even when this is accepted, there is still some uncertainty as to the force of the particular idea of pre-existence and what it entails. There are four lines of interpretation which may be considered:

    • A heavenly Adam, corresponding to the earthly Adam of history and religious-cultural tradition (cf. 1 Cor 15:47-49); this would represent a variation of the Adam-Christ typology (see above), following upon certain strands of Jewish mystical and philosophical tradition.
    • A heavenly being (Angel, etc), without any reference to an Adam-tradition; cf. the “Son of Man” tradition(s) in Judaism and early Christianity.
    • The pre-existent (personal/personified) Wisdom of God—cf. Proverbs 8 (vv. 22-31) and subsequent Jewish tradition.
    • The Son of God (cf. Gal 4:4; Rom 8:3, etc), without necessarily a specific connection with the Divine Wisdom.

While Paul may well have had an Adam-Christ paradigm and/or a rudimentary Wisdom-Christology in view—since there is evidence for both of these elsewhere in his letters—I would argue that principal in Paul’s mind (via the hymn) is Jesus as the exalted Son of God (in accordance with Christ’s position and status following the resurrection). The parallelism of the two halves of the hymn more or less confirms this Christological orientation.

In this article, I wish to treat the matter from two vantage points: (1) the concentric-chiastic structure of the hymn (as touched on above), and (2) the specific wording used in the first half of the hymn (vv. 6-8), where the ideas of pre-existence and incarnation are most relevant and prominent.

1. The Structure of the Hymn

Virtually all scholars recognize the basic division of the hymn into two parts—verses 6-8 and 9-11—which are more or less equally balanced, and which mirror each other in theme and concept. Indeed, one of the great beauties of the hymn is the way that the poetic structure of the hymn matches its theological (Christological) narrative.

Verses 6-8 describe the lowering of Jesus from an exalted heavenly place alongside God the Father, while vv. 9-11 correspondingly describe the exaltation, the raising of him back to heaven. This may be framed as a chiastic outline—moving from divine/heavenly (pre-)existence, and then back to an exalted status (as God/Lord) in heaven:

    • God sends his Son from him (i.e. from heaven)
      • to be born (lit. come to be) of a woman (Gal 4:4)
        • into the suffering/slavery of the human condition (v. 7a)
        • suffering/death on the cross (v. 8)
      • through the resurrection, Jesus is “born” (i.e. firstborn of the dead)
    • God exalts him to heaven, at his right hand, as Son of God (cf. Ps 2:7 / Acts 13:32-33) and Lord

This same sequence is indicated, in simpler form, by the four main aorist verbs that guide the syntax of the passage:

    • e)ke/nwsen (“he [Jesus] emptied [himself]”)—his ‘departure’ from heaven and birth/incarnation as a human being
    • e)tapei/nwsen (“he lowered [himself]”)—his suffering and death
    • u(peru/ywsen (“[God] lifted [him] high”)—Jesus’ resurrection and ascension/exaltation
    • e)xari/sato (“[God himself] showed favor [to him]”)—”with the name over every name”, as Lord and (Son of) God in heaven

Commentators have differing views on how best to delineate the poetic structure of the hymn. The main point, however, is that the two halves mirror each other conceptually, so that the lowering of Christ (“he lowered himself” [e(auto\n e)ke/nwsen], v. 8) is matched by the exalting of him by God (“He lifted him high” [au)to\n u(peru/ywsen], v. 9). Thus, the incarnation of Christ, culminating in his death, is parallel to his exaltation (after his resurrection); and, to extend the mirror-pattern, the exalted/heavenly state of the pre-existent Christ is parallel to that of the resurrected Christ.

It is easy to see how this chiastic paradigm came about. Beginning with the Gospel narrative of the resurrection and exaltation of Jesus, which forms the basis of the early exaltation-Christology, this narrative was enhanced and expanded to incorporate the developing pre-existence Christology (an early form of which is found here in the hymn). The pre-existence of Christ was explained in relation to the exaltation-Christology, and according to the conceptual and narrative pattern of that Christology. Prior to his incarnation, at the very beginning, Christ had an exalted and Divine status/position (with God) which corresponded to the status/position (at God’s “right hand”) he held following the resurrection. The two ‘states’ are similar (and comparable), even if they are described with different wording and terminology in the hymn.

2. The Wording Used in Verses 6-8

The references to the Divine pre-existence and the incarnation of Christ in the first half of the hymn (vv. 6-8) would seem to be relatively clear, and yet the specific wording that Paul (and/or the author of the hymn) uses to express these ideas is difficult and challenging. The hymnic nature of the passage itself is the primary cause of the difficulty, since complex and multifaceted theological concepts are being referenced with the utmost poetic concision—using just a short phrase or single expression. Sometimes the interpretive problem hinges on the meaning of a single word, used in context. Determining the precise meaning has proven difficult indeed, and disagreements remain among commentators and theologians regarding the best way to understand (and translate) the wording of the hymn in these verses.

Here are the key phrases and expressions (concentrated in vv. 6-7):

    • e)n morfh=| qeou= (“in [the] form [morfh/] of God”)
    • a(rpagmo\n h(gh/sato, in the context of:
      to\ ei@nai i&sa qew=| (“[the] being equal to God”)
    • e(auto\n e)ke/nwsen (“he emptied himself”)
    • the three nouns morfh/, o(moi/wma, and sxh=ma in sequence—all referring to the human existence and condition of Jesus

The first two phrases/expressions (v. 6) relate to the idea of Christ’s Divine pre-existence, while the last two (v. 7) relate to the incarnation.

The best place to begin is with the use of the noun morfh/, since it occurs in both v. 6 and 7; it thus would seem to provide a key to the hymn’s understanding of the Divine pre-existence and incarnation of Christ. The centrality of the terminology is, I think, confirmed by the fact that morfh/ is used in parallel expressions:

    • morfh\ qeou= (“form of God”)
    • morfh\ dou/lou (“form of a slave”)

The parallelism extends to the specific phrase used in each case, a phrase that is normative (and definitive) for describing the pre-existent and incarnate states, respectively, of Jesus Christ:

    • e)n morfh=| qeou= u(pa/rxwn (“be[ginn]ing in [the] form of God”)
    • morfh\n doulou= labw/n (“[hav]ing taken [the] form of a slave”)

The noun morfh/ means “form, shape”, in the sense of the visible appearance of something. Rather surprisingly, the two occurrences here in vv. 6-7 are the only occurrences in the entire New Testament (apart from Mark [16:12]). The idea of the visible appearance of God suggests the traditional-theological use of the noun do/ca (corresponding to Hebrew dobK*), in the specific sense of the Divine splendor that surrounds God (as described in theophany-visions). And, indeed, this basic sense of the terminology would seem to be confirmed by the parallel in verse 11, with the closing expression “unto the do/ca of God the Father”. In terms of the mirrored-chiastic parallelism of the hymn (cf. above), the expressions morfh\ qeou (“form of God”) and do/ca qeou= (“splendor of God”) are certainly parallel, the hymn’s final expression corresponding to its first. The latter expression alludes to the Divine splendor possessed by the exalted Christ (following his resurrection), and thus the former must carry a similar/comparable meaning for the pre-existent Christ.

Therefore, we may fairly explain the hymn’s (and Paul’s) use of the expression “in the form of God” (e)n morfh=| qeou=) as referring to an exalted Divine/heavenly state in which Christ existed at the beginning. The verb u(pa/rxw literally means “begin under” —that is, begin in a certain position or condition, though it can also carry the existential meaning “begin to be” (i.e., begin to exist). This existential meaning was generalized so that, quite often, the verb simply means “to be”, comparable to the verb of being (ei)mi). It is best, I think, to retain here the more precise and specific meaning of beginning under (i.e., in) a particular state or condition (viz., that of the exalted “form” of God).

The parallel with the expression in verse 7 (“form of a slave” [morfh\ dou/lou]) emphasizes the specific aspect of status and position. At the beginning, Christ held an exalted status and position alongside God; but then, after he “emptied himself”, he took on (vb lamba/nw, “take”) the status and position of a lowly slave. This designation of a “slave” (dou=lo$), coming at the start of the description in verse 7, essentially summarizes the human condition (“form of a slave”) of the incarnate Christ. Yet it does not refer only to his humanity in general terms; rather, it also signifies the culmination of Jesus’ human life (and his earthly mission)—viz., his death on the cross (v. 8). The “emptying” (vb keno/w) mentioned in verse 7 is paralleled by the “lowering” (vb tapeino/w) in verse 8. These two actions must be taken in tandem, even if they also signify distinct ‘stages’ in the incarnate existence of the Son (Christ)—i.e., the initial incarnation/birth as a human being, with the beginning of his earthly life and ministry (v. 7), followed by the completion of that life/ministry with his sacrificial death (v. 8).

In Parts 2 and 3 of this article, we will proceed to examine the remaining key words, expressions, and phrases in vv. 6-8. Then, we will conclude by comparing the Christ-hymn with Paul’s earlier references to the pre-existence and incarnation (discussed in the prior articles of this series).

Studies on the Spirit: The Spirit and the Death/Resurrection of Jesus (Study 10)

Study 10: The Spirit and the Resurrection of Jesus—the sending of the Spirit

As part of our discussion of the resurrection-chapter of 1 Corinthians (chap. 15) in the previous study (Study 9), it was mentioned how Paul’s exposition was fundamentally rooted in the early exaltation-Christology. An important and vital component of this Christology involves the sending of the Spirit to believers in Christ. The basic outline of this feature may be summarized as follows:

As the result of his resurrection, Jesus was exalted to a Divine/heavenly position at the “right hand” of God the Father. From this position, where, as God’s Son, the exalted Christ rules with Divine authority (at God’s right hand), he has access to the Spirit of God, with the ability to communicate (and send) this Spirit to others (i.e., believers).

It is interesting that, despite the prominence of this Christological belief, it is only rarely referenced in the New Testament; yet the references which exist certainly testify to its importance. In this study, we will examine the evidence from four standpoints:

    1. The Spirit-baptism tradition (in Mark 1:8 par.)
    2. The early Gospel preaching (kerygma) [prim. Acts 2:33]
    3. The Lukan Theology (Luke-Acts)
    4. The Johannine Narrative (esp. the Paraclete-sayings)

In conclusion, we will consider again, further, Paul’s explication of the Tradition in 1 Corinthians 15 (esp. verses  44-46).

1. The Spirit-baptism tradition (Mk 1:8 par)

All of the Gospels record (with some slight variation) the prophetic saying by John the Baptist:

“I dunked [i.e., baptized] you in water, but he will dunk you in (the) holy Spirit.” (Mk 1:8)

The Matthean and Lukan version(s) [“Q” material] present this saying somewhat differently, in relation to the earlier saying in v. 7, but it is substantially the same:

“(On the one hand,) I dunk you in water unto a change-of-mind…but (on the other,) he will dunk you in (the) holy Spirit and fire!” (Matt 3:11 / Lk 3:16)

The main differences (additions) are indicated in gray. The Johannine Gospel breaks apart the two components of the saying (1:26 [and 31], 33), a narrative method which serves to reinforce the contrast between the Baptist (baptizing in water) and Jesus (baptizing in/with the Spirit).

It seems quite clear that early Christians understood the prophecy as a reference to the coming of the Spirit upon believers; certainly, this is how the  saying is presented as being fulfilled in the book of Acts (1:5, in the context of vv. 8ff and 2:1-4ff). And yet, there is some thought that originally, in terms of the historical tradition and the earliest Gospel Tradition, the saying may have referred to the earthly ministry of Jesus. At the historical level, the Baptist himself would surely have understood the matter generally in terms of a Messianic fulfillment of the symbolic type-pattern present in his own baptizing activity. The “he” (au)to/$) who will “dunk you in/with (the) holy Spirit” is a Messianic Prophet-figure (“one coming”) who is depicted as ushering in the eschatological New Age promised by God for His people. The Messianic (and eschatological) character of this expected figure is quite clear, both from the context of the core tradition (esp. Mk 1:7-8 par, cf. my earlier article on “The One Coming” in the series Yeshua the Anointed), along with the “Q” saying in Matt 3:12 par, as well as the narrative setting established in the Lukan (3:15) and Johannine (1:19-25ff) Gospels.

The background for such a belief comes principally from the Scriptures—especially a number of key passages in the Prophets of the Exilic period which promise that, in the New Age of Israel’s restoration, God will “pour out” His Spirit upon His people (Isa 32:15; 44:3; Ezek 39:29; Joel 2:28-29). The use of Joel 2:28-29 in the Pentecost sermon-speech by Peter in Acts 2 (vv. 16-21ff) demonstrates that early Christians understood the coming of the Spirit (upon believers) as the fulfillment of these prophecies, and that it is the exalted Jesus who will bring this about— effectively “pouring out” the Spirit upon them (cf. on verse 33, below). This language of “pouring out” is certainly applicable to the idea of baptism, and is particularly appropriate if the ritual act involved a partial immersion—that is, the person is standing (or kneeling) in the water, and water is then scooped up and poured upon his/her head.

Interestingly, where the Spirit-baptism saying occurs in the book of Acts (1:5; 11:16, cp. with Lk 3:16), Jesus is not specified as the one who does the ‘baptizing’; rather, the verb is given in the passive (baptisqh/sesqe, “you will be dunked”), suggesting that these are instances of the so-called “Divine passive” (passivum divinum) in which God (the Father) is the implied actor. The fact that it is Jesus who elsewhere (in 2:33, etc, cf. below) is clearly indicated as the one who ‘baptizes’ with the Spirit further suggests that he (i.e., the exalted Christ) is fulfilling a role which properly belongs to God (YHWH).

2. The early Gospel preaching (kerygma)

The early exaltation-Christology (cf. the summary above) is well-established within the Gospel proclamation (kerygma) of early (first-century) believers. We can glimpse this, for example, from the various references (often formulaic in nature) to Jesus’ place in heaven at the “right hand” of God the Father—Mk 12:36; 14:62 pars; Acts 2:33f; 5:31; 7:55-56; Rom 8:34; Col 3:1; Eph 1:20; 1 Pet 3:22; Heb 1:3, 13; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2. I have already addressed Romans 1:4, and the likelihood that vv. 3-4 represent an early (pre/non-Pauline) confessional formula, in recent articles. Numerous other references (e.g., 1 Thess 1:10) could be cited as evidence for the widespread establishment of this basic exaltation-Christology within early Christian thought.

In spite of this, as noted above, there are few references to the specific idea of the exalted Christ’s access to the Spirit, and his ability to communicate (and send) it to believers. In at least one instance, however, the idea features prominently in the apostolic kerygma—namely, in Acts 2:33, which comes at a key (and climactic) point in the Pentecost sermon-speech by Peter (2:14-36), following the narrative of the initial coming of the Spirit upon the first believers in Jerusalem (vv. 1-4ff, cf. on the citation of Joel 2:28-29 [vv. 16-21ff] above). A kerygmatic presentation of the early exaltation-Christology is clearly indicated from the context in vv. 24ff, 31-32. The statement that God raised Jesus from the dead (v. 32) is followed by the declaration in verse 33:

“therefore, (hav)ing been lifted high [i.e., exalted] to the right (hand) of God, and (hav)ing received the e)paggeli/a of the holy Spirit (from) alongside the Father, he poured out this, which you [indeed] (now) see and hear (of).”

Jesus’ role in the fulfillment of the Joel 2:28-29 prophecy (cf. above) is shown by the use of the verb e)kxe/w (“pour out”); this also establishes the fulfillment of the Baptism-prophecy (Mk 1:8 par), with the idea of Jesus ‘baptizing’ people in/with the Spirit (cf. the discussion above). The key statement is the central clause: “(hav)ing received the e)paggeli/a of the holy Spirit (from) alongside the Father”. The sequence is clear: resurrection (v. 32)—exaltation (v. 33a)—receiving the Spirit from the Father [at His right hand] (v. 33b)— “pouring out” the Spirit (vv. 33c). The noun e)paggeli/a denotes a message a person gives forth, regarding a specific issue, often indicating (in a legal sense) an official announcement as to what he/she intends to do; there is often a strong promisory connotation to the term, and the noun is regularly translated as “promise”. Here the “promise” refers to the Prophetic passages, cited above, to which certain other Scriptures may be added, as well as the Baptism-prophecy (Mk 1:8 par). The noun e)paggeli/a is similarly used in Lk 24:49 and Acts 1:4 (cf. 2:39); and note also the Pauline usage in Gal 3:14-22ff.

3. The Lukan Theology (Luke-Acts)

As can be seen from the discussion above (in sections 1. and 2.), this emphasis on the Spirit within the exaltation-Christology is particularly prominent in Luke-Acts. It thus reflects a distinctive Lukan theological emphasis. The traditional nature of the Christology can be seen from the importance of the “right hand” exaltation-motif. The Lukan author adopts this motif (from the Tradition) at the end of the Gospel (20:42; 22:69) and continues it through the Gospel-preaching in the early chapters of Acts (2:33-34; 5:31; 7:55-56). The implication would seem to be that, being present at the “right hand” of God, the exalted Christ (the Son) now rules alongside God the Father. It is from this Divine and exalted position that Christ receives the Spirit “from alongside” (para/) the Father (Acts 2:33, cf. above). If he rules alongside God, then it follows that Christ also possesses the ruling authority of the Father—that is, he can act as God the Father does, acting as His royal representative, with the same authority. This means, specifically, that the exalted Christ can fulfill what God Himself promised—namely, that He would “pour out” His Spirit upon His people in the New Age of restoration. As Acts 2:33 makes clear, Jesus Christ is the one who “pours out” the Spirit, acting on the Father’s behalf.

There are several other Lukan references where this role of Jesus, in relation to the Spirit, is indicated. The most obvious occurs at the close of the Gospel (24:49), where, before his departure to heaven, Jesus tells his disciples:

“And [see—] I will send forth the e)paggeli/a of my Father upon you”

The noun e)paggeli/a (usually translated as “promise”) is unquestionably a reference to the Spirit, as the usage in Acts 1:4 and 2:33 makes clear (cf. above); but the identification is also confirmed by the wording that follows:

“but you must sit (here) in the city [i.e., Jerusalem] until the (moment) when you are clothed in power out of (the) height(s).”

The essential identification of “power” (du/nami$) with the Spirit is confirmed by the parallel in 1:35, as well as by the overall Lukan usage (4:14; Acts 1:8, etc). What is most important to note here in 24:49 is that Jesus is the one who “sends forth” (vb a)poste/llw) the Spirit, in a role that would normally be reserved for God the Father (cf. Gal 4:6, etc).

While the Spirit is upon Jesus during his Messianic ministry (on earth) and filling him (3:22; 4:1, 18), guiding and empowering him (4:14; 10:21; 11:20 [cf. par Matt 12:28]), it is only after his resurrection and exaltation that he, in turn, acts to send the Spirit upon believers. This post-resurrection role of the exalted Jesus is indicated by the saying in 12:12, in comparison with the corresponding (Synoptic) reference in the Eschatological Discourse (21:15 par). In that reference, Jesus indicates that he will give the disciples the words to speak (“I will give to you a mouth and wisdom…”), while earlier in 12:12 (cf. Matt 10:19-20) it is the Holy Spirit that fulfills this role (as also in the Markan version of the Eschatological Discourse, 13:11). The exalted Jesus and the Spirit are thus described as fulfilling the same role, and thus are performing the same basic action. This identification of the exalted Christ with the Spirit is similarly indicated by the parallel wording in Acts 16:6 (“holy Spirit”) and 7 (“Spirit of Yeshua”), suggesting that the expressions are interchangeable; the expression “Spirit of the Lord” (in 8:39) is ambiguous, but may also be a reference to the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Christ (since the “the Lord” could refer to God the Father or to the exalted Christ [the Son]).

4. The Johannine Narrative

The Christological points and features noted in the previous sections are attested in the Gospel of John as well, but presented within the context of the distinctive Johannine theology.

The Johannine Gospel does preserve the contours of the early exaltation-Christology. In particular, we find the idea that the exalted Jesus will fulfill the Messianic (and eschatological) role prophesied by the Baptist (1:33). The fulfillment is narrated at the close of the Gospel, in 20:22, a brief notice that corresponds generally to the Pentecost-event in Luke-Acts (Acts 2:1-4ff). Before this giving of the Spirit, following his resurrection Jesus ascends (in an exalted manner) to heaven to be in the Father’s presence (20:17), where, it may be inferred, he receives the Spirit (cf. Acts 2:33). As to the specific motif of ‘baptizing’ in/with the Spirit, one may note the important association of the Spirit with water in 3:5-8 and 4:10-15 (based on the context of vv. 23-24 and 7:37-39); in 7:39, the author explicitly interprets the motif of “living water” (given by Jesus) in terms of the giving of the Spirit to the disciples/believers.

At the same time, the Johannine theology, with its emphasis on the Divine pre-existence of the Son, has altered the traditional pattern of the exaltation-Christology. What previously was posited regarding the exalted Christ can now be stated in more general terms of the Son’s relation to the Father. The key passage is 3:31-36, which marks the close of the thematic contrast between Jesus and John the Baptist (and of the two kinds of baptism—Spirit / water) that encompasses chapters 1-3. God the Father gives “all things” to the Son (v. 35), and this includes, first and foremost, the Spirit (v. 34). Elsewhere, this relationship is expressed according to a clear sequence: the Father gives to the Son, and the Son, in turn, gives to believers. An important expression of this paradigm occurs in 6:57, at the close of the Bread of Life Discourse; the “life” referenced there unquestionably serves as an allusive reference to the Spirit (see v. 63, and note the “living bread” / “living water” parallel [4:10-15ff; 7:37-39]).

When we turn to the Paraclete-sayings of Jesus in the Last (or Farewell) Discourse (13:31-16:33), the paradigm is filled out with specific reference to the Spirit—viz., the Father gives the Spirit to the Son, and the Son, in turn, gives the Spirit to believers. This sequence provides the theological backdrop for the sayings (note the Father-Son relational interchange throughout the Discourse). At first glance, the actual wording in the sayings (14:16-17, 25-26; 15:26-27; 16:7-15) can be confusing, as Jesus refers to the sending of the Spirit in varying ways:

    • The Father will send the Spirit (at the Son’s request), 14:16
    • The Father will send the Spirit (in Jesus’ name), 14:26
    • The Son will send the Spirit (from the Father), 15:26
    • The Son will send the Spirit (just as the Father sent the Son), 16:7

A range of Johannine theological concepts and thematic emphases are covered by these formulations. The two central formulations (14:26; 15:26) perhaps best capture the relational paradigm presented above: the Father gives the Spirit to the Son, and the Son, in turn, gives it to believers.

And yet, another key Johannine theological emphasis is that Spirit also represents the Son (Jesus), and it is through the Spirit that Jesus continues his ministry in and among believers. The Paraclete-sayings make this quite clear. Moreover, it is through the presence of the Spirit that believers are united with the Son, and (in turn), through the Son, also with the Father. For the Johannine author(s), as well as for Paul, to be “in Christ” is to be “in the Spirit” (and vice versa). The language of union/unity that pervades chapter 17 (the Discourse-Prayer) of the Gospel also runs through much of First John, where the unifying role (and effect) of the Spirit’s abiding presence is more keenly emphasized (see esp. 3:24; 4:2ff, 13; 5:6ff).

The Pauline Explication of the Tradition in 1 Corinthians 15

In light of the above discussion, we may return briefly to Paul’s development and exposition of the exaltation-Christology in the resurrection-chapter (1 Cor 15). Focusing, in particular, on the climactic verses 44-46ff, we may note (again) Paul’s very distinctive contribution to this Christology. One might be inclined to ask how or in what way the exalted Christ received the Spirit from alongside the Father (Acts 2:33, cf. above). Paul seems to describe this in terms of the nature of the exaltation itself, by stating that the resurrected (i.e., exalted) Jesus became (vb gi/nomai) a “life-making Spirit” (v. 45). The verbal adjective (participle) would more comfortably be rendered “life-giving” in English, but the verb (zwopoie/w) properly means “make (a)live”. This is a fundamental characteristic and ability of God—to “make (persons/things) alive” —whether in the original creation, or in the resurrection (and new creation). For this use of zwopoie/w, see Jn 5:21, and also 6:63 where it is the Spirit that “makes alive”. So also, in Romans 4:17 Paul states that God “makes alive”, while in 8:11 this role is effectively performed by the Spirit. The Spirit is also the subject of the verb in 2 Cor 3:6 (on the contrast between the Spirit and the Law, cf. Gal 3:21) and, elsewhere, in 1 Peter 3:18.

Paul alone, among New Testament authors, goes so far as to declare that the exalted Jesus became this “life-making” (i.e., life-giving) Spirit. It would probably be off the mark to envision a transformation of Jesus into the Spirit. Rather, a better indication of what Paul has in mind would seem to be found in the maxim given earlier in 6:17: “Now, the (one) being joined [lit. glued] to the Lord is one Spirit (with him)”. In the immediate context of 6:17, this statement refers to the union of the believer with Christ (“the Lord”); however, it would also seem to apply to the relationship between the exalted Christ and God the Father (“the Lord”). If this line of interpretation is correct, then the phrase in 15:45 can be explained in terms of the union of the exalted Christ with God the Father. It is a spiritual union, a union in the Spirit, which involves a sharing of the same Spirit. This way of understanding the matter would help to explain and unite together several different Christological concepts, discussed above:

    • The exalted Christ possesses the Spirit, having ‘received’ it from his place “alongside” the Father (Acts 2:33, cp. Jn 1:14; 6:46; 8:38, 40, etc)
    • The exalted Christ is able personally to communicate the Spirit to believers
    • The “Spirit of Christ” and the “Spirit of God” can essentially be identified with each other, with both referring to the same Holy Spirit, the expressions themselves being interchangeable (cf. Rom 8:9; Acts 16:6-7)
    • The exalted Christ and God the Father can perform the same essential action; similarly, Christ and the Spirit can perform the same role.

In our next study (Study 11), we will turn again to the role of the Spirit in relation of the death of Jesus, considering the subject from the standpoint of the union of believers with Christ. In particular, we will focus on the idea that the power and effect of Christ’s death is communicated to believers through the Spirit. This is a thematic emphasis that is found in both the Pauline letters and the Johannine writings; we will begin with the letters of Paul.

Studies on the Spirit: The Spirit and the Death/Resurrection of Jesus (Study 9)

Study 9: The Spirit and the Resurrection of Jesus—1 Corinthians 15

In our previous study (Study 8), we examined the first of two key passages in Paul’s letters which relate the Spirit to the resurrection of Jesus (and to the resurrection [of believers] generally)—Romans 8. The second passage is the famous resurrection-chapter of 1 Corinthians (chap. 15), which we will be discussing in the current study.

1 Corinthians 15

There are many significant theological and historical-critical issues relating to this chapter, but, due to limitations of space, and the particular focus of our study, I will essentially be limiting the discussion to the role of the Spirit in the resurrection—and, specifically, Paul’s references to the Spirit, which occur in verses 44-46.

First, however, a word must be said about the place of these verses within the structure and context of the chapter. Paul begins (in vv. 1-11) by establishing the resurrection of Jesus (and, by extension and implication, the resurrection of believers) as a core component of the Gospel. Any attempt to deny or disregard, or to downplay the importance of, the resurrection effectively represents a degrading attack on the Gospel itself. We can see this, initially, by the way that Paul positions the historical tradition of Jesus’ resurrection within the framing statements (regarding the apostolic ministry of Gospel preaching) in vv. 1-2 and 11. His discussion of the historical tradition is presented in verses 3-7, along with its application to the situation of his own ministry (vv. 8-10)—and thus also his ministry and mission-work among the Corinthians. The implication is that proclamation of Jesus’ resurrection is central to Paul’s apostolic ministry (as would also be clear from many other passages and references in his letters).

In the section that follows (vv. 12-19), Paul argues for the importance (and necessity) of a belief in the resurrection—that is, the belief that there is a resurrection for human beings (esp. believers) who have died. If there is no resurrection, then Christ cannot have been raised from the dead, and human beings (believers) are without hope for the future (i.e., life after death). Most readers today are likely to find Paul’s line of argument here, taken at face value, rather unconvincing. For example, he does not recognize or deal at all with the possibility of a life after death (for believers) which does not involve a bodily/physical resurrection (cf. Lk 23:43). Such an objection, however, would miss the main focus of Paul’s thought in these verses, which involves the corporate identity (and unity) of Jesus Christ with humankind. This helps to explain the logic of his argument—viz., if human beings are not raised from the dead (bodily/physically), then Jesus himself was not raised.

The importance (and centrality) of this principle becomes clear in the following section (vv. 20-28), as Paul positions the resurrection of Jesus within an historical framework—both in terms of salvation history, and of human history in general—extending from the original creation (v. 21f) to the end of the Age (vv. 25-28). The resurrection, indeed, was a primary eschatological event, and could not, practically speaking, be discussed outside of an eschatological context.

Key to this passage is the Adam-Christ typological paradigm which Paul introduces in verse 22 (cp. his use of the same typology in Romans 5-8 [esp. 5:12-21]; and cf. my current article on Romans 8 in the series “God Sent Forth His Son…”). There are two main aspects to this typology, based on Paul’s understanding of the figure of “Adam”: (i) as a historical individual, the first human being of the old creation; and (ii) as a corporate person, who represents (collectively) all of humankind, the nature and condition of humanity (within the old order of things).

The first aspect is already indicated by Paul by his introductory statement in verse 20: “But now (the) Anointed has (indeed) been raised out of (the) dead, (the) beginning of (the harvest) of the (one)s having gone to sleep”. The ‘harvest’ implied by the use of the term a)parxh/ (“[the] beginning from”, i.e., beginning of the harvest) is the ‘harvest’ of souls (human beings) that occurs at the end of the current Age—on this agricultural imagery used as an eschatological motif, see e.g., Mk 4:29; Matt 3:12 par; 13:30, 39ff; Rev 14:15ff. The noun a)parxh/ was used by early Christians in this same eschatological context, applied to believers who represent the beginning of the end-time harvest—James 1:18; Rev 14:4, and elsewhere by Paul, 2 Thess 2:13; 1 Cor 16:15; Rom 16:5, and (especially) 8:23 which is closely related in thought and emphasis to the usage here in 1 Cor 15. And yet, the true beginning of the eschatological harvest begins with Jesus Christ and his resurrection; the resurrection of believers, which corresponds to the pattern of Jesus’ own resurrection, then follows. Paul makes the point especially clear in verse 23:

“but each (person) in his own order: (the) Anointed (as the) beginning of (the harvest) [a)parxh/], (and) then after (this), the (one)s (who are) of the Anointed, in his (com)ing to be along [parousi/a].”

The second aspect of the Adam-Christ type-pattern is the corporate or collective aspect. Adam represents and embodies all humankind (in the first/old creation), while Christ, correspondingly, represents all humankind (i.e., believers) in the new creation. Human beings are “in Adam”, just as those who belong to the new humanity (believers) are “in Christ”. This collective aspect and emphasis is expressed by Paul’s statements in verses 21-22. In particular, Paul’s declaration in verse 22 should be noted since it relates to the important theological (and Christological) principle of believers’ union with Christ (“in Christ”), by which they/we are able to participate in the death and resurrection of Jesus. For a clearer expression (and exposition) of this principle, see Romans 6:3-11 and 8:3ff, 9-11ff (cf. also Gal 2:20). This idea of our sharing in the death and resurrection of Jesus, as a result of our union with him, is important for understanding Paul’s discussion of the role of the Spirit (in relation to the resurrection).

This brings us to the penultimate section of the chapter (vv. 35-49), in which Paul expounds and develops a number of the points made earlier (esp. in vv. 20-28). It is here that Paul makes the important contribution of describing, in an initial and preliminary way, the nature of the resurrection—and, in particular, of what was involved in the resurrection of Jesus. In this regard, Paul is the first (and only) New Testament author who attempts to offer such a description and explanation of the resurrection. He does this, primarily, through an expository development of the Adam-Christ typology (cf. above), and by expanding upon the eschatological harvest-imagery implied by the term a)parxh/ (vv. 20, 23). The harvest-imagery is applied specifically in relation to the death-resurrection pattern which believers share with Jesus Christ. There are thus two distinct motivic type-patterns which Paul utilizes:

    • The old/first creation (Adam-earth-body) vs. the new/last creation (Christ-heaven-Spirit)
    • The “seed” which dies (old creation / earth-body), and which then is raised (new creation / heaven-Spirit)

Believers participate in both type-patterns—first, by being “in Adam” and then “in Christ” (see v. 22); and, second, by sharing in the death and resurrection of Jesus. In particular, the seed-motif (vv. 36-38ff) is applied to the theme of the participatory death/resurrection of believers in verses 42-44; Paul does this by way of a series of contrasting pairs:

    • “decay” (fqora/) | “without decay” (a)fqarsi/a) [v. 42]
    • “without honor” (a)timi/a) | “honor/splendor” (do/ca) [v. 43]
    • “without strength” (a)sqe/neia) | “power” (du/nami$)

The first item in each pair is characteristic of humanity in the old creation—viz., the weakness and mortality of the human condition—while the second is reflective of the exalted state of humanity in the new creation. Indeed, in this exalted state, human beings (believers) share in attributes that are otherwise characteristic of God (and the Divine/heavenly realm). The final and climactic pairing comes in verse 44:

“it is sown (as) a body of soul [yuxiko/$], it is raised (as) a body of (the) Spirit [pneumatiko/$]”

The contrast involves the adjectives yuxiko/$ and pneumatiko/$, which can be quite tricky to translate, especially as Paul uses them here. The adjective yuxiko/$ is derived from the noun yuxh/, which is usually translated “soul”; the adjective denotes “of (the) soul”, i.e., relating to the soul, characterized by a soul. Here, it is being used as a general characteristic of human beings—beginning with Adam, every individual human being is a living soul, possessing a soul (in which is the breath/spirit of life). Similarly, the adjective pneumatiko/$ means “of the spirit [pneu=ma]” —but here this refers not to the ordinary life-breath or “spirit” that is intrinsic to every living human soul, but to the Spirit of God (i.e., “of the Spirit”) as it is received and experienced especially by believers in Christ. For more on Paul’s use of the adjective pneumatiko/$, see my recent note on 1 Cor 2:13-14.

The contrast, between the old and new humanity, the old and new creation, is stated in verse 45:

“…the first man Adam came to be (made) into a living soul, the last Adam into a life-making Spirit.”

Christ is referred to as the “last Adam”, which has two points of significance: (i) Jesus Christ represents the end (“last”, e&sxato$) of the old human condition, yet (ii) he also fulfills the type-pattern of Adam since he represents the first (exalted) human being of the new creation. This new humanity is characterized, not by the living soul of Adam, but by the Spirit of God. The implication is that, through his resurrection (and exaltation), Jesus Christ was transformed (“became [made] into” [vb ginomai + ei)$]) into Divine Spirit—not simply a life-giving spirit, but the Spirit (of God) which gave/gives life to all things.

This is a striking and unprecedented statement. We have already discussed the basic idea that it was through His Spirit that God raised Jesus from the dead (cf. the discussion in Study 7). Here, however, Paul seems to indicate something further—viz., that Jesus was transformed into the very Spirit of God. Presumably, this involved a union with God’s Spirit, such that the exalted Christ and God (the Father) came to share the same Spirit, according to the principle stated by Paul in 6:17:

“the (one) being joined [lit. glued] to the Lord is one Spirit”

The immediate point of reference is to the union of believers with Christ (“the Lord”), but the principle would also seem to apply to the union of the exalted Christ with God the Father (“the Lord”); as such, 6:17 can reasonably be used to elucidate how Paul understands the Christological idea expressed here in v. 45. In several passages, Paul essentially identifies the Spirit (of God) with the Spirit of Christ; note, in particular, the interchangeability of the expressions (“Spirit of God”, “Spirit of Christ”) in Rom 8:9, and the reference to the Spirit as “the Spirit of His [i.e. God’s] Son” in Gal 4:6.

In terms of this understanding of the relation of Jesus to the Spirit, Paul is simply following (and developing) the well-established exaltation-Christology held by early Christians. According to this Christological viewpoint, the Divine status/position of Christ, and his identity as the Son of God, is understood primarily (if not exclusively) through the resurrection. Through his resurrection, Jesus was exalted to a Divine status and position (as God’s Son), at the “right hand” of the Father in heaven (cf. Mk 14:62; Acts 2:33-34; 5:31; 7:55-56; Rom 8:34; Col 3:1; 1 Pet 3:22; Heb 1:3, 13, etc). The situation becomes rather more complicated when the matter is considered from the standpoint of a pre-existence Christology. However, it is possible to explain (and retain) the exaltation-perspective of Jesus’ relationship to the Spirit even within the framework of the later pre-existence Christology that came to dominate orthodox Christian thought. For example, one may adopt a variation of the kenosis-Christology that is suggested (by Paul) in the ‘Christ-hymn’ of Philippians 2:6-11. The Christology of the Johannine Writings offers the possibility of other approaches. We will be discussing these in some of the upcoming studies, as well as in the articles (on the Incarnation) in the series “God Sent Forth His Son…” (the next article of which will deal with Phil 2:6-11).

In our next study (Study 10), we will continue this examination of the Spirit-references in 1 Cor 15 (vv. 44-46), by focusing specifically on several important aspects of the exaltation-Christology—most notably, the idea that the exalted Christ, from his position at God’s right hand (in heaven), has access to the Divine Spirit, with the ability to communicate (and send) it to believers.

 

“God Sent Forth His Son…”: Romans 8:3ff, 14-17ff, 29-30

Romans 8:3ff, 14-17ff, 29-30

Chapter 8 is the fourth, and final, major section of the probatio of Romans (Rom 1:18-8:39). The first three sections were:

    • Rom 1:18-3:20: Announcement of God’s (impending) judgment, according to the Law (of God)
    • Rom 3:21-5:21: Announcement of God’s justice/righteousness (in Christ), apart from the Law (Torah)
    • Rom 6:1-7:25: Announcement of Freedom from the Law and Sin

This last section (chapter 8) I would divide as follows:

    • Rom 8:1-30: Announcement of Life in the Spirit (Exhortation)
      —8:1-11: The conflict (for believers) between the Spirit and the Flesh
      —8:12-17: Believers are sons (of God) and heirs (with Christ) through the Spirit
      —8:18-25: Believers have the hope of future glory (new creation) through the Spirit
      —8:26-30: Believers experience the work of salvation through the Spirit
    • Rom 8:31-39: Doxology: The Love of God (in Christ)

The important Christological statement in verse 3 (discussed in the previous article) serves as the basis for Paul’s exposition of the declaration in vv. 1-2:

“(So) then, now (there is) not any judgment against the (one)s (who are) in (the) Anointed Yeshua—for the law of the Spirit of life in (the) Anointed Yeshua (has) freed you from the law of sin and of death!”

Believers (“the [one]s in Christ Jesus”) have been saved from the Judgment, in that they/we were “set free” (vb e)leuqero/w) from the binding power (or “law”, no/mo$) of sin (and death). Judgment was brought down on sin itself, as it exercised power “in the flesh”, condemning it and stripping it of its enslaving power. In terms of Paul’s personalization of sin, depicting it as a tyrannical ruler, one is reminded of the Judgment-scene in the vision of Daniel 7 (vv. 11-12, 26-27).

Two aspects of Paul’s description go hand-in-hand:

    • Sin is judged by God, with its ruling/enslaving power removed, and thus
    • Humankind is set free from the power of sin

Freedom from the binding power of sin also means freedom from the binding power of the law (i.e., the Torah regulations and requirements). On this sensitive and controversial subject, cf. the articles in my earlier series “Paul’s View of the Law” (note especially the discussion on the preceding sections of Romans [7:7-25]).

An important point of emphasis for Paul here is that both aspects of this salvation which God worked for believers—judgment against sin, and the loosing from bondage—took place “in the flesh”. This was the very human “flesh” —i.e., the human nature—that had been created (by God), but came to be corrupted and enslaved to the power of sin (cf. Paul’s extended discussion in chaps. 5-7). The means by which God accomplished the salvation of humankind, freeing it from bondage, was the death of His own Son.

We have already discussed the likely incarnational orientation of the paradigm in verse 3 (cf. also Gal 4:4): God sent forth His Son, presumably from heaven to earth, in order to be born as a human being (i.e., in human “flesh”). In this regard, and in the context of the probatio of Romans (esp. chapters 5-8), the significance of the expression “flesh of sin” (sa\rc a(marti/a$) lies in the idea that the human nature (“flesh”) was corrupted and enslaved to the power of sin. The Son of God came to participate in this human condition, having been born under the curse of the law (Gal 3:13; 4:4), and “in the likeness” (e)n o(moiw/mati) of this “flesh of sin”. Through the death of the incarnate Son, sin was condemned and its power broken— “(God) brought down judgment against sin in the flesh”.

At the same time, sin—that is, the sins of human beings—was dealt with; the language that Paul uses (“about/concerning sin” [peri\ a(marti/a$]) contains an allusion to the sacrificial offerings for sin (cf. the discussion in the previous article). Within the ancient cultic apparatus, the impurity, guilt, and damaging effects of human sin were removed through the various sin/guilt offerings, a process that is symbolized (in ritual terms) by the animal sacrifices and their accompanied offerings. The death of Jesus fulfilled this sacrificial type-pattern.

Thus, in Christ humanity is doubly freed from sin: the guilt and harmful effect of our sins is removed, and we are given the ability to live free from sin henceforth.

Verses 1-11 make clear that this freedom is in effect only for believers in Christ (“th[ose] in Christ Jesus”) and is fulfilled only insofar as they/we walk [i.e., live/act] “according to the Spirit” (kata\ pneu=ma, v. 4). Here, Paul utilizes his familiar and distinctive contrast between “flesh” and the Spirit. The contrast is established in verse 4, and then stated clearly in v. 5, juxtaposing those who think (and act) “according to the flesh” with those who do so “according to the Spirit”; the ultimate consequences for each mindset and lifestyle are given in verse 6 (cf. also the following clarifying statements in vv. 7-8).

In the remainder of the section (vv. 9-11), Paul connects the presence of the Spirit with the believer’s union with Jesus Christ. The believer is in Christ (v. 1, etc), but Christ is also in the believer (v. 10); similarly, the believer is in the Spirit (v. 9a), and the Spirit is also in the believer (vv. 9b, 11). This reflects the reality that the Spirit of God is also the Spirit of His Son (cf. Gal 4:6). When we are united with the Spirit, we are united with the Son.

A cornerstone tenet of the Pauline theology is that believers, through union with Christ (in the Spirit), participate in both his death and resurrection. Paul refers to this guiding principle on a number of occasions, but most clearly and extensively in Romans 6:1-11, where it is expressed through the symbolism of the baptism ritual (vv. 3-4). Through our union with Christ’s death, we died to the power of sin, so that it no longer has rule over us (vv. 6-7). Similarly, through our union with his life (i.e., resurrection), we are able to experience the eternal life of God (vv. 8-10). The latter entails the promise of fulfillment with the end-time resurrection of the body, an aspect of the theological paradigm which Paul particularly emphasizes in chapter 8, beginning with verse 11:

“And, if the Spirit of the (One hav)ing raised Yeshua out of (the) dead houses [i.e., dwells] in you, (then) the (One hav)ing raised (the) Anointed out of (the) dead will make live your dying bodies, through His Spirit housing [i.e., dwelling] in you.”

Incarnation and the Divine Sonship in 8:12-30

Having dealt with the present conflict for believers, between the Spirit and the flesh (vv. 1-11, cf. above), the central theme of the sonship of believers is introduced in the next section (vv. 12-17), to be further expounded in the remainder of the chapter (vv. 18-25 and 26-30). Insofar as believers live and “walk about” in the Spirit, being guided by the presence and power of the Spirit, they/we truly are the sons (i.e., children) of God. This is the message of the chapter, summarized in verse 14 (which entails the exhortation from vv. 1-11 [and vv. 12-13]):

“For, as (many) as are led by/in (the) Spirit of God, these are (the) sons of God.”

As noted above (and cf. the discussion in the previous article), Paul’s wording in verse 3 (cp. Gal 4:4), suggests at least a rudimentary belief in the incarnation of the (pre-existent) Son of God, and thus represents early evidence for a seminal pre-existence Christology. And, if we are to ask what this Christology, as expressed here in Romans 8, tells us about Paul’s understanding of the nature and purpose of the incarnation, it is best summarized by his exposition of the Sonship theme. Paul’s thought in this regard follows closely upon his exposition in Gal 3:26-4:7; indeed, the wording in vv. 14-17 is quite similar to that of the earlier passage. Based on the ideas expressed therein, we may epitomize Paul’s message regarding the purpose of the incarnation in terms of the relation of the Son (Christ Jesus) to believers, and involving a mirrored reciprocity:

God’s Son became a human being
so that
human beings (believers) might become the sons of God. 

And, as the context of both passages makes quite clear, this dynamic is dependent entirely upon the presence and activity of the Spirit. For Paul, to be “in the Spirit” is the same as being “in Christ”; indeed, the Spirit of God is also the Spirit of Christ. This is quite clear from the wording in Gal 4:6, but also from the way that, here earlier in v. 9, Paul uses the expressions “Spirit of God” (pneu=ma qeou=) and “Spirit of (the) Anointed” (i.e., “Spirit of Christ”, pneu=ma Xristou=) interchangeably. 

Believers obtain this Divine sonship, through the Spirit, by sharing in the Sonship of Jesus Christ. The spiritual participation of believers in the death and resurrection of Jesus was noted above (in the discussion on vv. 1-11), but this also means participation in his Sonship—in two key respects: (1) the new humanity represented by the person of Christ, and (2) experience of the resurrection, which follows the pattern of Jesus own resurrection (and exaltation). These two aspects are closely related, and Paul deals with both of them in the remainder of chapter 8, as he also does in 1 Corinthians 15 (beginning with v. 20). Both passages also utilize an Adam-Christ typology, which, while made quite explicit in 1 Cor 15 (vv. 21-23, 45ff), is also present in Romans 8, in light of the context of the prior chapters (5-7, cf. especially 5:12-21).

However, the idea of the incarnation is not particularly in view in 1 Cor 15—there the focus is entirely on the resurrection: the new humanity inaugurated by Jesus Christ essentially begins with his resurrection, rather than his birth as a human being. Indeed, throughout his letters Paul specifically indicates that Jesus was born into the old human condition, in which humankind was in bondage to the power of sin (and death), and also bound under the Law (Torah) of the old covenant—cf. Gal 3:13; 4:4; 2 Cor 5:21; Rom 8:3; 15:8, and note also Rom 1:3. It is through Jesus’ death and resurrection that it became possible for human beings (believers) to die to the old condition and be ‘raised’ into the new—viz., a new humanity, and a “new creation” (cf. Gal 6:15; 2 Cor 5:17). 

The two aspects of Sonship, mentioned above, are thus combined: believers participate in a new humanity, a new creation, by being “in Christ”, even as we had previously been “in Adam” (1 Cor 15:22); but this new human condition involves the experience of new life through the resurrection. There is a dual-nature to this experience of the resurrection by believers, with both present and future aspects. Paul indicates this here a number of ways, including by his use of the term ui(oqesi/a (“placement as a son”). Earlier in Gal 4:5-6, Paul seems to use this noun as part of a two-stage process: believers obtain the legal status as God’s children (“sons”) through faith, but then truly become His offspring upon receiving the Spirit (and thus sharing in the very Sonship of Jesus). However, here in Romans 8, Paul seems to use ui(oqesi/a in a more comprehensive sense, encompassing the present-future aspects of believers’ sonship. First, we have the statement in verse 15, indicating the present aspect:

“…you have received (the) Spirit of placement as (His) son [ui(oqesi/a], in which we cry ‘Abba, Father!'” (cf. Gal 4:5-6)

This clearly refers to the receipt of the Spirit by believers, in the present. And there is also a future aspect, as Paul states in verse 23:

“…looking to receive from (Him the) placement as (His) son [ui(oqesi/a]”

As believers, in the present we experience this Divine Sonship, this new humanity and the new life of the resurrection, inwardly through the presence of the Spirit. In this regard, here in verse 23, Paul refers to believers as “holding the a)parxh/ of the Spirit”.  The noun a)parxh/, which simply means “(the) beginning from”, often refers or alludes specifically to the beginning of the harvest; this motivic use is applied to believers throughout the New Testament, both in Paul’s letters (2 Thess 2:13; Rom 16:15, etc) and elsewhere (James 1:18; Rev 14:4). In 2 Cor 1:22 (also 5:5, and cf. Eph 1:14), Paul uses a different image: that of a deposit (i.e., down-payment) or pledge (a)rrabw/n). Believers have received the Spirit as promisory deposit and pledge (in the present) of what they/we will receive in full in the future. As indicated clearly in verse 23 (and elsewhere), the full experience will occur with the end-time resurrection.

The Divine sonship of believers will culminate (and be fully realized) with the resurrection of our bodies, which Paul describes as the “loosing from (bondage) [a)polutrw/si$] of our body”. Believers have been set free (in the Spirit) from bondage to the power of sin (and death), but we remain subject to impulses toward sin in the flesh, and our bodies are still mortal and subject to death. Only with the final resurrection, will we be completely transformed by the Spirit (even as Jesus himself was), so as to experience the new life of the new humanity in full. Paul expounded this belief more precisely in 1 Corinthians 15, where he also makes use of the term a)parxh/ in the eschatological context of the resurrection; but there it is applied to Jesus Christ, as the a)parxh/ of the new creation:

“But now (the) Anointed has been raised out of (the) dead, (as the) a)parxh/ of th(ose) having slept” (v. 20)

The resurrection of Jesus marks the beginning of the end-time ‘harvest’; the resurrection of believers comprises the remainder of this harvest:

“…each (person) in his own order: (the) Anointed (as the) a)parxh/, (and) then after (this), the (one)s (who are) of the Anointed, in his (com)ing to be along [parousi/a] [i.e., at his return]” (v. 23) [cf. Mk 13:26-27 par; 1 Thess 4:16-17]

An important component to Paul’s understanding of the incarnation, and his use of the Adam-Christ typology, is the dual-nature of the typological pattern. For Paul, “Adam” is a real historical person (the first human being of the original creation), but he is also a corporate person who collectively represents humankind as a whole. Thus, all human beings follow the first human (Adam), coming after him (in time) and following his pattern; but human beings also share (collectively) in the human nature and human condition of “Adam” —that is, they are “in Adam” (1 Cor 15:22). Jesus Christ embodies a similar duality: (i) he is the first human being of the new creation, and (ii) he collectively represents the new human condition for those who are “in Christ”. Paul deals with both parts of this duality in 1 Cor 15, and also in Romans 8, in the final sections of vv. 18-25 and 26-30. As far as the collective aspect is concerned, this is established from the beginning of the chapter, with the idea of believers being “in Christ”, and sharing (spiritually, through union with him) in his death and resurrection and the Divine Sonship (vv. 2-17, cf. above). It continues throughout vv. 18-25, whereby believers (collectively), as the sons of God, represent the a)parxh/ of the new creation; this is only possible because they/we are “in Christ”. 

The idea of Jesus Christ as the first human being of the new creation—an idea that is so prominent in 1 Cor 15—finally comes clearly into view at the close of the fourth section, in vv. 28-30. The plan and process of salvation for believers is here outlined and summarized, being presented in a definite expository sequence: (a) “knew beforehand” [vb proe/gnw], (b) “marked out beforehand” [vb proori/zw], (c) “called” [vb kale/w], (d) “made right” [vb dikaio/w], (e) “honored/glorified” [vb doca/zw]. At the heart of this sequence is the central explanatory and qualifying clause in verse 29, indicating that this all took place so that believers might be—

“…formed together with the image of His Son, unto his [i.e., Jesus’] being (the) first-produced Son among many brothers”

Here, as in 1 Cor 15, the Divine Sonship is defined primarily in terms of the resurrection—i.e., it is through the resurrection that Jesus comes to be the first representative of the new creation, the new glorified humanity. But he is not the only such “son” —his death and resurrection also allows for the ‘birth’ of many more such “sons”, who thus are his “brothers” (or, inclusively, “brothers and sisters”). 

Though the role of the incarnation, per se, is limited here in Paul’s exposition, there can be no doubt of its being rooted in the Adam-Christ typology. Jesus Christ could only fulfill the typological pattern of “Adam” by being born and living (and dying) as a true human being. Moreover, as noted above, it was necessary for God’s Son (Jesus) to be born into the old human condition, under the old covenant, and in bondage to the power of sin and death. Only then could humankind be set free from its bondage, able to enter into the new life of the new human condition (i.e., the new creation and the new covenant). 

In our next article, we will turn our attention to the ‘Christ-hymn’ of Philippians 2:6-11, where the rudimentary pre-existence and incarnational Christology, evinced rather allusively in Paul’s earlier letters, comes more clearly into view.

Studies on the Spirit: The Spirit and the Death/Resurrection of Jesus (Study 8)

Study 8: The Spirit and the Resurrection of Jesus—Romans 8

In the previous study (Study 7), we examined the core tenet of early Christian belief—viz., that God raised Jesus from the dead—in terms of the Spirit. That is to say, it was specifically God’s Spirit that raised Jesus; or, to put it another way, it was through the Spirit that God raised him from the dead. As we discussed, this way of framing the tenet is traditional, drawn from an understanding of the Spirit’s role in the original creation of humankind—giving life (and breath) to human beings—so that a similar role is to be inferred (or assumed) for the resurrection (viz., giving new life [from the dead]). And yet, among New Testament authors, it was only Paul who makes the association with the Spirit clear—whether by direct reference or strong allusion. We examined a number of the key references in the previous study; but there are two passages which are especially important in relating the Spirit to the resurrection of Jesus (and to the resurrection [of believers] generally)—Romans 8 and 1 Corinthians 15. These deserve special consideration, and so I have devoted these next two studies to Paul’s treatment in them of the Spirit/resurrection theme. We begin with the first of these passages (Romans 8)

Romans 8

The key statement in Romans 8 occurs in verse 11:

“And, if the Spirit of the (One hav)ing raised Yeshua out of (the) dead houses [i.e., dwells] in you, (then) the (One hav)ing raised (the) Anointed out of (the) dead shall make alive even your dying bodies through His Spirit housing [i.e., dwelling] in you.”

Paul’s focus on the role of the Spirit here is part of his overall thematic emphasis in chapter 8, which I have outlined as follows:

    • Rom 8:1-30: Announcement of Life in the Spirit (Exhortation)
      —8:1-11: The conflict (for believers) between the Spirit and the Flesh
      —8:12-17: Believers are sons (of God) and heirs (with Christ) through the Spirit
      —8:18-25: Believers have the hope of future glory (new creation) through the Spirit
      —8:26-30: Believers experience the work of salvation through the Spirit
    • Rom 8:31-39: Doxology: The Love of God (in Christ)

As can be seen from the outline, verse 11 marks the end of the first (ethical) section, dealing with the Spirit/Flesh conflict that exists within believers. It is also transitional, leading into the Sonship theme that is introduced in the second section (vv. 12-17) and then developed in the following sections. The association with the resurrection runs throughout the entire passage.

In many ways, chapter 8 summarizes and integrates essential points made by Paul in the prior chapters (esp. 5-7). Particularly notable is the union/participation theme that is emphasized in chapter 6 (vv. 3-11), and which is now developed in greater depth here in chapter 8. Since believers are united with Jesus Christ (“in Christ”), having received the Spirit, they/we share in both his death and his resurrection. The participation in his death is symbolized by the ritual of baptism, which is traditionally (and typically) understood as the moment when the believer receives the Spirit—even as Jesus himself received the Spirit following his own baptism (Mk 1:10 par, etc).

Paul never really mentions this traditional detail (i.e., regarding Jesus’ baptism), but it functions well within his typological paradigm, emphasizing how the experience of believers follows the type-pattern set by Jesus—baptism, life/ministry, death, resurrection. In the earlier chapters (5-7), as also in 1 Corinthians 15 (to be discussed in our next study), and elsewhere in his letters, Paul draws upon a distinctive Adam-Christ typology. There is no mention of “Adam” in chapter 8, but the typological paradigm (established in chaps. 5-7 [see esp. 5:12-21]) still would seem to be clearly in view. For Paul, “Adam” was both an historical person (i.e., the first human being of the old order) and a representation of humanity in its collective sense. Jesus Christ fulfills the Adam type-pattern—as the first human being (of the new order), and as representative of the new humanity (believers). These two aspects—individual and collective—come together with the concept of union. Believers are united with Christ, being “in Christ” (vv. 1-2, “in [the] Anointed Yeshua” [e)n Xristw=| Ihsou=]); similarly, one can speak of humankind having been “in Adam” (e)n tw=| Ada\m, 1 Cor 15:22). By being “in Adam”, one shares in the old human condition; for believers “in Christ”, they/we share in the new humanity (the “new creation”, Gal 6:15; 2 Cor 5:17).

It is clear from vv. 9-11 (as also from the orientation of chapter 8 as a whole) that believers experience and share in the new humanity of Jesus Christ through the Spirit. It is a spiritual union which we have “in Christ”, realized through the presence and power of the Spirit. This involves all aspects of believers’ union with Christ—two of which are particularly emphasized by Paul here in chapter 8: (1) participation in the resurrection of Jesus, and (2) sharing in the Divine Sonship of Jesus. The first of these thematic emphases was introduced by Paul at the close of section 1 (vv. 9-11), while the second features in the section following (vv. 12-17). The implication is that the two are closely related—viz., because we (as believers) participate in the new life of Jesus’ resurrection (from the dead), we also (as a result) share in his identity as God’s Son. It is again through the Spirit that we share in the Sonship of Jesus, as Paul makes clear in verse 15, stating that when believers received the Spirit, they/we received “(the) Spirit of placement as sons”. The nature of this “placement as a son” (ui(oqesi/a) was clarified by Paul earlier in Galatians 4:5-6:

“…God sent forth from (Him) the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying ‘Abba, Father!'” (v. 6)

A two-stage process seems to be in view: (1) the placement as God’s son, in which the believer is established (in a legal sense) as God’s (adopted) son, and (2) the union with the Spirit, in which believers truly become the sons of God, by sharing in the Divine Sonship of Jesus. The basic line of argument from Gal 4:4-6 is restated (and developed) by Paul in Rom 8:15-16ff. The Sonship shared by believers is spiritual, even as their/our union with Christ is spiritual, realized and experienced through the Spirit. Paul even goes so far as to identify Christ Jesus with the Spirit of God, referring to the Spirit as “the Spirit of His Son” (Gal 4:6); cf. also earlier here in v. 9 where the expressions “Spirit of God” and “Spirit of Christ” are essentially interchangeable. This important Christological principle will be discussed further (on 1 Corinthians 15) in the next study.

In the remainder of the chapter, the two key thematic points of emphasis noted above—(1) participation of believers in the resurrection of Jesus, and (2) sharing in the Divine Sonship of Jesus—which were established in the first two sections (vv. 1-11, 12-17), are developed. This is done by way of the typological paradigm (mentioned above), whereby the experience of believers follows the pattern established by Jesus himself. It is the pattern of Jesus’ resurrection (and its consequences) that is particularly in view. According to well-established early Christian tradition, the resurrection of Jesus led to his exaltation. From the standpoint of the exaltation-Christology, this entailed the following:

All three of these Christological points are dealt with by Paul in Romans 8, being developed in the final two sections (vv. 18-25, 26-30). For this study, I will focus specifically on the role of the Spirit in the resurrection and exaltation of Jesus, and how it applies to the resurrection and exaltation of believers. The main points were established in vv. 1-11 and 12-17 (as discussed above): believers participate in the resurrection of Jesus through the Spirit, and also share in his identity as God’s Son through the Spirit. Now let us briefly consider the development of these themes in the final two sections.

In verses 18-25, the focus is fundamentally eschatological, whereby Paul distinguishes believers’ present experience of the new life (of the resurrection) with what it will ultimately be in the future. Though believers represent the new creation—the new humanity brought about in the person of Jesus Christ—they/we are still living (on earth) in the midst of the old creation. Thus, there remains the conflict, discussed by Paul in vv. 1-11 (cf. also vv. 12-13), for believers between the Spirit (new creation) and the “flesh” (old humanity). This same conflict is described here in vv. 18ff, but in an expanded form that involves a cosmological dimension—all of creation is in conflict, struggling between the new life and the old way (of sin and death). Currently, the new life is limited to the experience of believers, in/through the Spirit, but eventually (as Paul indicates) all of creation will be set free (as believers have been) from bondage to the power of sin and death (v. 21).

Two key points are made by Paul at the close of this section, in light of the fact (reiterated in v. 22) that believers remain (for the present) in the midst of the old creation, and thus continue to find ourselves in a struggle, “groaning” throughout this continuing conflict. The first point is that the new life possessed by believers (in/through the Spirit) is only the beginning. Paul expresses this by the use of harvest-imagery, functioning as a traditional eschatological motif—viz., the harvest representing the end of the agricultural life-cycle, and thus symbolizing the end of the current Age (cf. Mark 4:29; Matt 3:12 par; 13:30, 39ff; Rev 14:15, 19, etc). The noun a)parxh/, meaning the “beginning from”, is typically used in an agricultural context, i.e., the “beginning of” the harvest; in this regard, a)parxh/ is often translated as “firstfruit(s)”. The application of this terminology to believers is also traditional, and is not limited to Paul (cf. James 1:18; Rev 14:4), but it occurs most often in Paul’s letters—cf. 1 Cor 16:15; Rom 16:5; 2 Thess 2:13; note also Rom 11:16. The usage in 1 Cor 15:20, 23 is quite similar to the eschatological thought here in Rom 8:23, and will be discussed in the next study.

The second point is that the new life for believers will only be realized in full when the type-pattern of Christ’s own experience is fulfilled—that is, when our bodies have been raised from the dead, even as Jesus’ own body was (cf. again on v. 11, above). Moreover, this will represent the culmination of our “placement as (God’s) sons” (ui(oqesi/a, as in v. 15), and our sharing in the Divine Sonship of Jesus. For early Christians, the concept of salvation was fundamentally eschatological in nature. The specific terminology Paul uses here is “loosing from (bondage)” (a)polu/twsi$, cf. Col 1:14), in keeping with his thematic emphasis throughout Romans. Though we, as believers, have been set free from bondage to the power of sin and death (v. 2), our bodies remain in bondage to the death and decay that characterizes the old order of creation. Our freedom (and salvation) will not be complete until the resurrection of our bodies at the end-time.

In the final section (vv. 26-30), Paul emphasizes further a special role of the Spirit for believers, in the midst of the conflict and struggle that remains (in the present) within the old order of creation. The Spirit aids and helps believers, particularly in the realm of our prayer to God (vv. 26-27); cf. my earlier study on these verses. This role taken by the Spirit is part of the wider providential care shown by God for his children (i.e., believers, vv. 14-17, 19-21), as Paul indicates in verse 28, as he prepares to bring the chapter (and the probatio of Romans) to a close. In verses 29-30, the typological paradigm, between believers and Christ, which governs the entire passage (cf. above) is reinforced with powerful emphasis. God “marked out” believers beforehand, as his children, according to the pattern established with his own Son, Jesus (cf. the similar use of the verb o(ri/zw, “mark out”, in Rom 1:4); they/we were “marked out” to be

“…formed together with the image of His Son, toward his [i.e., Jesus’] being the first-produced (Son) among many brothers” (v. 29)

By sharing in the resurrection of Jesus, and in his own Divine Sonship, we (as believers) become fellow sons of God (i.e., brothers) together with him. The adjective summorfo/$ (“formed together with”) is one of many sun– (“[together] with”) prefixed terms used by Paul throughout Romans, as a way of repeatedly reinforcing the important idea of believers’ union (and participation with) Christ.

In the final verse of the section, the “marking out” of believers by God (as his children) ultimately leads to their/our being exalted (even as Jesus was), so as to share in the Divine honor and splendor (do/ca, vb doca/zw). The final climactic word of verse 30 captures this promise: “those whom He marked out beforehand…He honored/glorified [e)do/casen]”.

In our next study (Study 9), we will turn our attention to 1 Corinthians 15, the famous resurrection-chapter, which contains many of the same ideas and theological points expressed by Paul in Romans 8. However, in that earlier passage, he deals with them in a distinctive way, given the focused emphasis on the resurrection itself—both the resurrection of Jesus, and the future resurrection of believers. The role of the Spirit also is emphasized, though to a lesser degree than it is in Romans 8. Yet, it is only here in 1 Cor 15 that Paul offers us some hint as to what actually took place at Jesus’ resurrection, in terms of the Spirit’s role in his resurrection (and exaltation). The relevant verses, which we will examine in detail, are particularly instructive, and are necessary for a proper understanding of both Paul’s Christology and his Pneumatology.

 

“God Sent Forth His Son…”: Romans 1:3-4 (Part 3)

Romans 1:3-4, concluded

Having examined verses 3-4 in detail in Parts 1 and 2, it now remains to consider the Christological implications of the confessional statement.

Of primary importance is the relationship of the initial phrase in v. 3, affirming the Divine Sonship of Jesus, to the two confessional clauses of vv. 3b-4b. We have already discussed how this phrase is matched by the closing Christological declaration of v. 4c, creating an inclusio:

    • “…about His Son,
      • the (one hav)ing come to be (born) out of (the) seed of David
        • according to (the) flesh,
      • the (one hav)ing been marked out (as) Son of God in power
        • according to (the) Spirit of holiness,
          out of a standing up of (the) dead
    • —Yeshua (the) Anointed, our Lord“

The parallelism, which is clear enough, unites the two primary titles of Jesus— “Anointed One” (Messiah) and “Son of God”. The central clauses themselves take the poetic form of a pair of parallel couplets, as discussed in Parts 1 and 2. Only the phrase “out of a standing up of (the) dead” (in italics above) disrupts the poetic structure. That phrase, along with the qualifying expression “in power”, are sometimes considered by commentators to be Pauline additions to an older confessional formula. At the same time, it has been thought that the framing structure of “…about His Son…Yeshua (the) Anointed” is also fundamentally Pauline—an indication of how Paul adapted and incorporated (if so he did) the earlier confessional formula in vv. 3-4.

Wither regard to this confessional formula, we have seen how each of the parallel couplet-clauses refers to a specific aspect of Jesus’ identity as the Messiah and Son of God:

    • Verse 3: Jesus as the Royal/Davidic Messiah, during his human life (“according to the flesh”), and from its beginning (“[hav]ing come to be [born]”).
    • Verse 4: Jesus as the Son of God, following the end of his life—his death and resurrection— “according to the Spirit of holiness [i.e. holy Spirit]”.

We have already examined the phrases and terminology set in parallel, but it is worth noting these again for consideration of their specific Christological significance:

    • “(hav)ing come to be (born)”
      • “out of (the) seed of David”
        • “according to (the) flesh”
    • “(hav)ing been marked out”
      • “(as the) Son of God”
        • “according to (the) Spirit of holiness”

According to this framework, Jesus was the Messiah during his lifetime (in the “flesh”), but was designated the Son of God specifically in connection with his resurrection from the dead—as is clearly indicated by the qualifying phrase in v. 4 (“out of [the] standing up [i.e., resurrection] of [the] dead”). In truth, both titles (Messiah and Son of God) apply to both sides of Jesus’ life and ministry—pre– and post-resurrection—however, a valid distinction is retained by their separate use here in each clause. The Divine Sonship of Jesus (during his life and ministry) is fundamentally Messianic in nature, while the significance of his identity as the Messiah, following his resurrection, relates to his exalted status and position as Son of God in heaven (at the right-hand of God the Father).

Indeed, in this regard, the two parts of the formula in vv. 3-4 reflect the two main components of the earliest Christology, in terms of understanding the Sonship of Jesus: (1) his identity as the Messiah, during his public ministry, by which he is declared to be God’s Son [v. 3]; and (2) his exaltation to Divine status and position (as God’s Son) in heaven, following his death and resurrection [v. 4].

Both of these Christological tenets are fully in accord with the established Gospel Tradition. The only real difference is that the wording in verse 3 suggests that Jesus’ identification as the Messiah is established already at the time of his birth, and thus prior to the declaration of Sonship during his Baptism (Mk 1:10-11 par). The formula of vv. 3-4 is thus more in line with the Christology of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, with the inclusion of their Infancy narratives. Though Paul says almost nothing about Jesus’ birth, his use of vv. 3-4 here, along with the parallel statement in Galatians 4:4 (to be discussed in the next article), strongly suggests that he would be in agreement—viz., on the point that Jesus was the Messiah from the very moment of his birth.

Yet, is it possible to take the Christological argument even further? The prefacing of vv. 3-4 with the identification of Jesus as God’s Son allows for the consideration of several possibilities. Perhaps the simplest explanation is that Paul is affirming the interchangeability of the titles “Son of God” and “Messiah”, as noted above:

    • Son of God (“His Son”)
      • clause 1 [v. 3]—the Davidic Messiah
      • clause 2 [v. 4]—the Son of God
    • Yeshua the Anointed (i.e., Messiah)

A related purpose may be to make clear that the Divine Sonship of Jesus applies to his human life (“according to the flesh”) as the Messiah (v. 3), just as it does to his exalted status/position following the resurrection (“according to the Spirit”, v. 4).

It is interesting to consider whether (or to what extent) Paul may have a temporal priority in mind. Is Jesus to be regarded as the Son of God even prior to his birth? The parallel with Galatians 4:4 (to be discussed) does seem to point in this direction. Two Christological possibilities remain:

    • Jesus was foreordained (i.e., predestined), prior to his birth, to be the Messiah and Son of God
    • He had a Divine/eternal pre-existence as the Son of God, before his birth as a human being

In the immediate context of Rom 1:3-4, the parallel between the verbs gi/nomai (“come to be [born]”, v. 3) and o(ri/zw (“mark out”, v. 4) would seem to argue in favor of the former view. In the New Testament, o(ri/zw, though it occurs rarely, is almost exclusively used in reference to the foreknowledge of God, by which He established a decree, etc, predetermining events that would occur on earth among human beings (cf. Acts 17:26; Heb 4:7). In particular, it is used with regard to what God has ordained (and predetermined) for Jesus—Lk 22:22; Acts 2:23; 10:42; 17:31—as also here in v. 4. As I noted, o(ri/zw is not a Pauline term, and its use here (the only occurrence in Paul’s letters) is a strong indication that it has been inherited from the early Gospel Tradition (and early apostolic preaching [cf. the Acts references above]). The prefixed verb proori/zw (“mark out before[hand]”) would more precisely bring out the idea of pre-determination (or predestination); it is also the verb that Paul otherwise uses (Rom 8:29-30; 1 Cor 2:7; cf. also Eph 1:5, 11).
It is possible that in some Greek manuscripts v. 4 read the verb proori/zw, rather than simple o(ri/zw, since the Old Latin versions, followed by the Vulgate and some Latin writers, translate the participle as praedestinatus (“predestined”).

What of the second option outlined above? Could the idea of Jesus as the Son of God prior to his birth imply a belief in his Divine pre-existence (as the Son), and thus also his subsequent incarnation (as a human being)? It is not possible to answer this question on the basis of vv. 3-4 alone, not even within the immediate context of the letter (vv. 1-17). We must turn to several other references by Paul, both in Romans and in other contemporary (or near-contemporary) letters, beginning with his statement in Galatians 4:4 (discussed in the next article).

“God Sent Forth His Son…”: Romans 1:3-4 (Part 2)

Romans 1:3-4, continued

Verse 4

It is worth presenting again the poetic structure and syntax of the these two verses (cf. Part 1):

“…about His Son,
the (one hav)ing come to be (born) out of (the) seed of David
according to (the) flesh,
the (one hav)ing been marked out (as) Son of God in power
according to (the) Spirit of holiness,
out of a standing up of (the) dead
—Yeshua (the) Anointed, our Lord“

The second part of the Christological formula of Rom 1:3-4 (v. 4) is indicated in bold. The parallelism is clear enough, with “Yeshua the Anointed…” matching “His Son”, as an inclusio for the entire statement, uniting the two primary titles of Jesus— “Anointed One” (Messiah) and “Son of God”. The two couplets also have a parallel form; only the phrase “out of a standing up of (the) dead” (in italics above) disrupts the poetic structure. That phrase, along with the qualifying expression “in power”, are sometimes considered by commentators to be Pauline additions to an older confessional formula.

As I mentioned previously (cf. in Part 1), the two couplets reflect the beginning and end of Jesus’ earthly life, respectively—that is, his birth as a human being, and his death and resurrection. The second couplet refers to his resurrection, and, as such, follows the earliest Christology, associating Jesus’ identity as the Son of God primarily with his exaltation by God (following his death/resurrection).

Explanatory clause #2 (verse 4)

“the (one hav)ing been marked out (as) Son of God in power according to (the) Spirit of holiness”

There are three component phrases or expressions in this clause, which are parallel to those of v. 3, as can clearly be seen:

  • “the (one hav)ing come to be (born)”
    [tou= genome/nou]
 “the (one hav)ing been marked out”
[tou= o(risqe/nto$]
  • “out of (the) seed of David”
    [e)k spe/rmato$ Daui\d]
 “(as the) Son of God in power”
[ui(ou= qeou= e)n duna/mei]
  • “according to (the) flesh”
    [kata\ sa/rka]
 “according to (the) Spirit of holiness”
[kata\ pneu=ma a(giosu/nh$]

Let us examine each of the three phrases in verse 4.

tou= o(risqe/nto$ (“the [one hav]ing been marked out”)—The aorist passive participle o(risqe/nto$ matches the middle participle (geno/meno$) in v. 3 (see Part 1, and cp. Gal 4:4). Just as Jesus came to be born (vb gi/nomai) as the “son of David”, so he came to be “marked out” (vb o(ri/zw) as the “Son of God”. I have translated the verb o(ri/zw in its fundamental sense of marking (out) a boundary or limit, etc; however, it can also be used in a more general, figurative sense of fixing or establishing something, including the technical meaning of appointing a person (to an office, etc). The verb is rare in the New Testament, occurring just 8 times, primarily in the early Christian preaching recorded in the book of Acts. There it is used as an eschatological term (i.e., the time determined by God for the great Judgment), and, in a related sense, applied to the exalted Jesus as the one appointed by God (to oversee the Judgment)—cf. Acts 10:42; 17:31 (cp. Heb 4:7). It was the resurrection that established (and confirmed) Jesus in this role, in accordance with the will and purpose of God (Acts 2:23).

This is essentially the same meaning and context of the verb here in Rom 1:3-4, indicating that, by the resurrection, God has “marked out” Jesus as His Son. This is fully in line with the early exaltation Christology, as I have noted above (cf. Part 1, and on a number of other occasions). Given the use of the verb o(ri/zw in the early preaching, and the fact that Paul never uses it elsewhere in his letters, this serves as evidence in support of Rom 1:3-4 as stemming from an earlier (non-Pauline) source—a point that I had noted earlier in Part 1.

ui(ou= qeou= e)n duna/mei (“[as the] Son of God in power”)—In his own letters, Paul’s references to Jesus as God’s Son tend to follow the older Christology, focusing on the resurrection. The clearest example of this is 1 Thess 1:10, but cf. also the context of 1 Cor 15:28; Rom 8:29. The kerygmatic association of Jesus’ Sonship, as fundamental to the Gospel message, almost certainly refers to the resurrection/exaltation as well (1 Cor 1:9; 2 Cor 1:19; Gal 1:16; Rom 1:9). And, if we are to accept the authenticity of the Acts sermon-speeches as representing Paul’s missionary preaching, then we should note his citation of Psalm 2:7 as referring to the moment of Jesus’ resurrection (Acts 13:30, 33ff). For more on this point of emphasis, cf. the note below on the qualifying phrase “out of a standing up of (the) dead”.

The prepositional expression e)n duna/mei (“in power”) qualifies the entire primary statement in verse 4—i.e., “the (one hav)ing been marked out (as) Son of God”. It introduces the predicate of the clause, but there is some uncertainty regarding the syntax: does it modify the participle o(risqe/nto$ or the title “Son of God” (ui(o\$ qeou=)? If the former, then the sense would be adverbial—that is, “having been marked out (by God)…in power”. If the latter, then it is adjectival, clarifying the sense in which Jesus is the Son of God, i.e., “the Son of God in power.”

Much depends, I think, on whether the expression is a Pauline addition to an earlier formula, or whether it represents an intrinsic part of the (original) formula as composed. The syntactical question, in this regard, is whether “in power” is an intentional parallel to “out of the seed…”, or whether the principal parallel in the two couplets is “out of the seed of David” / “out the resurrection of the dead”. In my view, the first option is to be preferred, in which case e)n duna/mei would have been part of the original formula. This means the full expression “the Son of God in power” is parallel with “out of the seed of David” (cf. the discussion on verse 3 in Part 1), and may be intended to express a contrast along the lines of the Philippians hymn (2:6-11)—i.e., incarnate human being vs. exalted divine being. His death/resurrection is greater than his birth, and moves in the opposite direction (ascent vs. descent).

What is certain is that the “power” (du/nami$) is the power of God, the very power that raised Jesus from the dead and exalted him to the “right hand” of God in heaven. In early Christian tradition, the power of God is closely aligned with His Spirit—Acts 1:8; 8:19; 10:38; Luke 1:35; 4:14; cf. also Matt 12:28 par, etc., an association that goes back to Old Testament tradition (e.g., Mic 3:8; Zec 4:6). Paul’s thought follows in line with this (1 Thess 1:5; 1 Cor 2:4; Rom 15:13, 19), and he certainly emphasizes the power of God’s Spirit in raising Jesus (Rom 8:11ff), and how the exalted Jesus shares that same Spirit (1 Cor 15:45; 6:17). Thus, “Son of God in power” is an apt expression for the idea that the exalted Jesus possesses the very Spirit of God and is united with it.

kata\ pneu=ma a(giosu/nh$ (“according to [the] Spirit of holiness”)—This phrase is parallel with kata\ sa/rka in v. 3, and thus juxtaposes sa/rc (“flesh”) and pneu=ma (“spirit”). However, this is not the antithetical flesh-vs-Spirit dualism familiar from Paul’s letters (including a number of key passages in Romans); rather, it is meant to illustrate a more fundamental metaphysical contrast—of the material earthly realm (of human beings) with the divine and heavenly realm (of God). This has been seen by commentators as another piece of evidence for a pre-Pauline origin of the formula in vv. 3-4 (cp. a similar contrast in the hymn of 1 Tim 3:16).

Here the term contrasted with “flesh” is not simply “spirit”, but “spirit of holiness [a(giosu/nh]”. This expression does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament, but is a literal rendering of vd#q) j^Wr in the Old Testament (“spirit of [God’s] holiness” = His “holy Spirit”), Psalm 51:13; Isa 63:10-11; cp. Dan 4:8-9, 18; 5:11. As such, it certainly refers to the Spirit of God, but specifically in reference to the presence (and effect) of His Spirit upon human beings (the people of God). The Qumran Community demonstrates a development in this line of tradition that is, in certain respects, comparable to the one which took place within early Christianity. The references in the Dead Sea texts to the “holy Spirit” or “spirit of [God’s] holiness” are worth studying carefully; I have done this in an earlier two-part article.

If the formula in Rom 1:3-4 took shape earlier, among Jewish Christians, or if Paul himself composed it, then the Qumran usage would be important for an understanding of the background of the Christian development of this concept of God’s holy Spirit. In an early (Jewish) Christian context, the modifying expression (“according to [the] Spirit of holiness”) here would have several particular points of significance:

    • The ancient line of tradition whereby God empowers His chosen ones (prophet, king, etc) with His Spirit
    • As the spirit of holiness, God’s Spirit purifies and perfects His people (the chosen ones); this could easily be applied to the idea of resurrection from the dead
    • It is especially characteristic of the heavenly realm, the throne/sanctuary where the presence of God Himself resides; there is a strong correspondence in the Qumran texts between the faithful ones of God’s people (on earth) and the divine/heavenly beings (Angels, etc), both are designated as “sons of God”, “sons of Light”, etc.

These lines of tradition certainly would have informed the idea of Jesus’ exaltation, according to the contours of the earliest Christology. It was the special understanding of Jesus’ unique identity as the “Son of God” that gave to the Old Testament and Jewish tradition a powerful new Christian significance. At the time Paul wrote his letter to the Romans (c. 57-58 A.D.), this Christology had begun to develop substantially, due in no small part, I am sure, to Paul’s own inspired contribution (a point to be discussed further in this series). The very fact that “Spirit of holiness” (pneu=ma a(giosu/nh) is used here, rather than the more common “holy Spirit” (pneu=ma a%gion), is another indication that Paul is adapting an older formula in Rom 1:3-4.

The qualifying reference to the Resurrection

“out of a standing up of (the) dead”
e)c a)nasta/sew$ nekrw=n

If the words “out of a standing up [i.e. resurrection] of (the) dead” in Rom 1:4 are a Pauline addition to an earlier confessional formula, then it would demonstrate that he specifically understands the title “Son of God” primarily in terms of Jesus’ resurrection. In any case, that is certainly the significance of the phrase here, qualifying the prior lines to explain how, and in what manner, God “marked out” Jesus as His Son. There is also an oblique parallel between the phrase “out of a standing up of the dead” and the expression “out of the seed of David” in v. 3, and this may confirm that Jesus’ identity as the (Davidic) Messiah is also defined (primarily) by the resurrection. On this latter point, cf. the Acts references cited above and in Part 1 (cf. also Part 8 of the series “Yeshua the Anointed”). Of special importance in this regard is the statement in Acts 2:36 that God “made” Jesus to be “(the) Lord and Anointed (One)” through the resurrection/exaltation.

Yet, if this emphasis on the resurrection follows the main lines of the early exaltation-Christology, the overall context of verses 3-4, as Paul presents them, seems also to evince (or at least to suggest) a rudimentary pre-existence Christology. In the concluding Part 3 of this article, we will explore the Christological implications of verses 3-4 in more detail.