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Suffering and Ministry in the Spirit: Paul's Defense of His Ministry in 2 Corinthians, 2:14-3:3
This study examines some key approaches to ecumenical social ethics in the past century as expressed in the thought of Walter Rauschenbusch Reinhold Niebhur and the World Council of Churches.The author argues that unless Christians are clear about the ways that theology and philosophy relate to one another and work themselves out in our practical commitments we will lose the ability to discuss social ethics as individuals and churches let alone reach effective arguments.
261 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1990
3 people want to read
About the author
Scott J. Hafemann
26 books3 followersScott J. Hafemann (DrTheol, Eberhard-Karls-Universitat Tubingen) is reader in New Testament studies at the University of St. Andrews. He is the author of numerous articles and of Paul, Moses, and the History of Israel; The God of Promise and the Life of Faith; Understanding the Heart of the Bible; and a commentary on 2 Corinthians. He is also the editor of Biblical Theology: Retrospect and Prospect.
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November 3, 2019
Hafemann's insightful exegetical work in 2 Corinthians is a must for any pastor or scholar working with the text of 2 Corinthians 2 and 3. Hafemann carefully works his way through these verses, layering his exegesis like a cake until the masterpiece is complete. The following is a summary of the work.
In chapter one, Hafemann deals with "led unto death" from 2:14a. After working through the lexical data, Hafemann rules out alternative renderings of this phrase and settles on the jarring idea that "Paul is rejoicing precisely because God, like a victorious general after his victory, is leading him *as a slave to death*" (emphasis his, 33).
On the heels of this daunting observation, chapter two addresses Paul as a "sacrificial aroma" in 2:14b. Here Hafemann argues that Paul has changed his metaphor from a Greco-Roman idea to a Jewish idea, reinforced by particular wisdom traditions (45). The significance of the aroma is that others are able to "smell" God's glory and may be drawn to experience it themselves. In this chapter, he draws on parallels from 1 Corinthians 4:8–13, 2 Corinthians 4:7–12; 6:1–10; 10–13 to help the reader understand the apologetic function of Paul's suffering. For Paul, suffering is a corollary or verification of the gospel, a means for imitating Christ, and an antithesis to the greater glory of Christ himself (77). Summing up, Hafemann argues that "rather than calling into question his legitimacy as an apostle, Paul's suffering is *itself* evidence of his authenticity" (emphasis his, 83).
The short third chapter proposes the meaning and answer to Paul's unanswered question "who is equal to such a task?" in 2:16. Here the writer suggests that the proper answer should be that Paul is affirming that, yes, he is equal to the task of suffering for Christ, albeit only by grace (95–97).
Chapter four deals with ministry "for profit" and how Paul is sufficient for this ministry of suffering (2:17). In this chapter, Hafemann demonstrates that Paul's primary purpose was not necessarily to criticize others for doing ministry for profit ("peddling" wasn't necessarily a pejorative term at the time); instead, his intent is to demonstrate the genuine character of his own suffering-ministry which more subtly hints at the questionable nature of those hawking something else for personal gain (160–61). Drawing on connections between this passage and 1 Corinthians 9 and 2 Corinthians 11; 12, he is not "pulling rank" but sounding a note of "caution" of those who would depart from both apostolic tradition and Paul's practice of self-support (171–72).
The fifth chapter ties together the previous points and addresses the reason Paul doesn't need a letter of recommendation (3:1–3). Potentially paralleling himself with Moses (with the positive idea of "tablets of stone"), Paul sees his work as an "eschatological agent of redemption" (224), embodying the sufferings of Christ on the cross and bringing the Spirit to the hearts of those who are far from God (225).
The final chapter concludes by connecting all the components and suggesting further study.
In chapter one, Hafemann deals with "led unto death" from 2:14a. After working through the lexical data, Hafemann rules out alternative renderings of this phrase and settles on the jarring idea that "Paul is rejoicing precisely because God, like a victorious general after his victory, is leading him *as a slave to death*" (emphasis his, 33).
On the heels of this daunting observation, chapter two addresses Paul as a "sacrificial aroma" in 2:14b. Here Hafemann argues that Paul has changed his metaphor from a Greco-Roman idea to a Jewish idea, reinforced by particular wisdom traditions (45). The significance of the aroma is that others are able to "smell" God's glory and may be drawn to experience it themselves. In this chapter, he draws on parallels from 1 Corinthians 4:8–13, 2 Corinthians 4:7–12; 6:1–10; 10–13 to help the reader understand the apologetic function of Paul's suffering. For Paul, suffering is a corollary or verification of the gospel, a means for imitating Christ, and an antithesis to the greater glory of Christ himself (77). Summing up, Hafemann argues that "rather than calling into question his legitimacy as an apostle, Paul's suffering is *itself* evidence of his authenticity" (emphasis his, 83).
The short third chapter proposes the meaning and answer to Paul's unanswered question "who is equal to such a task?" in 2:16. Here the writer suggests that the proper answer should be that Paul is affirming that, yes, he is equal to the task of suffering for Christ, albeit only by grace (95–97).
Chapter four deals with ministry "for profit" and how Paul is sufficient for this ministry of suffering (2:17). In this chapter, Hafemann demonstrates that Paul's primary purpose was not necessarily to criticize others for doing ministry for profit ("peddling" wasn't necessarily a pejorative term at the time); instead, his intent is to demonstrate the genuine character of his own suffering-ministry which more subtly hints at the questionable nature of those hawking something else for personal gain (160–61). Drawing on connections between this passage and 1 Corinthians 9 and 2 Corinthians 11; 12, he is not "pulling rank" but sounding a note of "caution" of those who would depart from both apostolic tradition and Paul's practice of self-support (171–72).
The fifth chapter ties together the previous points and addresses the reason Paul doesn't need a letter of recommendation (3:1–3). Potentially paralleling himself with Moses (with the positive idea of "tablets of stone"), Paul sees his work as an "eschatological agent of redemption" (224), embodying the sufferings of Christ on the cross and bringing the Spirit to the hearts of those who are far from God (225).
The final chapter concludes by connecting all the components and suggesting further study.
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