The folks at the Bulletin for Biblical Research have very
kindly agreed to publish a revised version of my presentation from the
November, 2009 meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society:
âRewriting Prophets in the Corinthian Correspondence: A Window on Paulâs
Hermeneutic.â To provide just a bit fuller picture of the essayâs
argument:
In the broadest sense of the phrase, any use of Jewish scripture by a
later author(s) could be understood to constitute a form of ârewritten
Bibleâ. The phrase ârewritten Bibleâ has, however, come to have a
technical meaning whereby it designates a certain body of ancient,
Jewish literature. The precise shape of this body of literature
continues to be debated, but even with consensus on this specific point
as far away as it is, ârewritten Bibleâ can contribute valuable
information to the study of Paulâs use of scripture. In particular,
ârewritten Bibleâ provides a useful foil for the study of Paulâs
citations in 1 Cor 1:31 and 2 Cor 10:17 and the hermeneutical
paradigm upon which these citationsâ validity implicitly rests. In this
case, Paulâs connections with ârewritten Bibleâ literature especially
help suggest the constitutive, hermeneutical role that Jesus played as
Paul interpreted scripture for the Corinthian church within the broader
context of some of the hermeneutical traditions of his near
contemporaries.
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