Paul and Isaiah's servants: Paul's theological reading of Isaiah 40-66 in 2 Corinthians 5:14-6:10

211 Pages·2007·23.74 MB·English

by  Mark S. Gignilliat

PAUL AND
ISAIAH'S SERVANTS
Paul's Theological Reading of Isaiah 40- 66
in 2 Corinthians 5.14-6.10
.~
MARK G IGN ILLIAT
LIBRARY OF NEW TESTAMENT STUDIES
330
formerly the journal for tht Study of the Nt.w Test.ament Supplemeflf serif':S·
Editor
Marll Goodacre
Editorial lkwd
john M.G. Barclay, Craig Blomberg, K>thle<on Corley,
~.
R. Alan Culpepper. james D.G. Dunn. Craig 11. Evans, Stephen Fo"1.
Rohen FOwler, Simon J. Gathercole, john S. KJoppenborg. Michael Labahn.
Robert Wall, Steve Walton, Robert L. Webb, C.trin H. Williams

PAUL AND ISA1AH'S SERVANTS
Paul's Theological Reading of Isaiah 40-66 In 2 Corinthians
5:14-6:10
MARKS. GIGNilllAT
·"
t&tdaric
Copyright 1C Mark Gignilliat, 2007
Published by T&T Oark
A Corttlnuum iinprbu
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80 Maid<:n lane. Suite 704, New York, NY 10038
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All righiS rcserv«<. No pan of this publication may be reproduced or
transmitted in nny form or by any means, eltctronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording or any information storoge or retrieval
system, witbout permission in writing from the publishers.
Mark Oignilliat bas assencd his right under the Copyright. 0..-signs and
P-.llcnts Act, 1988, to be identified as the Author of this work.
British Library Catalo&uing-in-I>ublication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the BritiSh Ubrary
EISON 9780567044839
Typeset by Data Standards Ltd. From<, Somerset. UK.
CoNTENTS
vu
ACK"OW~EDGEMENTS
ADD RIMAT IONS iJ<
Cbapur I
PAIII •• rna Ow TESTAMEt-T,A.'ID THl;oLOOICAI. RI!ADINO: R£CENT
IN11llll'IU!TATION AI>"D A SEARCH FOit A TltroLOOJCAL AWROAQI I
I. loltOductioo I
2. A Question of Methodology: Locaaing 1he OT in Paurs Epistles 2
3. Recent Approaches 6
4, Paul's Henneneutics of Faith 22
S. The Sui G•n.trir O!aracter of Paul's OT Readina 24
o·r
6. A Caoooical Approach of Paul and the 26
1. Con<:lusion 30
Chapler 2
P~CINO me ExllGI!TICAL{fHroLOOJCAL AROUMIINT OF
2 CommtJANs 5.14-6.10 31
I. lntrnduction 31
2. Pnul's Main Theme in 2 Corinthians 33
3. Paul's Warrant for Suffering 35
4. The Background of2 Corinthians S.ll-6.10 in Recent
Oitcussion 40
S. Pa.ul aoo the Servant of Isa.iah 40-55 51
6. Conclusoon S4
Chapter 3
Tue S£JIVANTOF YAHWEH At-'1> 2 CoRINT'111ANS 5.14-21:
PAUL'S RI!ADJNG OF THE REDEMPTIVE 0R.-.MA OF ISA1AJJ 4()-66 55
I. 2 Corinthians 5.14-21 and iiS Literary Conte><! S5
2. 2 Corinthians 6.2 as Hermeneutical KO) S7
3. 1ne Redemptive Ot-..m a of lsalah 40-SS: A Larger Nanativc
Reading 60
4. The Servant Jesus in 2 Corinthians 5.14-21 90
S. Conclusion 107
Paul and Isaiah's Senan.ts
vt
Chapter 4
PAUL: A SERVAl'<TOFTHESERV.o\NT 108
I. Introduction 108
2. Paul's Suffering and 2 CoriJithians 6.3-10 109
3. The Servants of the Servant in Isaiah 53-66 112
4. Paul as a Servant or the Servant 132
5. Conclusion 142
Chapter 5
THB TREOLOGICAI.. IMPLICATIONS OF PAlJL.'S OLD Tf.STAMSNT
READING 143
I. lmroduction 143
2. A Theological Definition or Plain Sense 145
3. Conclusion I 59
BtHlAOGRAPIIY 162
INDEX 191
ACKNOWLilOOEMF.NTS
As is well known, a Ph.D. dissertation, the original fonn of this book, is
typicnlly not the product or an isolated scholar but i~ a project that takes
place in a community where many. from diiTering perspcctives, contribute to
the final proouCL My heartfelt thanks are extended to North Hills
Community Chun:b of Grrenville, SC who hnc oiTered encouragement
and spiritual support along the way. I have not forgottto the p111yen of the
elden in that community. Fmancial support was alTered to me from St.
Matthew's Parisb in Wheeling. West Virginia. Reverend Mark Seitt, the
rector or St Matthew's. wu kind enough to affinn my journey •n theological
education. I am indeed humbled that a parish, whose parishioners I do not
know, would oiTer the finaJ>Cial support they ba'"· The Panacea Society also
oiTered aJCbolarsbip for my final year of study. Tho Saint And...,..·'s Society
of Nonh Carolina unden>Tote a &gn.ificant amount of my final year of
rOO!Cllreh. I am very grateful for their suppon. Also, my good friend Frankie
Byrd supponcd roe finan<Oially and personally alonpide friends such as Tom
and Cinda Pratt aoo Ron and Nancy Hawkins.
My doctoral supervisors, Professor Christopher Seit:t and Dr Druce
Longenecker, both offered in their own unique ways invnJuable huight and
leadership in lh~ research and writing of this work. One rnight hear horror
stories from Ph.D. candidates whose experienoc with their doctoral
supervisors was less than enjoyable. 1 not only had one good supervisor; 1
had two. 1bc impression these two ha,.-e made on my LbOUJhl aod vision for
theoloajcal resean;b and teaching is inestimable. 1 should also thank my
dissenation ••&miners. Professor Gerald Bray and Dr Nathan MacDonald.
Their criticisms and advice were both helpful and gratefully I'CCCived. As
providence would have it. Professor 8111y is now a dear OOlleajlUO of mine at
Beeson Divinity School.
Also. the oommunity of scholars and peen at St Andrews created an
.., ironment precnant with discussion. en<:<>unscment. aod hope for
somothins other and ll"3ler in biblical studies and theo1"8i<:aJ discourse.
Spc<.;althanlr.s should be gh'l:ll to Professor Richard Bauel<bam, Dr Nathan
MacDonald, Dr Mark Elliott and Dr Oliver Crisp as well as roy peers from
the CTRG, Jonathan Pennington, Darian Lockett, Steven Mason, Tom
Gombis, Daniel Gurtner, Mickey Klink and honomry mombcr Don Collett.
••m
1 made a •peclal or rubbing shoulders with the thonlogians wbo were
studyina at St Andrews. My closest theological interlocutors nnd friends
Acknowledgements
IX
were Tee Gatewood, Stuart Noble, Roos Wright, Steven Prokopchuk,
Trygve Johnson, Matt Je0$0n and Cindy Burris. These all with their special
gifts and erudition conttibuted to a lively and engaging theological
almosph•-re at St Andrews. We often remarked that our days at St
Andrews were during a time when the Shekinab was resting oo that small
but vibrant academic community. I am the better for having been tltere.
1 should also thank the two institutions where I have been privileged to
teach. Wycliffe Hall, University of Oxford was a wonderful first teaching
experience for me. Both the students and the staff were delightful. Dr David
Wenham has become a cherished friend and mentor in the process.
Currently, I am teaching at Beeson Divinity School, Samford University,
where my colleagues are cherished and the students bring an enthusiasm for
Christ and his kingdom into the classroom. Special thanks to Dr Paul
House, the associate dean at Beeson, for being especially supportive of this
book, other writing projects and my teaching. My teaching assil;tants, David
Faulkner and David O'Dell, provided much help io the final stageS of
editing. Also, thanks should be extended to Rebecca Vaughan-Williams at
T&T Clark for her kindness and help during the production of this work as
well as to Dr Mark Goodacre for his accc:ptance of the monograph into this
notC\\'or1by series. And to that nameless and unkno\\<'11 external reader,
thank you for your sage advice regarding the ways in which this monograph
could be streOgtheoed.
Many thanks need to be expressed to my pareots. They have always
encouraged me to put$ue those seemingly unthinkable and costly things.
Not only have they supported my wife and me financially; they have been
our biggest cheerleaders from the side. Bill and Martha Gignilliat have their
fingerprints all over this project (even if they don't understand it!), and I am
deeply grateful for the innumerable blessings their presence and support
have offered.
Lastly. what does ooe say to his lover and best friend? My wife Naomi bas
sacrificed much for the pursuit of my calling and dreams. Through the
whole process she bas been especially encouraging and loving. I am deeply
stamped by the journey we ha.·e taken together and wiU be permanently
marl:ed by our jaunt in the U:nited Kingdom. This dissertation is dedicated
to Naomi and rightfully so. I gave birth to this monograph while she gave
birth to our fils! son, William Salem. As is usually the case. her work was
much liner (and harder!) than mine.