Lifting the Veil by Michael Cover

Author:Michael Cover
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter
Published: 2015-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

5.2.52 Cor 3:7–18 in Light of Hebrews

The rhetorical sandwiching of Heb 3:7–4:11 within the larger homiletic unit of Heb 3:1–4:13 parallels the similar phenomenon in 2 Cor 2:14–4:6 and thus offers a more useful analogue than Deus 86–103. Two initial points of difference, however, between these texts need to be initially highlighted as well. First, unlike 2 Cor 3:7–18, Heb 3:7–4:11 includes a full citation of its underlying pericope (LXX Ps 94:7–11). Second, Hebrews interprets a non-pentateuchal text. In these two important respects, Deus 87–90 and 2 Cor 3:7–18 stand in closer proximity.

Unlike Deus 87–90, however, Heb 3:7–4:11 does not complement the exposition of a primary lemma, but amplifies a homiletic synkrisis (Heb 3:1–6). This more closely mirrors Paul’s amplification of his apostolic apology (2 Cor 2:14– 3:6) in 2 Cor 3:7–18, which involves a comparison of two kinds of apostolic authority. This is not to say that the arguments of Heb 3:1–6 and 2 Cor 3:1–6 have no basis in scripture. As mentioned above, Heb 3:1–6 offers an interpretation of Num 12:7, just as 2 Cor 3:1–6 echoes and interprets both Jer 31[38]:31, 33 and Ezek 11:19; 36:26. In this sense, both Heb 3:7–4:11 and 2 Cor 3:7–18 are rightly considered secondary-level expositions within their own contexts. Given their nonscholastic settings, however, both interpretations no longer follow an actual primary lemma, but a scripturally-based thematic discourse. Thus, while the internal form of 2 Cor 3:7–18 agrees more closely with a pattern known from Philo (Deus 87–90, etc.), its literary framing more nearly aligns with the homiletic/epistolary form of Heb 3:1–4:13.

Hebrews also illuminates a further feature of Paul’s epistolary framing of 2 Cor 3:7–18: the coda of 2 Cor 4:1–6. As mentioned above, 2 Cor 4:1–6 draws on elements of Paul’s commentary (2 Cor 3:7–18) and applies them to his apology. Thus, in his Corinthian context, Paul can now speak of the “veiling” (2 Cor 4:3bis) of his gospel, the “image” (2 Cor 4:4) of God, minds and hearts as the real locus of veiling/darkening (2 Cor 4:4, 6), and the “glory” (2 Cor 4:4, 6) and “face” (2 Cor 4:6) of Christ. These new themes are interwoven with themes taken from the opening frame as well (2 Cor 2:14 –3:6), such as “self-recommendation” (2 Cor 3:1, 4:2) and the soteriological category of “the perishing” ( : 2 Cor 2:15; 4:3).

We find a partial parallel to Paul’s epistolary coda (2 Cor 4:1–6) in Heb 4:11– 13. However, while Heb 4:11 recapitulates a few major themes from the homily, these are not integrated with themes from the opening frame.539 Heb 4:12–13, for its part, is a relatively independent and “elaborate bit of festive prose.”540 It is only when the Christological discourse resumes in Heb 4:14–16 that the themes of Jesus’ high priesthood and Christian parrhēsia from the opening synkrisis (: Heb 3:1, 4:14, 15; : Heb 3:6, 4:16) and the notion of “trial” from the Psalms homily (n: Heb 3:8, : Heb 4:15) are woven together to create the amplified portrait of Christ, the wilderness-tested high priest.

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