Gal. 4:13-14

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Gregory Hartzler-Miller
Posts: 122
Joined: May 23rd, 2015, 10:09 pm

Re: Gal. 4:13-14

Post by Gregory Hartzler-Miller »

Jonathan Robie wrote:And now for something completely different .... Jeffrey Gibson pointed out this article, which offers an interpretation none of us are considering ....
Troy W. Martin wrote:Whose Flesh? What Temptation? (Galatians 4.13-14)

Abstract

This article investigates the phrases 'weakness of the flesh' and 'temptation in my flesh' in Gal. 4.13-14. After evaluating the prevailing illness and persecution interpretations, this article concludes that these phrases refer neither to illness nor to persecution. Instead, 'weakness of the flesh' refers to the Galatians' pre-gospel condition. This condition and not illness or persecution caused Paul to evangelize them. When he came to them with his gospel, Paul's circumcised flesh provided a temptation for them to reject and despise him, as well as his message about Jesus Christ. However, they ignored his circumcision and received the gospel Paul announced. Paul summons them to return to their original attitude toward circumcision since circumcision is of no consequence for the gospel. If they ignore circumcision, there is no reason the Galatians should continue in their apostasy to paganism but should rather return to their original commitment to Paul and his gospel.
I haven't read this article yet, I have no idea how plausible an argument he makes for this interpretation.
Martin's main thesis is that the Galatians were offended by Paul's circumcision, and that was this revulsion was the "trial" for them "in" his "flesh." I find no indication in the rest of the text that they found his circumcision contemptible. Indeed, it seems from the letter that some of them wanted to get circumcised. Nevertheless, I find grammatical and syntactical aspects of Martin's study very thorough and useful.
Gregory Hartzler-Miller
Posts: 122
Joined: May 23rd, 2015, 10:09 pm

Re: Gal. 4:13-14

Post by Gregory Hartzler-Miller »

Andrew Chapman wrote:
And the problem is that καί normally must connect grammatical equivalents. Without the Lachmann full stop after μου, Martin, observing this lack of balance, says that καί "does not connect the two flesh statements but the verbs εὐηγγελισάμην in v. 13 and ἐξουθενήσατε in v. 14."
It looks like Martin must have ὅτι governing the whole of the rest of the sentence up to the end of verse 14. How would he translate it?
Unfortunately, T. Martin evades that question in his article. He writes: "τὸν πειρασμὸν ὑμῶν ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου functions as an accusative of respect and the entire verse translates: In respect to your temptation in my flesh, you neither disparaged (me) nor despised (me) but received me as a messenger of God, as Christ Jesus himself." p. 77-8
Gregory Hartzler-Miller
Posts: 122
Joined: May 23rd, 2015, 10:09 pm

Re: Gal. 4:13-14

Post by Gregory Hartzler-Miller »

Correction below.
Last edited by Gregory Hartzler-Miller on July 3rd, 2015, 11:21 am, edited 1 time in total.
Gregory Hartzler-Miller
Posts: 122
Joined: May 23rd, 2015, 10:09 pm

Re: Gal. 4:13-14

Post by Gregory Hartzler-Miller »

Jonathan Robie wrote:And now for something completely different .... Jeffrey Gibson pointed out this article, which offers an interpretation none of us are considering ....
Troy W. Martin wrote:Whose Flesh? What Temptation? (Galatians 4.13-14)

Abstract

This article investigates the phrases 'weakness of the flesh' and 'temptation in my flesh' in Gal. 4.13-14. After evaluating the prevailing illness and persecution interpretations, this article concludes that these phrases refer neither to illness nor to persecution. Instead, 'weakness of the flesh' refers to the Galatians' pre-gospel condition. This condition and not illness or persecution caused Paul to evangelize them. When he came to them with his gospel, Paul's circumcised flesh provided a temptation for them to reject and despise him, as well as his message about Jesus Christ. However, they ignored his circumcision and received the gospel Paul announced. Paul summons them to return to their original attitude toward circumcision since circumcision is of no consequence for the gospel. If they ignore circumcision, there is no reason the Galatians should continue in their apostasy to paganism but should rather return to their original commitment to Paul and his gospel.
I haven't read this article yet, I have no idea how plausible an argument he makes for this interpretation.
Martin's main thesis is that the Galatians were offended by Paul's circumcision, and that that revulsion was the "trial" for them "in" his "flesh." I agree with subsequent commentators who object that there is no indication in the rest of Galatians that they found his circumcision contemptible. Indeed, it seems from the letter that some of them wanted to get circumcised. Nevertheless, I find grammatical and syntactical aspects of Martin's study very thorough and useful.
Gregory Hartzler-Miller
Posts: 122
Joined: May 23rd, 2015, 10:09 pm

Re: Gal. 4:13-14

Post by Gregory Hartzler-Miller »

Andrew Chapman wrote:
it seems to me to lack balance to have καί coordinating an object clause with a noun phrase.
Setting aside the Lachmann full stop (for the moment), and setting our sights on getting καί to balance equals, this combination strikes a pleasant chord:

οἴδατε... ὅτι...
εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν...
καὶ...
ἐδέξασθέ με...

Could that observation be of any use in making grammatical, syntactical sense of the pericope as a whole?

οἴδατε δὲ ὅτι δι’ ἀσθένειαν τῆς σαρκὸς εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν τὸ πρότερον, καὶ τὸν πειρασμὸν ὑμῶν ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου οὐκ ἐξουθενήσατε οὐδὲ ἐξεπτύσατε, ἀλλὰ ὡς ἄγγελον Θεοῦ ἐδέξασθέ με, ὡς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν.
Gregory Hartzler-Miller
Posts: 122
Joined: May 23rd, 2015, 10:09 pm

Re: Gal. 4:13-14

Post by Gregory Hartzler-Miller »

Gal 4:13-14 With Lachmann's punctuation.

οὐδέν με ἠδικήσατε· οἴδατε δὲ ὅτι διʼ ἀσθένειαν τῆς σαρκὸς εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν τὸ πρότερον, καὶ τὸν πειρασμὸν ὑμῶν ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου· οὐκ ἐξουθενήσατε οὐδὲ ἐξεπτύσατε, ἀλλὰ ὡς ἄγγελον θεοῦ ἐδέξασθέ με, ὡς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν.

With the Lachmann high point after ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου· in mind, it is interesting to notice the space after ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου in Papyrus 46, available for our viewing here:

http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/i ... 38_164.TIF

(To find ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου, counting lines up from the very bottom, counting the very first tattered line at the bottom as line one, ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου appears on line seven.)

After ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου· there is a larger than average space.

In P46, “Pausesinsenseareoccasionallyindicatedbyslightspaceintervalsbetweenwords."
http://www.academia.edu/1973659/Space_between_letters

I admit that I tend to get overly excited about P46, since it is the oldest witness, dated at around 200 CE. But is this just a little bit of early evidence in favor of the Lachmann point? at ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου·
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