Gal. 1:15-20 σαρκὶ καὶ αἵματι... τὸν ἀδελφὸν

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Gregory Hartzler-Miller
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Gal. 1:15-20 σαρκὶ καὶ αἵματι... τὸν ἀδελφὸν

Post by Gregory Hartzler-Miller »

Ὅτε δὲ εὐδόκησεν ὁ ἀφορίσας με ἐκ κοιλίας μητρός μου
καὶ καλέσας διὰ τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ
ἀποκαλύψαι τὸν Υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν ἐμοὶ,
ἵνα εὐαγγελίζωμαι αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν,

εὐθέως
οὐ προσανεθέμην σαρκὶ καὶ αἵματι,
οὐδὲ ἀνῆλθον εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα πρὸς τοὺς πρὸ ἐμοῦ ἀποστόλους,
ἀλλὰ ἀπῆλθον εἰς Ἀραβίαν,
καὶ πάλιν ὑπέστρεψα εἰς Δαμασκόν.

Ἔπειτα μετὰ τρία ἔτη
ἀνῆλθον εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα ἱστορῆσαι Κηφᾶν,
καὶ ἐπέμεινα πρὸς αὐτὸν ἡμέρας δεκαπέντε·
ἕτερον δὲ τῶν ἀποστόλων οὐκ εἶδον,

εἰ μὴ
Ἰάκωβον τὸν ἀδελφὸν τοῦ Κυρίου.

ἃ δὲ γράφω ὑμῖν, ἰδοὺ ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ ὅτι οὐ ψεύδομαι.

I'm exploring the plausibility of a meaningful connection between Paul's idea of consultation in the sphere of "flesh and blood" and his idea "the brother" in the logic and flow of this discourse unit. Although he did not consult in the sphere of flesh and blood immediately, and he did not go to Jerusalem to the apostles before him immediately, after three years, he did go to Jerusalem and he did visit Cephas, but none of the other apostles except James--"the brother of the Lord." In this interpretation, James is understood to be both an apostle and a blood brother.

Thus, might the idea of "the brother" connect connect meaningfully with the earlier idea of "flesh and blood"?
S Walch
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Re: Gal. 1:15-20 σαρκὶ καὶ αἵματι... τὸν ἀδελφὸν

Post by S Walch »

Gregory Hartzler-Miller wrote: December 15th, 2020, 10:25 amIn this interpretation, James is understood to be both an apostle and a blood brother.
I would agree that is what Galatians is getting at here.
Thus, might the idea of "the brother" connect meaningfully with the earlier idea of "flesh and blood"?
Well, I'm not quite sure "meaningfully" is the best way to describe it: essentially "flesh and blood" is just a fancy way of saying "a human"; and as a "brother" in this context is a human being, that's about as deep as the connection goes.

Don't think there's much else to be gleaned out of this just on the Greek text.
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Re: Gal. 1:15-20 σαρκὶ καὶ αἵματι... τὸν ἀδελφὸν

Post by Jason Hare »

Agreed. "Flesh and blood" just means "human." He didn't go to Jerusalem to consult any human to confirm the revelations that he was receiving. He went into Arabia to spend time communing with God and then returned to Damascus. Three years later, he went up to Jerusalem and had his first encounter with "flesh and blood" — with Peter and James.

There is the expression "flesh and blood" in English that means "relative."

"Michael is my own flesh and blood." means that Michael and I are close relatives. In this case, Michael is my brother's name.

This is certainly not what is meant by the Greek expression here.
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Re: Gal. 1:15-20 σαρκὶ καὶ αἵματι... τὸν ἀδελφὸν

Post by Stephen Carlson »

Adding to Jason's remarks, we should also consider Cephas, who is "flesh and blood" in the human sense but in the relative sense, in the same context.
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Re: Gal. 1:15-20 σαρκὶ καὶ αἵματι... τὸν ἀδελφὸν

Post by Jason Hare »

Stephen Carlson wrote: December 15th, 2020, 8:16 pm Adding to Jason's remarks, we should also consider Cephas, who is "flesh and blood" in the human sense but in the relative sense, in the same context.
And after the resurrection in the Gospel of Luke (24:39), we see the combination of "flesh and bone" (which is similar in meaning) contrasted with "spirit." It really is just a synecdoche for "human."
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Gregory Hartzler-Miller
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Re: Gal. 1:15-20 σαρκὶ καὶ αἵματι... τὸν ἀδελφὸν

Post by Gregory Hartzler-Miller »

Stephen Carlson wrote: December 15th, 2020, 8:16 pm ...consider Cephas...
In the Gospels, there is one reference to Peter as Cephas (John 1:42, according to the lexicons, Cephas is Aramaic for "rock"):

ἤγαγεν αὐτὸν πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν. ἐμβλέψας αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν Σὺ εἶ Σίμων ὁ υἱὸς Ἰωάνου, σὺ κληθήσῃ Κηφᾶς (ὃ ἑρμηνεύεται Πέτρος).

In a parallel passage--where Peter is called "rock" (Matt.16:18)--we find the only usage of the phrase "flesh and blood" in the Gospels (Matt. 16:17):

ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ Μακάριος εἶ, Σίμων Βαριωνᾶ,
ὅτι σὰρξ καὶ αἷμα οὐκ ἀπεκάλυψέν σοι
ἀλλ’ ὁ Πατήρ μου ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.

The contrast here is between "flesh and blood" and Jesus' "father in heaven" as a source of revelation for Peter (Cephas). Arguably, this passage concerns the lineage, specifically the paternity of "the Christ." The heavenly father of Jesus is the source of his identity as "the Christ"; not his flesh-and-blood lineage--τὸν Ἰωσὴφ τὸν ἄνδρα Μαρίας, ἐξ ἧς ἐγεννήθη Ἰησοῦς ὁ λεγόμενος Χριστός. (Matthew 1:16)

Is it plausible that in Matthew (as in Galatians, according to my reading), "flesh and blood" has a connotation of biological family?
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Re: Gal. 1:15-20 σαρκὶ καὶ αἵματι... τὸν ἀδελφὸν

Post by Barry Hofstetter »

I don't think so. σὰρξ καὶ αἷμα is contrasted with ὁ Πατήρ μου ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. "Biological family" is simply not in view. The contrast is between what is strictly human and God. Peter's insight did not come from any human source, but directly from God the Father.
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καὶ σὺ τὸ σὸν ποιήσεις κἀγὼ τὸ ἐμόν. ἆρον τὸ σὸν καὶ ὕπαγε.
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Re: Gal. 1:15-20 σαρκὶ καὶ αἵματι... τὸν ἀδελφὸν

Post by Jason Hare »

Gregory Hartzler-Miller wrote: December 17th, 2020, 5:50 am Is it plausible that in Matthew (as in Galatians, according to my reading), "flesh and blood" has a connotation of biological family?
Absolutely not. It is certainly meaning "humanity." This expression does not have any connection to the English idiom.
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Re: Gal. 1:15-20 σαρκὶ καὶ αἵματι... τὸν ἀδελφὸν

Post by Gregory Hartzler-Miller »

Jason Hare wrote: December 16th, 2020, 10:08 am And after the resurrection in the Gospel of Luke (24:39), we see the combination of "flesh and bone"...
The phrase "flesh and bone" echoes an LXX usage (Ἐκ τῶν ὀστῶν μου καὶ ἐκ τῆς σαρκός) where it functions as an appeal to family and tribal unity as "brothers" (ἀδελφός):

Gen. 29:11-15
Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. He told Rachel that he was Rebekah’s son, a relative of her father, and she ran and told her father. When Laban heard the news about his sister’s son Jacob, he ran out to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, where Jacob told him all that had happened.
Then Laban declared, “You are indeed my bone and my flesh.” ( Ἐκ τῶν ὀστῶν μου καὶ ἐκ τῆς σαρκός μου εἶ σύ·)
After Jacob had stayed with him a month, Laban said to him, “Just because you are my relative (ἀδελφός μου) should you work for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.”

2 Samuel 5:1-3
"Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own bone and flesh" (ὀστᾶ σου καὶ σάρκες σου ἡμεῖς). Even in times past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them back. And to you the LORD said, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be ruler over them.’ ”So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, where King David made with them a covenant before the LORD. And they anointed him king over Israel."

2 Samuel 19:9-14
And all the people throughout the tribes of Israel were arguing, “The king rescued us from the hand of our enemies and delivered us from the hand of the Philistines, but now he has fled the land because of Absalom. But Absalom, the man we anointed over us, has died in battle. So why do you say nothing about restoring the king?” Then King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests: “Say to the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you be the last to restore the king to his palace, since the talk of all Israel has reached the king at his quarters? You are my brothers, my own bone and my flesh (ἀδελφοί μοι ὑμεῖς, ὀστᾶ μου καὶ σάρκες μου ὑμεῖς). So why should you be the last to restore the king?’ And say to Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my flesh and blood? May God punish me, and ever so severely, if from this time you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!’ ”So he swayed the hearts of all the men of Judah as though they were one man, and they sent word to the king: “Return, you and all your servants.”

Judges 9:1-2
Now Abimelech son of Jerubbaala went to his mother’s brothers (πρὸς ἀδελφοὺς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ) at Shechem and said to them and to all the clan of his mother, “Please ask all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Is it better for you that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you, or just one man?’ Remember that I am your own bone and flesh.” (μνήσθητε ὅτι ὀστοῦν ὑμῶν καὶ σὰρξ ὑμῶν εἰμι.)
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Re: Gal. 1:15-20 σαρκὶ καὶ αἵματι... τὸν ἀδελφὸν

Post by Barry Hofstetter »

Gregory Hartzler-Miller wrote: December 18th, 2020, 5:21 pm
Jason Hare wrote: December 16th, 2020, 10:08 am And after the resurrection in the Gospel of Luke (24:39), we see the combination of "flesh and bone"...
The phrase "flesh and bone" echoes an LXX usage (Ἐκ τῶν ὀστῶν μου καὶ ἐκ τῆς σαρκός) where it functions as an appeal to family and tribal unity as "brothers" (ἀδελφός):
And it clearly has no such "echo" in the Lucan passage.
N.E. Barry Hofstetter, M.A., Th.M.
Ph.D. Student U of FL
Instructor of Latin
Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy
καὶ σὺ τὸ σὸν ποιήσεις κἀγὼ τὸ ἐμόν. ἆρον τὸ σὸν καὶ ὕπαγε.
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