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The Rhetoric of in Paul: Galatians 2.16, 3.22, Romans 3.22, and Philippians 3.9*

Department of Biblical Studies, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK, r.b.matlock{at}sheffield.ac.uk

The question of Xo in Paul (Gal. 2.16, 20; 3.22; Rom. 3.22, 26; Phil. 3.9; cf. Eph. 3.12) is impossible to avoid and has proved particularly resistant to resolution. The single most frequent exegetical argument made against the objective genitive reading (`faith in Christ') on behalf of the subjective genitive reading (`the faithfulness of Christ') is that the former creates an unacceptable redundancy in several instances, where one finds two or more / phrases side by side (Gal. 2.16; 3.22; Rom. 3.22; Phil. 3.9). Using this question of redundancy as a point of departure, this article offers a fresh look at these four verses, accounting for five of the seven Xo phrases. This is not primarily a negative critique of this redundancy argument, however, but rather a positive inquiry into the inter-relation of and interaction between these /$slash phrases and the other elements of their respective contexts— and the role such considerations might play in their own right in disambiguating Xo . The aim is not to offer a complete exegesis of the texts in question, but to attend specifically to matters that bear on Xo , and more particularly to matters of rhetoric/style/structure. In this way, I will offer a number of exegetical observations that weigh heavily in favor of the objective genitive reading.

Key Words: pistis Christou • objective genitive • subjective genitive • redundancy • rhetoric • structure

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Journal for the Study of the New Testament, Vol. 30, No. 2, 173-203 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0142064X07084775


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This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Matlock, R. B. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?