Atonement and the Logic of Resurrection in the Epistle to the Hebrews

359 Pages·2011·1.67 MB·English

by  David M. Moffitt

Atonement and the Logic of Resurrection
in the Epistle to the Hebrews
Supplements
to
Novum Testamentum
Executive Editors
M.M. Mitchell
Chicago
D.P. Moessner
Dubuque
Editorial Board
L. Alexander, Sheffield – F. Bovon, Cambridge MA
C. Breytenbach, Berlin
J.K. Elliott, Leeds – C.R. Holladay, Atlanta
M.J.J. Menken, Tilburg – J. Smit Sibinga, Amsterdam
J.C. Thom, Stellenbosch – P. Trebilco, Dunedin
VOLUME 141
Atonement and the Logic of Resurrection
in the Epistle to the Hebrews
By
David M. Moffitt
LEIDEN • BOSTON
2011
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
ISSN 0167-9732
ISBN 978 90 04 20651 9
Copyright 2011 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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IDC Publishers, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers and VSP.
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This volume is lovingly dedicated to Heather
Εὕρηκα γυναῖκα ἀγαθήν, εὕρηκα χάριτας, εἴληφα δὲ παρὰ θεοῦ
ἱλαρότητα

CONTENTS
Acknowledgements ............................................................................. xiii
Abbreviations ...................................................................................... xvii
Chapter One Introduction: The Riddle of Hebrews’ Silence about
the Resurrection ............................................................................. 1
1.1 Stating the Questions: Jesus’ Resurrection and Atoning
Offering in Hebrews ............................................................ 1
1.2 The State of the Questions ................................................. 3
1.2.1 The “Passed Over” View ........................................ 4
1.2.1.1 F. F. Bruce ................................................. 5
1.2.1.2 William L. Lane ....................................... 6
1.2.1.3 Assessment ................................................ 8
1.2.2 Jesus’ Resurrection as a Spiritual Ascension, and
Agnostic Approaches .............................................. 10
1.2.2.1 Agnostic Approaches .............................. 11
1.2.2.2 Spiritual Ascension Approaches ........... 17
1.2.2.3 Assessment ................................................ 25
1.2.3 No Resurrection of Jesus in Hebrews .................. 27
1.2.3.1 Georg Bertram ......................................... 28
1.2.3.2 Ernst Käsemann ....................................... 30
1.2.3.3 Harold Attridge ....................................... 34
1.2.3.4 Assessment ................................................ 38
1.3 Summary: Many Explanations, One Common
Assumption ........................................................................... 40
1.4 Conclusion ............................................................................ 41
Chapter Two Angels, Anthropology, and the Age to Come in
Hebrews 1–2 ................................................................................... 45
2.1 Introduction .......................................................................... 45
2.2 Contrasting the Son and the Angels: The Argument of
Hebrews 1 .............................................................................. 47
2.3 Hebrews 1:6 and 2:5: One Οἰκουμένη or Two? ............... 53
2.3.1 Surveying the Land: Three Views on
Hebrews 1:6 and the Οἰκουμένη ............................ 53
2.3.1.1 The Incarnation Interpretation ............. 54
viii contents
2.3.1.2 The Parousia Interpretation ................... 56
2.3.1.3 The Exaltation Interpretation ................ 58
2.3.2 Summary: Spiritual or Heavenly Exaltation? ..... 68
2.4 Defining the Οἰκουμένη ....................................................... 69
2.4.1 Οἰκουμένη as “Heaven,” “Temple,” and
“Promised Land” in the Greek Psalter ................ 70
2.4.1.1 LXX Psalm 96 .......................................... 70
2.4.1.2 LXX Psalm 95 .......................................... 74
2.4.1.3 LXX Psalm 92 .......................................... 76
2.4.1.4 Summary ................................................... 78
2.4.2 The Coming World in Second Temple
Literature .................................................................. 81
2.4.2.1 The Promised Age, Life, and the New
Creation at Qumran ................................ 82
2.4.2.2 Jubilees ....................................................... 91
2.4.2.3 4 Ezra ......................................................... 96
2.4.2.4 Liber antiquitatum biblicarum .............. 105
2.4.2.5 2 Baruch .................................................... 110
2.4.3 Summary: The World to Come and the Promised
Land ........................................................................... 116
2.5 The Son of Man and the Angelic Spirits in the
Οἰκουμένη .............................................................................. 118
2.5.1 The Ruling Angels ................................................... 119
2.5.2 Psalm 8, the Elevation of Humanity, and the Son
of Man: Hebrews 2:5–9 .......................................... 120
2.5.3 Jesus and His Peers: Hebrews 2:10–18 ................ 129
2.5.3.1 An Adamic Tradition in Hebrews 2? .... 133
2.5.3.2 The Measure of a Human:
The Anthropology of Hebrews 2 .......... 138
2.5.4 The Humanity of the Son in the Realm of the
Angelic Spirits .......................................................... 141
2.6 Conclusions ........................................................................... 142
Chapter Three Jesus’ Resurrection, Ascension, and Heavenly
High Preisthood in Hebrews ....................................................... 145
3.1 Introduction .......................................................................... 145
3.2 Humans, Angels, and Ascensions into Heaven .............. 148
3.2.1 Psalm 8:5, Angels, and Moses’ Ascension in
Talmud Babli ............................................................ 150
contents ix
3.2.1.1 Moses’ Ascension in Talmud Babli and
Hebrews 1–2 ............................................. 152
3.2.1.2 Hebrews 2:9 and the Identification of
the Son ....................................................... 155
3.2.1.3 Moses’ Ascension in Second Temple
Literature ................................................... 156
3.2.1.4 Hebrews and Moses’ Ascension: Some
Tentative Conclusions ............................ 161
3.2.1.5 Summary: Glory, Moses’ Human Body
in Heaven, and Hebrews ........................ 162
3.2.2 Additional Second Temple and Early Common
Era Ascension Accounts ........................................ 163
3.2.2.1 The Varieties of Ascension
Experience ................................................. 164
3.2.2.2 Enoch’s Bodily Ascension into
Heaven? ..................................................... 166
3.2.2.3 Conclusions: Bodily Ascension in
1 and 2 Enoch ........................................... 176
3.2.3 Summary: The Plausibility of Jesus’ Bodily
Ascension in Hebrews ............................................ 178
3.3 Concepts of Resurrection in Hebrews .............................. 181
3.3.1 Hebrews 6:1–2 ......................................................... 182
3.3.2 Hebrews 11:17–19 ................................................... 185
3.3.3 Hebrews 11:35 .......................................................... 186
3.3.4 Summary: Temporary Resurrections and the
Better Resurrection ................................................. 188
3.4 Jesus’ Resurrection in Hebrews ......................................... 188
3.4.1 Jesus as the Paradigmatic Example of Faith in
the Midst of Testing: Part 1 .................................. 190
3.4.2 Resurrection and Abraham’s Faith in the Midst
of Testing .................................................................. 192
3.4.3 Jesus as the Paradigmatic Example of Faith in
the Midst of Testing: Part 2 .................................. 193
3.5 Perfected Life and Jesus’ High-Priestly Prerequisites .... 194
3.5.1 Jesus’ Perfection in Hebrews 5–7 as a
Postmortem State .................................................... 195
3.5.2 Perfection and Jesus’ Resurrection ....................... 198
3.5.2.1 The Royal Son Became High Priest:
Psalm 110:4 and Jesus’ Resurrection
Life .............................................................. 200