The Church As Paradise and the Way Therein: Early Christian Appropriation of Genesis 3:22–24

263 Pages·2017·1.06 MB·English

by  Christopher A. Graham

The Church as Paradise and the Way Therein
The Bible in Ancient Christianity
General Editor
D. Jeffrey Bingham
Editorial Board
Lewis Ayres
Brian E. Daley
Robin M. Jensen
Christoph Markschies
Peter Martens
Robert L. Wilken
VOLUME 12
The titles published in this series are listed at brill.com/bac
The Church as Paradise and the
Way Therein
Early Christian Appropriation of
Genesis 3:22–24
By
Christopher A. Graham
LEIDEN | BOSTON
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Graham, Christopher A., author.
Title: The church as paradise and the way therein : early Christian
 appropriation of Genesis 3:22–24 / by Christopher A. Graham.
Description: Leiden ; Boston : Brill, 2017. | Series: The Bible in ancient
 Christianity, ISSN 1542-1295 ; VOLUME 12 | Includes bibliographical
 references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017000992 (print) | LCCN 2017011810 (ebook) | ISBN
 9789004342088 (E-book) | ISBN 9789004341814 (hardback : alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Bible. Genesis, III, 22–24—Criticism, interpretation,
 etc.—History. | Irenaeus, Saint, Bishop of Lyon. | Church—History of
 doctrines—Early church, ca. 30-600. | Eden—History of doctrines—Early
 church, ca. 30-600.
Classification: LCC BS1235.52 (ebook) | LCC BS1235.52 .G724 2017 (print) |
 DDC 262/.7—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017000992
Typeface for the Latin, Greek, and Cyrillic scripts: “Brill”. See and download: brill.com/brill-typeface.
issn 1542-1295
isbn 978-90-04-34181-4 (hardback)
isbn 978-90-04-34208-8 (e-book)
Copyright 2017 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Brill Hes & De Graaf, Brill Nijhoff, Brill Rodopi and
Hotei Publishing.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system,
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This book is printed on acid-free paper and produced in a sustainable manner.
Contents
Acknowledgements vii
Abbreviations and Sigla ix
1 Paradise Lost Again: Introduction 1
No Modern Way to Paradise 3
Recovering the Way to Paradise Step-by-Step 12
2 Paradise as Preface: Ancient Reception of Gen 3:22–24 18
Heirs of the Expulsion: Life Outside of Paradise 19
Returning to Paradise? 28
Exceptional and Exceptionally Righteous Individuals 31
Paradisiacal Access in the Temple 36
Democratization of Paradise 41
Conclusion 44
3 Far from Paradise but Near the Way: Early Christian Reception of
Gen 3:22–24 46
Co-Heirs of the Expulsion 47
Whose Tree? Which Delights? 52
A Place of Deceptive Delights 54
The Source of True Nourishment 58
Back in Paradise 60
The Church and Paradise 63
Messianic Reentry 66
Conclusion 74
4 The Lukan Ways Back to Paradise 80
On the Way to Being the Way: Luke 23–24 81
“Their Eyes Were Opened, and They Knew”: Luke 24:31 and
Gen 3:7 82
The Way between Promise and Fulfillment: Gen 3:24 in
Luke 23–24 87
On the Way While Being the Way: Acts 8–9 91
Many Possible Ways but None to Paradise 95
Conclusion 98
vi contents
5 Irenaeus’s Church: Paradise in This World 109
Paradise Past: Irenaeus and Gen 3:22–24 109
Paradise as Prelude to Immortality 117
Present Access to the Nourishment of Paradise in the Church 120
The Church Everywhere, Paradise Here and Now 121
Nourishment at the Tree of Knowledge, from the Scriptures 123
Conclusion 130
6 One Way: Irenaean Appropriation of Way-Language 136
The Way That Circumscribes the World in Against Heresies 136
The Spatial and Unitary Nature of Paradise, the Church, and
the Way 139
The Light of Christ and the Spirit on the Way 143
The Single, Upward Way in Demonstration 148
The Purpose and Form of Demonstration 149
The Form-giving Meaning of “Way” 156
Conclusion 160
Is the Irenaean Way the Lukan Way? 162
Excursus: The Way in the Letter of the Martyrs of Lyons and
Viennes 166
7 Conclusion 170
Back to Hermeneutical Biases: Where Hungry Husbands Really
are Bears 172
Heading in Other Ways: Further Research 177
Appendix: Modern Reception History of Appellative Way-Language 185
Bibliography 201
Index of Ancient Sources 233
Index of Modern Authors 242
Index of Names and Subjects 244
Acknowledgements
I became keenly aware after running my first marathon that, though I received
the finisher’s medal, I could not have done it alone. Likewise, this book
bears my name, but I did not complete it alone. Staff and faculty within the
Theological Studies and Ph.D. Studies offices at Dallas Theological Seminary
are among those whose skill and insight kept me on course through the disser-
tation process and then in the transformation of that dissertation into a book.
Special thanks are due to Dr. Glenn R. Kreider and Dr. Richard A. Taylor at
Dallas Theological Seminary, as well as Dr. John Behr at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox
Theological Seminary. These men also epitomize all of the faculty members
who have modeled for me the harmonious relationship that can exist between
academic and confessional rigor, integrity, and excellence. They gave me their
insight throughout the dissertation process. Their encouragement and critique
at the end of that process then became the basis for transforming the disserta-
tion into a book. The insight from members of the editorial board for the series
The Bible in Ancient Christianity at Brill Academic Publishers only served to
strengthen the work. Any weaknesses that remain can only be attributed to my
own lack of attention to these and other voices.
Never to be underestimated is the support gained from those on the same
course albeit at different paces. At various segments along the course I found
myself shoulder-to-shoulder with John Adair, Albert Doskey, Jeremiah Mute,
Joseph Mutisya, and Jeff Webster. There were many who appeared at various
milestones urging me on with gracious encouragement—students, staff, and
faculty at Criswell College; congregants at Northwest Bible Church and First
Baptist Church of Dallas; staff at Byrne, Cardenas, and Aris, LLP. Still others
ran from marker to marker, from start to finish—John Dunlap, Barbara Dye,
Bill and Linda Hoyle, Julie Shue, Jacques Sirois. Bethany Anderson, Winston
Hottman, Brian LeCompte, Jason Points, Matthew Trujillo, Kyle Wisdom, and
Zhihui Zhao helped me in the final push to the finish. There is also the special
help of Martha Graham, who tirelessly served at every aid station on the route
and ran alongside me for the last few miles.
The marathon metaphor would simply be out-of-place for others who
deserve acknowledgement. George Graham and Dr. James Larsen kept me
squared away and on an even keel. Dr. Steven T. Hunter kept my loose wheels
from coming off. Dr. D. Jeffrey Bingham has demonstrated that the art and skill
of completing a project like this is much like the art and skill of fishing. One
must know when to set the hook, when to reel, and how to avoid horsing the
line. He has taught me that, though there is a deep satisfaction in holding that
viii acknowledgements
landed kingfish in both hands on the dock, it’s the exhilaration of the chase
itself that lingers and draws one back out again early the next morning—and
many mornings thereafter.
The members of the Cistercian community in Dallas, the Seminar for the
Development of Early Catholic Christianity, and the North American Patristics
Society introduced me to voices of the Church Triumphant. Together they
have exemplified that theological articulation is a gift of service to the Church
in every age.
My own children–Wesley, Calvin, and Lelia–continue to remind me that,
in spite of bouts with pseudoretrogracity, I am truly moving forward and this,
to the chagrin of the boys, in one direction. Along with learning the prose of
academic work (“Was your paper well-received?” “Did you have a productive
day?”), they kept me lyrically grounded and sufficiently amused: “You get your
Ph.D./How happy you will be/When you get a job at Wendy’s/And are honored
with employee of the month.”1
Metaphors are insufficient, however, when I consider my covenant partners:
my wife, Jill Elaine; my God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Both have made
the longings of poets an actuality. Both have ensured that my laughter will be
eternal because joy is real. Both have made the house a home. There is, for my
wife and myself only the reality of life . . . together . . . life . . . forever. And this
life that Jill and I share is only itself a reality because of the One who is and
who has given life.
1  Steve Paige and Ed Robertson, “Never Is Enough,” Stunt, BNL, Reprise Records, 1998.
Abbreviations and Sigla
1 Clem. 1 Clement
1 En. 1 Enoch
1QS Rule of the Community
2 Bar. 2 Baruch (Syriac Apocalypse)
2 Clem. 2 Clement
2 En. 2 Enoch
4 Bar. 4 Baruch (Paraleipomena Jeremiou)
ACW Ancient Christian Writers
AGJU Arbeiten zur Geschichte des antiken Judentums
und des Urchristentums
An. Tertullian, The Soul
ANF Ante-Nicene Fathers
ANRW Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt:
Geschichte und Kultur Roms im Spiegel der neueren
Forschung
Ant. Josephus, Jewish Antiquities
Ap. John (Nag Hammadi) Secret Book of John-Nag Hammadi
Ap. John (NT Apoc.) Apocryphon of John
Apoc. Pet. (Nag Hammadi) Apocalypse of Peter-Nag Hammadi
Apoc. Pet. (NT Apoc.) Apocalypse of Peter-NT Apocrypha
Autol. Theophilus, To Autolycus
b. ‘Erub. Babylonian Talmud ‘Erubin
BAC Biblioteca de autores cristianos
Barn. Barnabas
BECNT Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New
Testament
BETL Bibliotheca Ephemeridum Theologicarum
Lovaniensium
BGBH Beiträge zur Geschichte der biblischen
Hermeneutik
BJS Brown Judaic Studies
BZNW Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche
Wissenschaft und die Kunde der älteren Kirche
CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly
CD Damascus Document, Cairo Genizah copy
CEJL Commentaries on Early Jewish Literature
Cels. Origen, Against Celsus
x abbreviations and sigla
Cherubim Philo, On the Cherubim
Comm Communio
Comm. Acts Bede, Commentary on Acts
Comm. John Origen, Commentary on the Gospel of John
Comm. Rom. Origen, Commentary on Romans
Confusion Philo, On the Confusion of Tongues
CRINT Compendia Rerum Iudaicarum ad Novum Testamentum
CSCO Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium
CTR Criswell Theological Review
Dial. Sav. Dialogue of the Savior
Did. Didache
Diogn. Diognetus
DSS Dead Sea Scrolls
ECL Early Christianity and Its Literature
Eph. Ignatius, To the Ephesians
Epid. Irenaeus, Demonstration (Epideixis)
ET English Translation
ETH Études de Théologie Historique
ETL Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses
Exh. Gr. Exhortation to the Greeks (Pseudo-Justin)
FC Fathers of the Church
Fug. Tertullian, Flight in Persecution
GAPs Guides to the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha
GCS Die griechischen christlichen Schriftsteller der ersten [drei]
Jahrhunderte
Gen. Rab. Genesis Rabbah
GLAE Greek Life of Adam and Eve
Gos. Bart. Gospel of Bartholomew
Gos. Nic. Gospel of Nicodemus
Gos. Phil. Gospel of Philip
Gos. Thom. Gospel of Thomas
Gos. Truth Gospel of Truth
Greg Gregorianum
Haer. Irenaeus, Against Heresies (Adversus haereses)
HBM Hebrew Bible Monographs
HDR Harvard Dissertations in Religions
Hist. eccl. Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History
HNT Handbuch zum Neuen Testament
Hom. Acts Chrysostom, Homilies on Acts
Hom. Ezech. Origen, Homilies on Ezekial