I want to analyze the role that the resurrection of Jesus plays in 2 Corinthians. It will turn out that it plays a crucial role. The theme I wish to highlight is that Paul models his ministry on the gospel event (suffering/death of Jesus followed by the resurrection). This fact, I think, has some theological consequences, the main one for my purposes being that for Paul the gospel event ought not to be interpreted solely, if at all, in terms of Jesus as an animal-like sacrifice. This is so, because Paul no where specifies an analogue to Jesus as an animal-like sacrifice in his use of the gospel as his model.
The Data
I will present some verses as data for my thesis:
1:5
A: as abound the sufferings of the Messiah to us
B: so through the Messiah abounds also the encouragement to us
1:6
A: now whether we are being afflicted
B: it is for your encouragement and salvation
1:7
A: as sharers you are of the sufferings
B: so also of the encouragement
1:9
A: We ourselves in ourselves have had the death sentence
B: that we should not have trust in ourselves but in God, the one raising the dead
3:6
A: the letter kills
B: but the Spirit gives life
4:10
A: always the dying of Jesus in my body bearing about
B: that also the life of Jesus in the body of us might be manifested
4:11
A: to death are are being given over because of Jesus
B: that also the life of Jesus may be manifested in the mortal flesh of us
4:12
A: death works in us
B: but life in you
4:16
A: our outward body is being decayed
B: yet our inward man is being renewed day by day
4:17
A: the present lightness of the affliction
B: works out for us an eternal weight of glory
5:14-15
A: one on behalf of all died then all have died; and on behalf of all he died
B: that the ones living no longer to themselves may live but to the one on behalf of them having died and having been raised
8:9
A: he became poor though being rich
B: that you by the poverty of that one may become rich
11:7
A: humbling myself
B: that you may be exalted
12:9
A: in weakness
B: power...is perfected
A': I will boast in the weaknesses of me
B': that the power of the Messiah might be a shelter over me
12:10
A: whenever I am weak
B: I am strong
13:4
A: he was crucified out of weakness
B: but he lives by the power of God
A': we are weak in him
B': but we will live with him by the power of God toward you
Commentary
The first thing to notice is how often negative descriptions appear in the A's (suffering, death) and how often positive descriptions appear in the B's (consolation, life). Also, there are many times different actors in the A's and B's for the individual verses. I think this data goes to show that for Paul, what Jesus was for us, Paul and his co-workers are to the Corinthians. This means that there is a correlation between the gospel event of which Jesus is the main actor and the ministry of Paul. This correlation can tell us something because the mission of Jesus is for Paul a model for his own ministry. This would not be the case if Jesus' mission was seen primarily as an animal-like sacrifice, for Paul does not say that his own blood has any atoning value.
Paul can justify himself and his ministry because it is based on the gospel event itself. This shows how crucial for Paul is the resurrection of Jesus.
5:21
I have already blogged on this one verse but let me add it to the data and then analyze it some more:
5:21
A: the one not knowing sin he [God] made sin on behalf of us
B: that we might become the righteousness of God in him
What does it mean that Jesus was made sin? The standard evangelical story might claim that the second "sin" would be a "sin-offering". This is unlikely because the first use of "sin" cannot mean a sin offering and it would be strange for Paul to use the word twice so close together and change its meaning. A better referent would be to the scapegoat of Leviticus 16.
What does it mean to become the righteousness of God? See my blog, but suffice it to say that it pertains to the activity of God in making things right, which in our case is through Jesus and the gospel event. Since sin is related to death, how is life related to the righteousness of God, since we would expect to see that concept given all the other data. However, in two other occurrences of "righteousness of God" we do see life mentioned:
- Philippians 3:9-11 not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through the faithfulness of the Messiah, the righteousness of God based on faith. I want to know him and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
- Romans 10:3 to the righteousness of God they did not submit.
Conclusion
The resurrection is all-important for Paul. Without it, we simply do not have the gospel event. This ought to make us reexamine our views of the atonement and our belief the Jesus' is an animal-like sacrifice. For Paul, the gospel event is something we participate in, it is not something that only Jesus does for us. Of course, this is NOT to say that we exactly mirror Jesus, because it is Jesus perfect faithfulness that saves and nothing we could or did do.
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