The Hydra's Other Head: Theological Minimalism

Zane Hodges admits that Paul begins to enumerate the content of his gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:3b, and that these items are “of first importance”.[1] However, Hodges extends the actual content of Paul’s gospel through 1 Corinthians 15:8 while offering no exegesis to support his claim. Hodges simply declares: “In 1 Cor 15:1-8 Paul is reminding the Christians about the content of his gospel.”[2] After merely quoting 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 Hodges concludes: “Clearly, for Paul, the term ‘gospel’ is broader than the essential content of saving faith.”[3] Such an obvious lack of exegesis is expected from first year seminary students, but not from a former professor of New Testament Greek and exegesis at Dallas Theological Seminary! Hodges’ arguments are exegetically unconvincing. Let us now consider the question that Hodges is so reluctant to research: does the content of Paul’s gospel extend through 1 Corinthians 15:8? Where does the content of Paul’s gospel conclude? The content of Paul’s gospel concludes with the fourth and final hoti content clause in 1 Corinthians 15:5: “and that [kai hoti] He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.” There is a grammatical break after 1 Corinthians 15:5 indicating the end of the gospel tradition. Famed New Testament scholar Joachim Jeremias affirms: “[I]t can be proved linguistically that the kerygma (which includes verses 3b from Christos to 5 dōdeka [i.e. the ‘twelve’], as shown e.g. by the syntactic break at the beginning of verse 6) was not formulated by Paul. [...] Up to v. 5 there are hoti-clauses, from v. 6 onwards main clauses”.[4] F. Godet notes another exegetical point bearing on the subject when he states: “The epeita, thereafter [in 1 Cor. 15:6a], separates more forcibly than the eita, then, of ver. 5; it makes the following appearances [in 1 Cor. 15:6ff] a new step in the series, and rightly so.”[5] Even crossless gospel advocate John Niemelä affirms these exegetical truths. Under the heading “Indicating a Content Clause”, Niemelä notes that “1 Corinthians...15:3...15:4a-b, [and] 5” (but not 15:6ff) each indicate “a Content Clause”.[6] The words of Matt Myllykoski are appropriate: “Most scholars have regarded vv. 3b-5 as an old traditional unit.”[7] The apostle Paul confirms this gospel tradition by listing several more appearances of Christ in vv. 6-8. Ladd writes: “[The] tradition embodied in the apostolic kērygma or euaggelion. Paul delivered (paredōka) to the Corinthians the gospel that he also received (parelabon), that Christ died for our sins, that he was buried, that he rose on the third day, that he appeared to his disciples (1 Cor. 15:1-5). It is generally accepted that verses 3b-5 embody a primitive piece of pre-Pauline kerygma that Paul has received as a tradition from [Christ and] those who were apostles before him. [...] Probably the appearances mentioned in vv. 6-8 were added by Paul to the tradition he received.”[8] Zane Hodges has not even attempted to explain these exegetical truths that even fellow crossless gospel advocate John Niemelä affirms!

 

 

References:

 

[1] Zane Hodges, “The Hydra’s Other Head: Theological Legalism,” Grace In Focus (Sept/Oct 2008).

 

[2] Ibid.

 

[3] Ibid, italics his.

[4] Joachim Jeremias, The Eucharistic Words of Jesus (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1955), 129, brackets added.

[5] Frederic Godet, Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians, 2 vols. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1957), 2:334, brackets added.

 

[6] John Niemelä, “For You Have Kept My Word: The Grammar of Revelation 3:10,” Chafer Theological Seminary Journal 6 (January 2000): 29-30, ellipsis and brackets added.

 

[7] Matt Myllykoski; Ismo Dundererg, Christopher Tuckett, and Kari Syreeni, Editors, Fair Play: Diversity and Conflicts in Early Christianity (Leiden: Brill, 2002), 66.

 

[8] George Eldon Ladd, Donald A. Hagner, Editor, A Theology of the New Testament, Revised Edition (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1993), 427, brackets added. Cf. Ladd, A Theology of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1974), 388-389.