Quantcast
Channel: Biblical Criticism & History Forum - earlywritings.com
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 2186

Christian Texts and History • Re: Anointing in Paul: 2 Corinthians 1.21-22 and 2.14-16.

$
0
0
2 Corinthians 2.14-15

2.14 But thanks be to God, who in [Christ] always leads us in triumph, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of [Christ] to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life

Paul is using the metaphors of fragrance and aroma to describe the spread of the Christian message. The reason for this particular metaphor is that [Christ] is aromatic because the word means Anointed One and anointing oil is aromatic.
The connection could be slightly more direct than that. Instead of relying on this train of thought:

Christos -> Anointed One (as used by the Septuagint / Jewish people) -> which requires anointing oil -> fragrant

The original (and contemporary, to the extent it was used) Greek sense of the word could (also?) be evocated here:

https://lsj.gr/wiki/%CF%87%CF%81%CE%B9% ... F%8C%CF%82
to be rubbed on, used as ointment or salve, opp. πιστός, A.Pr.480, cf. E.Hipp.516, Triclin.ad Theoc.11.1; τὸ ἔλαιον τὸ χ.


to be rubbed on, φάρμακα χριστά salves, Aesch., Eur.

Making this connection doesn't require the reader to have knowledge of the Septuagint / particularly Jewish use of the word (as the anointed one).

But this is a minor point. I agree with what you're saying.

Statistics: Posted by Peter Kirby — Fri Feb 16, 2024 11:12 am



Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 2186

Trending Articles