Skarsaune - Development Of Scriptural Interpretation In The Second And Third Centuries-Except Clement And Origen

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Thesis

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In the 2nd and 3rd century Christians interpreted in three way--proof from prophecy, paraenetic homily, and biblical antiquity--all of which include allegory.

or

Key biblical exegetes leading to Origen relied heavily on allegorical interpretation of the OT to defend the superiority of Christ and Christianity against Jewish, Marcion, and Gnostic polemics.

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Three Types of OT Exegesis

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1. “Proof from Prophecy” – “proof texts” that Jesus is the Messiah, ritual commands in the Law are no longer obligatory, and that the church is now God’s people. Thus, a polemic against Judaism.
2. “Paraenetic Homily” – exhortative or encouraging words
3. “Biblical Antiquities” – proof of the superiority of the OT antiquity over Greek poets and philosophers

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Apostolic Fathers

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Ignatius – PP, allusions to proof of prophecy that Jesus is Messiah; likens Wisdom to the incarnate Christ

Didache – PP, allusions to proof of prophecy that Jesus is Messiah; vine of David a reference to Messianic promises

1 Clement – PH, in strong continuity with the OT

Barnabas – PP, his belief in one continuous covenant, which means OT observance of the Law was misguided. Christ reveals the true meaning of the ordinances offered through Moses. Ordinances (e.g., circumcision) were meant to be interpreted allegorically.

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Apologists

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Common among these select apologists is an apologetic for biblical monotheism and God as the world’s creator. There is strong emphasis on the Logos as the mediator of creation.

Therefore, Hellenist-Logos Christology is really Jewish-biblical tradition.

Justin – PP, in First Apology and Dialogue with Trypho, writes with pro-Jewish and anti-Jewish tendencies. E.g., the OT contains prophecies of Messiah, but Jews didn’t understand that b/c they rejected him. Justin uses Jewish tradition and allegory (not in the manner of Philo or Origen) to enrich NT interpretation of Messiah’s death and resurrection. Justin also uses the OT (Isa 1:11) to reject the continual practice of the Law and to argue for God’s attention to the Church over the Jews. Regarding the latter: “Justin set a precedent for Christian hermeneutics with regard to the Jews and the Church that was to dominate for centuries to come: every nageative and critical remark about Israel in the Bible was taken to describe in a timeless, almost ontological way, the very nature of the Jewish people” (404).

Melito of Sardis – PP, Unlike Justin who quotes and interprets prophetic oracles, Melito “is the great poet of biblical types” (e.g., the Exodus and Passover).

Theophilus of Antioch – PP, more of an apologist than Justin. He’s concerned not with anti-Jewish things or the superiority of the church, but with the continuity between the OT and NT (414): Abraham is our Patriarch. Employs Jewish creation teaching = world creation through Wisdom (= Spirit), and then connecting the Logos with Wisdom→world created through double mediation: the Logos and Spirit (=Wisdom). Logos walked with Adam in the garden.

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The testimonia Tradition

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Testimonia Tradition posited that select OT proof-texts from a lost source were collated for use by NT expositors. This guided theological articulation in the early church.

Instead, Skarsaune contends that OT proof-texts arose from the theological heritage of early Christianity. Theology came first, OT proof-texts validate the theological convictions.

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Irenaeus, Tertullian, Hippolytus, Novatian, Cyprian

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Irenaeus – PP, Demonstration almost exclusively about OT proof of Rule of Faith. Build on Justin’s approach, but expands the use of OT proofs in the context of polemics against Marcionites and Gnostics—one God, not two; OT points to Christ (428–29).

Tertullian – PP, anti-Jewish arguments were used against Marcionites since both groups rejected OT interpretations of Messiah. Tertullian brings Justin’s anti-Jewish Polemics and Irenaeus’s anti-Marcion polemics together, which was impossible under Justin and Ireneaus themselves. Marcion emphasized Jewish literal hermeneutics (432). Tertullian had to delinate times when Scripture should be inter. fig. and lit. Tert. aimed at showing the unity and harmony of the testiments. Influnced Hippolytus, Novatian, and Cyprian greatly.

Hippolytus – PP, extended typological interpretation by moving beyond the interpretation of isolated texts to whole passages and books.

Novatian – PP, addresses different Christian heresies (thus, does not advance anti-Jewish polemics). Like Tert. he unifies the testaments arguing for the Logos from John and Genesis.

Cyprian – PP, full fledged commentaries on biblical books, continues the testimonies and types tradition.

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Skarsaune Take Away

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1) The three types of exegesis include both allegory and literal interpretation, thus, he recasts the discussion with distinctions other than literal versus allegorical.

2) The Fathers go sources prior to Philo, which undermines the Harnackian thesis that Christianity arose out of Hellenism.