ORIGINAL RESEARCH

 

A biblical death-wish: Paul celebrating dying in Phil 1:21¹

 

 

J Punt

University of Stellenbosch

 

 

---

ABSTRACT

Death features as an important concept in the Pauline writings in the New Testament for a number of reasons. However, the intriguing way in which the apostle at times addressed death as positive notion in itself, was traditionally related to Paul 's theological convictions and his understanding of the death of Christ in particular. The remarkably pointed way in which Paul positively celebrated death in Philippians 1:21 borders on invoking a martyrological paradigm, and raises questions about his convictions regarding life, and bodily existence in particular. Interesting analogies emerge when Paul's celebration of death is compared in a concluding section with contemporary, popular instances where death is - even if for different reasons - presented as "gain".

---

 

 

Full text available only in PDF format.

 

 

Consulted literature

Bailey, L R sr 1979. Biblical Perspectives on Death. Overtures to Biblical Theology. Philadelphia: Fortress.         [ Links ]

Betz, H D 1977. Paul's Concept of Freedom in the Context of Hellenistic Discussions about the Possibilities of Human Freedom. in Wuellner, W (ed), Paul's Concept of Freedom in the Context of Hellenistic Discussions about the Possibilities of Human Freedom. The Center for Hermeneutical Studies in Hellenistic and Modern culture, Protocol of the 26th Colloquy, 1-13.         [ Links ]

Bultmann, R 1967. s v veKpóc, v&kpów, véKpwoLç. in Kittel, G (ed) [Transl GW Bromiley],         [ Links ] Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, vol. 4 (A-N). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 892-895.

Coetzee, J C 1984. Paulus se eskatologiese prediking in Du Toit, A B (ed), Handleiding by die Nuwe Testament. Band V. Die Pauliniese Briewe: Inleiding en Teologie. Pretoria: NG Kerkboekhandel Transvaal, 332-364.         [ Links ]

Collins, J J 2002. Death and Afterlife in Barton, J (ed), The Biblical World, Vol 2. London & New York: Routledge, 357-77.         [ Links ]

Crossan, J D and Reed, J L 2004. In Search of Paul. How Jesus's Apostle opposed Rome's Empire with God's Kingdom. A New Vision of Paul's Words and World. New York: Harper: SanFrancisco.         [ Links ]

Croy, N C 2003. "To Die Is Gain" (Philippians 1:19-26): Does Paul Contemplate Suicide? Journal of Biblical Literature 122(3), 517-31.         [ Links ]

Daube, D 1962. Death as a Release in the Bible. Novum Testamentum 5(2/3), 82-104.         [ Links ]

Deacy, C 2001. Screen Christologies. Redemption and the Medium of Film. Religion, Culture and Society. Cardiff: University of Wales Press.         [ Links ]

Droge, A J 1988. Mori lucrum: Paul and Ancient Theories of Suicide. Novum Testamentum 30, 263-86.         [ Links ]

-, 1992. Suicide in Freedman, D N (ed), The Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. 6 (Si-Z). New York: Doubleday, 225-231.         [ Links ]

Frederickson, D E 2000. Paul Playfully on Time and Eternity. Dialog 39(1): 21-6.         [ Links ]

Georgi, D 1991. Theocracy in Paul's Praxis and Theology (Gott Auf Den Kopf Stellen [Trans.         [ Links ] DE Green]). Minneapolis: Fortress Press.

Gulley, N R 1992. Death: New Testament in Freedman, D N (ed), The Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. 2 (D-G). New York: Doubleday, 110-111.         [ Links ]

Hays, R B 1989. Echoes of Scripture in the Letters of Paul. New Haven: Yale University Press.         [ Links ]

Howell, D N jr 1993. Pauline Thought in the History of Interpretation. Bibliotheca Sacra 150(599), 303-326.         [ Links ]

Jasper, D 1997. On Systematizing the Unsystematic: A Response in Marsh C and Ortiz, G (eds), Explorations in Theology and Film. Movies and Meaning. Oxford: Blackwell, 235-44.         [ Links ]

Kaiser, O and Lohse, E 1981. Death & Life. Biblical Encounters Series [trans.         [ Links ] J E Steely]. Nashville: Abingdon.

Keck, L. 2006. Paul in New Testament Theology: Some Preliminary Remarks. in Rowland, C & Tuckett, C (eds), The Nature of New Testament Theology. Essays in Honour of Robert Morgan. London: Blackwell, 109-22.         [ Links ]

Koch, HJ. 2005. Suicides and Suicide Ideation in the Bible: An Empirical Survey. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 112, 167-72.         [ Links ]

Lieu, J, J North and Rajak, T 1992. Introduction in Lieu, J, North, J & Rajak, T (eds), The Jews among Pagans and Christians. London & New York: Routledge, 1-8.         [ Links ]

Luz, U 1994. Matthew in History. Interpretation, Influence, and Effects. Minneapolis: Fortress.         [ Links ]

Martin-Achard, R 1992. Resurrection - Old Testament in Freedman, D N (ed), The Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. 5 (O-Sh),         [ Links ] [transl. T Prendergast]. New York: Doubleday, 680-684.

Miles, M R 1996. Seeing and Believing. Religion and Values in the Movies. Boston: Beacon.         [ Links ]

Murray, R 1982. Jews, Hebrews and Christians. Some Needed Distinctions. Novum Testamentum 24(3): 194-208.         [ Links ]

Nickelsburg, G W 1992. Resurrection - Early Judaism and Christianity in Freedman, D N (ed), The Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. 5 (O-Sh). New York: Doubleday, 684-691.         [ Links ]

Olson, HS. 1991. A Seamless Garment - African Understanding of Wholeness. Currents in Theology and Mission 18(4), 273-81.         [ Links ]

Palmer, D W 1975. "To Die Is Gain" (Philippians I 21). Novum Testamentum 17(3): 203-18.         [ Links ]

Parkes, C M, Laungani, P & Young, B 2003. Introduction in Parkes, C M, Laungani, P & Young, B (eds), Death and Bereavement across Cultures, Psychology / Counselling / Religion. Hove & New York: Brunner-Routledge, 3-9.         [ Links ]

Perkins, P 1988. Reading the New Testament. An Introduction. Rev ed. Mahwah: Paulist.         [ Links ]

Richards, K H 1992. Death: Old Testament in Freedman, D N (ed), The Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. 2 (D-G), New York: Doubleday, 108-110.         [ Links ]

Sabou, S 2005. Between Horror and Hope. Paul's Metaphorical Language of "Death" in Romans 6:1-11. Paternoster Biblical Monographs. Carlisle: Paternoster.         [ Links ]

Schreiber, S 2003. Paulus im 'Zwischenzustand': Phil 1.23 und die Ambivalnez des Sterbens als Provokation. New Testament Studies 49(4), 336-59.         [ Links ]

Shutte, A. 1988. Umuntu Ngumuntu Ngabantu: an African conception of humanity. Paper delivered at the Annual PSSA conference.         [ Links ] Segal, A F 2004. Life after Death. A History of the Afterlife in Western Religion. New York: Doubleday.         [ Links ]

Tabor, J D 1992. Martyr, Martyrdom in Freedman, D N (ed), The Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. 4 (K-N). New York: Doubleday, 574-579.         [ Links ]

Walter, T 2003. Secularization in Parkes, C M, Laungani, P & Young, B (eds), Death and Bereavement across Cultures, Psychology / Counselling / Religion. Hove & New York: Brunner-Routledge, 166-87.         [ Links ]

Wink, W 1992. Engaging the Powers. Discernment and Resistance in a World of Domination. Minneapolis: Fortress.         [ Links ]

Young, F & Ford, D F 1987. Meaning and Truth in 2 Corinthians. Biblical Foundations in Theology. London: SPCK.         [ Links ]

 

 

1 Paper read at the international All Souls conference on "Death and Beyond", arranged by the Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis (ASCA), Amsterdam, 1-2 November 2007.