Table of Contents
Acknowledgements vii
Abbreviations xiii
1 Introduction 1
1.1 Initial Analysis of 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 3
1.2 History of Interpretation 9
1.2.1 Interpretation before 1942 9
1.2.2 The Post-1942 Consensus 11
1.2.3 New History of Religion Approaches 13
1.2.4 Rhetorical Approaches 20
1.3 Why this Project? 23
1.3.1 The Difficulties of Betz's Proposal 23
1.3.2 Käsemann's Proposal and its Implications 26
1.3.3 Moving Beyond Tabor's Thesis 28
1.4 The Problems of "Religious Experience" 31
1.5 Methodology 36
2 Ascent to Heaven in the Greco-Roman World 39
2.1 Greek Iatromentes 41
2.2 Ascent as Metaphor for Philosophical Enlightenment 47
2.2.1 Parmenides' Proem 47
2.2.2 Plato's Phaedrus 50
2.2.3 Conclusions 53
2.3 Heavenly Ascent as Philosophical Myth 54
2.3.1 Plato's Myth of Er 54
2.3.2 Cicero's Dream of Scipio 56
2.3.3 Plutarch's Philosophical Myths 59
2.3.3.1 The Face on the Moon 59
2.3.3.2 On the Delays of the Divine Vengeance 59
2.3.3.3 On the Sign of Socrates 60
2.3.4 Corpus Hermeticum: Poimandres 64
2.3.5 Lucian's Icaromenippus 67
2.3.6 Conclusions 69
2.4 Heavenly Ascent as Religious Practice 70
2.4.1 Early Rituals of Descent 70
2.4.2 Apuleius and the Mysteries of Isis 71
2.4.3 The Mysteries of Mithras 77
2.4.4 The Mithras Liturgy 81
2.4.5 Nag Hammadi 6.6: Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth 85
2.4.6 Conclusions 88
2.5 Ascent as Political Propaganda: Roman Apotheosis Traditions 89
2.6 Conclusions 89
3 Ascent to Heaven in Ancient Judaism and Christianity 95
3.1 Old Testament Theophanies 98
3.1.1 Moses 98
3.1.2 First Kings 22:19-22 99
3.1.3 Isaiah 6:1-13 100
3.1.4 Ezekiel 1:1-3:15 101
3.1.5 Daniel 7-12 103
3.1.6 Summary 104
3.2 Moses Traditions 105
3.2.1 The Exagoge of Ezekiel the Tragedian 105
3.2.2 Philo's Moses 107
3.3 Ascents of Other Old Testament Figures 108
3.3.1 First Enoch 1-36: The Book of Watchers 108
3.3.2 Testament of Levi 114
3.3.3 First Enoch 37-71: Parables 118
3.3.4 Second Enoch 120
3.3.5 Third Baruch 126
3.3.6 Apocalypse of Abraham 127
3.3.7 Apocalypse of Zephaniah 131
3.3.8 Apocalypse of Sedrach 132
3.3.9 Testament of Abraham 134
3.3.10 Ascension of Isaiah 134
3.3.11 Conclusions 137
3.4 Heavenly Ascent as Religious Practice 139
3.4.1 A Fragment from Qumran 139
3.4.2 Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice 141
3.4.3 Philo 144
3.4.4 The Revelation of John of Patmos 147
3.4.5 Conclusions 151
3.5 Rabbinic Traditions and the Hekhalot Literature 152
3.5.1 Mishnah Hagiga 152
3.5.2 The Four who Entered Paradise 154
3.5.3 Hekhalot Rabbati 156
3.5.4 Hekhalot Zutarti 160
3.5.5 Conclusions 163
3.6 Conclusions 164
4 Religious Experience in Paul's Letters 169
4.1 Visions and Revelations 170
4.1.1 Visions and Revelations of the Lord 171
4.1.1.1 First Corinthians 9:1 171
4.1.1.2 First Corinthians 15:8-11 173
4.1.1.3 Galatians 1:11-17 176
4.1.1.4 Second Corinthians 4:5-12 178
4.1.1.5 The Community's Vision of the Lord: 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 184
4.1.2 Other Experiences of Revelation 188
4.1.2.1 The Galatians' Reception of the Gospel: Galatians 3:1-5 188
4.1.2.2 First Corinthians 14:26-33 192
4.1.2.3 First Corinthians 2:6-16 192
4.1.3 Conclusions 198
4.2 Experiences of Divine Speech 201
4.2.1 Galatians 4:6 201
4.2.2 Romans 8:9-27 202
4.2.3 First Corinthians 14 207
4.2.4 Second Corinthians 13:2-5 212
4.2.5 Conclusions 214
4.3 Suffering and Power 215
4.3.1 Galatians 2:19-20 215
4.3.2 Galatians 6:17 218
4.3.3 Philippians 3:4b-21 219
4.3.4 Philippians 1:20-21 225
4.3.5 Conclusions 226
4.4 Conclusions 228
5 Second Corinthians 12:1-10 in its Context 231
5.1 Rhetorical Situation 232
5.1.1 Paul's Collection Efforts 232
5.1.2 Suspicions about Paul 233
5.1.3 Paul's Rivals 234
5.2 The Immediate Literary Context of 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 in Chapters 10-13 235
5.2.1 Paul's Gentleness and Paul's Authority 235
5.2.2 Paul's Teaching and Refusal of Payment 242
5.2.3 A Fool's Boast 244
5.3 Second Corinthians 12:1-10 248
5.3.1 Second Corinthians 12:1-4 248
5.3.2 Second Corinthians 12:5-7a 263
5.3.3 Second Corinthians 12:7b-10 268
5.4 Conclusions 282
5.4.1 Summary and Conclusions of Exegetical Work 282
5.4.2 Conclusions in View of Chapters 2-4 285
6 Premodern Interpretation of 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 in the Eastern Church 289
6.1 Origen 292
6.2 Gregory of Nyssa 304
6.3 Symeon the New Theologian 313
6.4 Gregory Palamas 321
6.5 Conclusions 328
Epilogue 333
Bibliography 339
1 Primary Sources 339
2 Reference Works 347
3 Commentaries 348
4 Other Secondary Sources 350
Index of Ancient Texts 375
Index of Modern Authors 387
Index of Subjects 389
