Sanctification and Oneness in 1 Corinthians with Implications for the Case of ‘Mixed Marriages’ (1 Corinthians 7.12–16)
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19293824 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Stephen C Barton (0000-0002-5441-3180, Durham University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2017 |
| Volume | 63 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 38-55 |
| Publication date | 2017-01-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | New Testament Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0028-6885 • E-ISSN: 1469-8145 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s0028688516000266 |
| OpenAlex | W2564423656 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 9 |
This essay is a social-scientific study of Paul's deployment of holiness language in 1 Corinthians. Specifically, an interpretation of holiness is offered to explain Paul's argument in 1 Cor 7.12–16 in favour of non-separation in the case of a believer married to a non-believer. For Paul, holiness involves participation in the oneness of God interpreted christologically. This participation is embodied in the holiness-as-oneness of the church. In relations between believers and unbelievers, purity rules to do with sex and marriage carry a significant symbolic burden. In some cases, clear lines of demarcation are drawn. Other cases constitute grey areas; and the suggestion here is that ‘mixed marriages’ are one such. For Paul, holiness is a matter of neither genealogical nor cultic purity. Rather, it has a boundary-transcending quality. In the case of a mixed marriage, the unbelieving partner, together with the children, is sanctified by remaining in oneness with the believing partner. Paul's concern for the oneness of the church spills over into a concern for the oneness of the household
Argument (complex analysis) · Interpretation (philosophy) · Sanctification · Sociology · Theology · Biblical Studies and Interpretation · Contemporary Christian Leadership and Education · Development, Ethics, and Society · Medicine · Philosophy
| Citations per year | 0.25 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2022 - 2022 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |