Hebrews 6:4-8: A Socio-Rhetorical Investigation (Part 1) -- By: David A. deSilva

Journal: Tyndale Bulletin
Volume: TYNBUL 50:1 (NA 1999)
Article: Hebrews 6:4-8: A Socio-Rhetorical Investigation (Part 1)
Author: David A. deSilva


Hebrews 6:4-8: A Socio-Rhetorical Investigation (Part 1)

David A. deSilva

Summary

Socio-rhetorical interpretation pursues a richly textured exegesis of Scripture through co-ordinating multiple methods of reading and investigating texts. This interpretive model is put to the test as it is applied to Hebrews 6:4-8. In this, the first instalment of a two-part article, Hebrews 6:4-8 is analysed within the contexts of classical rhetoric, Jewish and Graeco-Roman intertexture, and prominent aspects of the first-century social and cultural environment. This passage presents an argument ‘from the contrary’ supporting the author’s deliberative agenda of promoting commitment to Jesus and fellow believers, drawing heavily on the social codes of patronage obligations as well as a wide spectrum of intertextual resources. Perseverance is shown to be the only just and expedient course of action, since it alone preserves obligations of gratitude. Part 2 of this article (to appear in Tyndale Bulletin 50.2) will examine the ideology promoted within the passage and how it contributes to the author’s rhetorical goals. A final section will attempt to answer the questions raised by the investigation of the social context of ancient patronage for the appropriateness of such ideological constructs as ‘eternal security’ or ‘unpardonable sin’ when applied in an absolute sense to the dynamic relationship between God and God’s clients.

I. Introduction

Two important trends have emerged within biblical scholarship during the past three decades. The first involves a willingness—indeed a determined effort—to explore methodological approaches to interpreting a text drawn from disciplines other than ‘religion’. This has led biblical scholars to learn from literary critics, rhetoricians (ancient and modern), sociologists, anthropologists, and to use the insights of colleagues in other disciplines to formulate new strategies

for reading a text from Scripture.1 The second involves the increased specialisation, the narrowing of one’s field of expertise which such exponential expansion has necessitated. This latter trend has had some untoward side effects, the most deleterious being the lack of communication now within the guild between those scholars who work at ‘literary’ interpretations and those who do ‘social-scientific’ criticism of the Bible, and so on.

Vernon Robbins has developed socio-rhetorical interpretation, what he calls an ‘interpretative analytic’, to capitalise on the benefits of the former trend a...

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