Journal: Journal for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
Volume: JBMW 05:1 (Summer 2000)
Article: The Gender-Inclusive Apostle?
Author: James W. Scott

The Gender-Inclusive Apostle?

James W. Scott

Paul’s Old Testament Citation In 2 Corinthians 6

Most of the arguments for gender-inclusive Bible translation come from linguistics and modern translation theory, and they stand or fall with the validity of that human wisdom. But D. A. Carson, in The Inclusive-Language Debate: A Plea for Realism (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998), puts forward the striking claim that the apostle Paul deliberately adopts a gender-inclusive translation when quoting the Old Testament. If that were true, one could hardly argue that gender-inclusive translation undermines the biblical view of gender or is otherwise improper. But is Carson correct? Is there in fact an inspired precedent for gender-inclusive translation?

On pages 19–20 of his book, Carson argues that Paul, when quoting 2 Samuel 7:14 in 2 Corinthians 6:18, changes “son” to “sons and daughters.” In 2 Samuel 7:14, God says regarding Solomon, “I will be a Father to him, and he will be a son to me.” Quoting that passage, Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 6:18, “I will be a Father to you [pl.], and you [pl.] shall be sons and daughters to me.” At the very least, Carson concludes, “the apostle himself does not think that Hebrew singulars must always be rendered by Greek singulars, or that the Hebrew ‘son’ should never be rendered by the Greek ‘sons and daughters.’”

At first glance, it may indeed seem that in 2 Corinthians 6:16b–18 the apostle is translating, or quoting translations of, a series of Old Testament passages. Verse 16b looks like it has been drawn from Ezekiel 37:27 or Leviticus 26:11–12, verse 17 from Isaiah 52:11, and verse 18 from 2 Samuel 7:14.

However, the resemblance in each case is only approximate. Upon closer examination, it becomes evident that the situation is more complex than it at first appears. In each of the three verses, Paul evidently expands his base text by adding words from thematically related passages. In verse 16b, assuming that the base text is Ezekiel 37:27 (as I think it is), Paul adds “and walk about (among them)”...