Journal: Tyndale Bulletin
Volume: TYNBUL 50:1 (NA 1999)
Article: The Spirit Of Prophecy And Pauline Pneumatology
Author: Archie W. D. Hui

TynBul 50:1 (1999) p. 93

The Spirit Of Prophecy And
Pauline Pneumatology

Archie Hui

Summary

The present article assesses the relationship of the concept of the Spirit of prophecy in Judaism to Pauline pneumatology. Since the functions and effects of the Spirit of prophecy in Judaism are disputed, the scholarly debate is reviewed, followed by a comparison of the Jewish concept and the Pauline view of the Spirit, demonstrating points of commonality and difference.

I. Introduction

One of the gains of recent scholarship in the area of New Testament pneumatology is the agreement concerning the starting point. It is generally accepted that Judaism (or most forms of Judaism, hereafter ‘Judaism’) perceived the divine Spirit to be ‘the Spirit of prophecy’.1 In the current scholarly debate, this agreement is most obvious with reference to Lukan pneumatology.2 Unfortunately, this starting point

TynBul 50:1 (1999) p. 94

has not been sufficiently recognised with reference to Pauline pneumatology.3 The present article attempts to relate these two themes: the Spirit of prophecy and Pauline pneumatology.4

II. The Spirit Of Prophecy

A. The Spirit Of Prophecy In Judaism

That the Spirit of God is known as ‘the Spirit of prophecy’ in Judaism is not hard to demonstrate. The most obvious place to look is in the Aramaic Targums. In Targum Onkelos, Joseph is said to have the Spirit of prophecy in him after he interpreted Pharaoh’s dream (Tg. Onk. Gn. 41:38).5 Similarly Joshua is said to have the Spirit of prophecy in him (Tg. Onk. Nu. 27:18). The Spirit of prophecy is said to rest upon the seventy elders of Israel, and they prophesied as a result (Tg. Onk. Nu. 11:25-29). The same thing happened to Balaam, the false prophet (Tg. Onk. Nu. 24:2).

In Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Joseph and Balaam are depicted in a virtually identical manner to their depiction in Targum Onkelos (Tg. Ps.-J. Gn. 41:38 [Joseph]; Tg. Ps.-J. Nu. 24:2 [Balaam]). The cases of the seventy elders (Tg. Ps.-J. Nu. 11:25-29) and of Joshua (Tg...