Alteration by entering the community Faith/Trust, Knowledge Vision of divine glory, Baptism Spirit Participation / Union

Cultural hybridity in the Hellenistic era: Are traditions closed and homogenous entities? Cultural hybridity in the Hellenistic era: the Law pours out paideia like light (ὁ ἐκφαίνων ὡς φῶς παιδείαν Sir. 24:27)

has “humanised” philosophy (Plutarch) Socrates has “humanised” philosophy (Plutarch)

Conversion refers to an ongoing situation which emerges when one: 1. enters new traditions or intensifies one’s relationship with one tradition; 2. adopts new insights and ethos 3. reconstructs one’s own biographical narrative.

1. Thess 1:9b-10: you turned (ἐπιστρεφ 1.Thess 1:9b-10: you turned (ἐπιστρεφ*) to God from idols, to serve a living and true/real God and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead-- Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming. Paul proclaims with boldness (the cynic virtue παρρησία), he conducts neither sophistic tricks nor flattery and declines both human glory and money.

Μεταστροφὴ ἀπὸ γενέσεως εἰς ἀλήθειαν conversion of the soul itself from the world of generation to the truth (Plato)

1. Idols vs Truth 2. Purification from sins 3 1. Idols vs Truth 2. Purification from sins 3. Paul embodies the characteristica of an ideal Hellenistic philosopher in 1. Thess 2 (the Socratic model): Paul proclaims with boldness (the cynic virtue παρρησία), he conducts neither sophistic tricks nor flattery and declines both human glory and money.

2. Cor 3 12 Ἔχοντες οὖν τοιαύτην ἐλπίδα πολλῇ παρρησίᾳ (boldness) χρώμεθα 13 καὶ οὐ καθάπερ Μωϋσῆς ἐτίθει κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἀτενίσαι τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραὴλ εἰς τὸ τέλος τοῦ καταργουμένου. 14 ἀλλ᾽ ἐπωρώθη τὰ νοήματα αὐτῶν. ἄχρι γὰρ τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας τὸ αὐτὸ κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τῇ ἀναγνώσει τῆς παλαιᾶς διαθήκης μένει, μὴ ἀνακαλυπτόμενον ὅτι ἐν Χριστῷ καταργεῖται· 15 ἀλλ᾽ ἕως σήμερον ἡνίκα ἂν ἀναγινώσκηται Μωϋσῆς, κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν κεῖται· 16 ἡνίκα δὲ ἐὰν ἐπιστρέψῃ (turn) πρὸς κύριον, περιαιρεῖται τὸ κάλυμμα. 17 ὁ δὲ κύριος τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν· οὗ δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα κυρίου, ἐλευθερία (freedom). 18 ἡμεῖς δὲ πάντες ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τὴν δόξαν κυρίου κατοπτριζόμενοι τὴν αὐτὴν εἰκόνα μεταμορφούμεθα ἀπὸ δόξης εἰς δόξαν καθάπερ ἀπὸ κυρίου πνεύματος. 4:1 Διὰ τοῦτο, ἔχοντες τὴν διακονίαν ταύτην καθὼς ἠλεήθημεν, οὐκ ἐγκακοῦμεν 2 ἀλλ᾽ ἀπειπάμεθα τὰ κρυπτὰ τῆς αἰσχύνης, μὴ περιπατοῦντες ἐν πανουργίᾳ μηδὲ δολοῦντες τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ ἀλλὰ τῇ φανερώσει τῆς ἀληθείας (truth) συνιστάνοντες ἑαυτοὺς πρὸς πᾶσαν συνείδησιν ἀνθρώπων ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ . 3 εἰ δὲ καὶ ἔστιν κεκαλυμμένον τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ἡμῶν, ἐν τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις ἐστὶν κεκαλυμμένον, 4 ἐν οἷς ὁ θεὸς τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου ἐτύφλωσεν τὰ νοήματα τῶν ἀπίστων εἰς τὸ μὴ αὐγάσαι τὸν φωτισμὸν τοῦ εὐαγγελίου τῆς δόξης τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὅς ἐστιν εἰκὼν τοῦ θεοῦ. 5 Οὐ γὰρ ἑαυτοὺς κηρύσσομεν ἀλλ᾽ Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν κύριον, ἑαυτοὺς δὲ δούλους ὑμῶν διὰ Ἰησοῦν. 6 ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ὁ εἰπών· ἐκ σκότους φῶς λάμψει, ὃς ἔλαμψεν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν πρὸς φωτισμὸν τῆς γνώσεως τῆς δόξης τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν προσώπῳ [Ἰησοῦ] Χριστοῦ.

The non-philosopher: has not tasted freedom, ἄγευστος μὲν ἐλευθερίας, has not experienced boldness ἀπείρατος δὲ παρρησίας, and has not envisioned truth ἀθέατος δὲ ἀληθείας. (Lucian)

2.Cor 3-4 12 Ἔχοντες οὖν τοιαύτην ἐλπίδα πολλῇ παρρησίᾳ χρώμεθα 13 καὶ οὐ καθάπερ Μωϋσῆς ἐτίθει κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἀτενίσαι τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραὴλ εἰς τὸ τέλος τοῦ καταργουμένου. 14 ἀλλ᾽ ἐπωρώθη τὰ νοήματα αὐτῶν. ἄχρι γὰρ τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας τὸ αὐτὸ κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τῇ ἀναγνώσει τῆς παλαιᾶς διαθήκης μένει, μὴ ἀνακαλυπτόμενον ὅτι ἐν Χριστῷ καταργεῖται· 15 ἀλλ᾽ ἕως σήμερον ἡνίκα ἂν ἀναγινώσκηται Μωϋσῆς, κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν κεῖται· 16 ἡνίκα δὲ ἐὰν ἐπιστρέψῃ πρὸς κύριον, περιαιρεῖται τὸ κάλυμμα. 17 ὁ δὲ κύριος τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν· οὗ δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα κυρίου, ἐλευθερία. 18 ἡμεῖς δὲ πάντες ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τὴν δόξαν κυρίου κατοπτριζόμενοι τὴν αὐτὴν εἰκόνα μεταμορφούμεθα ἀπὸ δόξης εἰς δόξαν καθάπερ ἀπὸ κυρίου πνεύματος. 4:1 Διὰ τοῦτο, ἔχοντες τὴν διακονίαν ταύτην καθὼς ἠλεήθημεν, οὐκ ἐγκακοῦμεν 2 ἀλλ᾽ ἀπειπάμεθα τὰ κρυπτὰ τῆς αἰσχύνης, μὴ περιπατοῦντες ἐν πανουργίᾳ μηδὲ δολοῦντες τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ ἀλλὰ τῇ φανερώσει τῆς ἀληθείας συνιστάνοντες ἑαυτοὺς πρὸς πᾶσαν συνείδησιν ἀνθρώπων ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ . 3 εἰ δὲ καὶ ἔστιν κεκαλυμμένον τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ἡμῶν, ἐν τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις ἐστὶν κεκαλυμμένον, 4 ἐν οἷς ὁ θεὸς τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου ἐτύφλωσεν τὰ νοήματα τῶν ἀπίστων εἰς τὸ μὴ αὐγάσαι τὸν φωτισμὸν τοῦ εὐαγγελίου τῆς δόξης τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὅς ἐστιν εἰκὼν τοῦ θεοῦ. 5 Οὐ γὰρ ἑαυτοὺς κηρύσσομεν ἀλλ᾽ Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν κύριον, ἑαυτοὺς δὲ δούλους ὑμῶν διὰ Ἰησοῦν. 6 ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ὁ εἰπών· ἐκ σκότους φῶς λάμψει, ὃς ἔλαμψεν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν πρὸς φωτισμὸν τῆς γνώσεως τῆς δόξης τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν προσώπῳ [Ἰησοῦ] Χριστοῦ.

Paul’s sophisticated conversion idea Active and passive aspects of conversion in Paul. Regarding Hardening cf. Epictetus: ”If a man opposes evident truths, … is hardened like a stone (ἀπολιθωθῇ)” 2. Ongoing transformation cf. Plutarch’s work “De profectibus in virtute” 3. The role of the Spirit and the “like by like” principle cf. Aristoteles «γινώσκεσθαι τῷ ὁμοίῳ τὸ ὅμοιον»– «πνευματικοῖς πνευματικὰ»

1 Cor 12 You know that when you were (ἔθνη) pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. (2) For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-- Jews or Greeks, slaves or free-- and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. (13) Epictetus: ἐπιστροφὴ ἐπ᾿ ἐμαυτὸν - προσοχὴ

John 1:9–14 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. (Jn. 1:9) 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. (Jn. 1:12-14) turn, believe or walk to the light: becoming sons of light. (Jn 12) Τὸ ἀληθινὸν φῶς Plato

John 3 Moses as a platonic sage and his second birth on Sinai The „heavenly man“ is begotten (γέννημα) not creature (κτίσμα) Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." (Jn. 3:3) "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. (Jn. 3:5 ) Counter-intuitive conversion idea that results from the incarnation concept

Behavior precedes belief “For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, " (3:20-21a)

The embodied transformation in John Double transformation in Jn 9 Turning eyes and receiving eyes Jn 9 The body of Jesus is the Temple of JHWH Jn 2 Sharing the Body and the Blood Jn 6

Philosophy and Rituals One can be fulfilled through the enjoyment of wine with the wise God Dionysus: “I know that Bacchus is a mighty god with regard to the rest, and that he is called λύσιος for his wisdom; therefore, I do not fear that after I am filled with the God (θεοῦ μεστὸς γενόμενος), I will fight with less courage” (Plutarch Septem sap. conv. 146b-164d)a

John and Paul participate in a broad cultural dialogue Their reflections result from a “cultural hybridity” New Creation vs. Being Born from above Paul and John put the foundation for an unexplored frontier in ancient philosophy