The Inner Human Being: The Transformation of a Platonic Metaphor in Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity

This dissertation examines 2 Cor 4:16–5:10 in light of ancient Hellenistic Jewish and philosophical traditions. In 2 Cor 4:16–18, the apostle Paul appealed to the renewal of his “inner human being” in defense of his ministry. The phrase “inner human being” has fascinated scholars, and many have suggested Plato’s terminology and image of the soul in Resp. 588–591 as a background for understanding the apostle. Scholars have traditionally suggested that Paul used the language of his opponents or fellow Corinthians only to subvert and reinterpret it through his biblical, Hebraic anthropology. This study questions the traditional focus on terminology and places Paul in greater dialogue with other images of the soul.

We find in a diverse range of ancient philosophical sources, from Plato to the rise of Middle Platonism and Neoplatonism, a variety of ways in which the soul was construed in anthropomorphic terms. Plato created several images of the soul that reflected his evolving views of the relationship between the body and the soul and the inner workings of the soul. The Stoics and later philosophers in the Platonic tradition also created their own unique images of the soul in order to explain, teach, and instill moral values. Hellenistic Jews, such as Philo of Alexandria, adapted these traditions in their interpretation of Scripture.

Paul participates in philosophical and Hellenistic Jewish traditions that reinterpreted Plato’s images of the soul. The apostle questions the significance of the present evil age and longs for its transformation. Paul blends Hellenistic motifs and apocalyptic expectations in his exposition of his ministry and example of suffering and transformation.