A biblical death-wish: Paul celebrating dying in Phil 1:21

Death features as an important concept in the Pauline writings in the New Testament for a number of reasons. However, the intriguing way in which the apostle at times addressed death as positive notion in itself, was traditionally related to Paul�s theological convictions and his understanding of th...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: J. Punt
Format: Article
Language:Afrikaans
Published: AOSIS 2009-07-01
Series:Verbum et Ecclesia
Online Access:http://verbumetecclesia.org.za/index.php/VE/article/view/68
Description
Summary:Death features as an important concept in the Pauline writings in the New Testament for a number of reasons. However, the intriguing way in which the apostle at times addressed death as positive notion in itself, was traditionally related to Paul�s theological convictions and his understanding of the death of Christ in particular. The remarkably pointed way in which Paul positively celebrated death in Philippians 1:21 borders on invoking a martyrological paradigm, and raises questions about his convictions regarding life, and bodily existence in particular. Interesting analogies emerge when Paul�s celebration of death is compared in a concluding section with contemporary, popular instances where death is � even if for different reasons � presented as �gain�.
ISSN:1609-9982
2074-7705