Full Description
Paul's metaphorical language in Second Corinthians 2:14 has troubled
exegetes for a long time. Does the verb θριαμßεύειν indicate that Paul
imagines himself as being led to execution in the Roman triumphal
procession? Or is the victory that is in view, by contrast, one the
apostles receive themselves? Perhaps the Roman ritual does not
constitute the background of this metaphor at all? Clarity with regard
to these questions is a pressing issue in Pauline studies, given the
fact that this metaphor introduces a central passage in the Pauline
corpus that is of crucial importance for reconstructing the apostle's
self-understanding. Heilig demonstrates that, if all the relevant data
are taken into account, a coherent interpretation of Paul's statement is
indeed possible. Moreover, Heilig brings the resulting meaning of Paul's
statement into dialogue with political discourse of the time, thus
presenting a detailed argument for the complex critical interaction of
Paul with the ideology of the Roman Empire.
