Jerome H. Neyrey, «"First", "Only", "One of a Few", and "No One Else". The Rhetoric of Uniqueness and the Doxologies in 1 Timothy», Vol. 86 (2005) 59-87
The distinctive way of honoring gods or God was to celebrate
what is unique about them, that is, praise of persons who were the "first",
"only", or "one of a few" to do something. Rhetoric from Aristotle to Quintilian
expounded the theory of "uniqueness", which the authors of Greek hymns and
prayers employed. One finds a Semitic counterpart in the "principle of
incomparability" describing Israelite kings. "Uniqueness" pervades the New
Testament, especially its doxologies. In them, "uniqueness" was richly expressed
in rhetorical mode, as well as by predicates of negative theology which elevated
the deity above those praising.
74 Jerome H. Neyrey
likely places to observe the rhetoric of uniqueness. As regards the
form of the doxology mentioned in 1 Chr 29,11 LXX (tw'/ movnw/ qew'/),
previous studies have convincingly argued that it is exclusively
Hellenistic; but the same judgment cannot be made in regard to the
names and epithets of God in it. And it is precisely here where we
focus our attention.
(1) Basileuv". The title “King†is commonly applied to God in the
Hebrew Bible, although rarely in the New Testament (43), and
infrequently in the Greek Orphic hymns (44). But a name such as the
“King of ages†seems to be a distinctively Israelite formulation of
God’s eternity (45). Thus God is acclaimed unique both in terms of
the power God exercises and the endless duration of his sovereignty.
Even if the precise term here is Israelite in background, it gives glory
and honor because it claims uniqueness for God. It is, moreover,
commonplace among commentators on the Pastorals to claim that the
Christian author wishes to counter the claims of the divinized Roman
emperor (46) by acclaiming God as “king†and “eternally reigningâ€. If
we could be more certain of this, the comparison itself would deserve
to be taken as an instance of uniqueness in the sense that God is the
first God and the only God. No mere mortal man, emperor or not, can
match God.
(2) “Afqarto". Next the author ascribes to God three predicates
which merit close consideration: ajfqavrtw/ ... ajoravtw/ ... movnw/ qew'/. In
regard to a[fqarto", Greco-Roman authors articulated a topos for a
true deity, which claimed that a genuine god has no beginning in the
past and is imperishable in the future (47). For example, when Diodor
of Sicily contrasts true gods with mortals made gods after death, he
claims as the distinguishing characteristic of a true god eternity of
existence, both in the past and in the future:
(43) In fact, only 1 Tim 6,15; Rev 15,3, but see: Isa 6,5; Jer 10,10; Ps 74,12;
and Sir 51,1.
(44) For example, Zeus is “king†(15.3) and Korybas too (39.1); many female
gods are “queensâ€: Moon (9.1), Artemis (36.1), Semele (44.1), Nemesis (61.1).
(45) See C. SPICQ, Les Épitres Pastorales (Paris 1969) I, 346-347. See also
Tob 13,7.11; Sir 36,17; I.H. MARSHALL, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary
on the Pastoral Epistles (Edinburgh 1999) 404.
(46) See SPICQ, Épitres Pastorales , I, 346 and 547; Y. REDALIÉ, Paul après
Paul (Geneva 1994) 91.
(47) See C.H. TALBERT, What Is a Gospel? The Genre of the Canonical
Gospels (Philadelphia 1977); and J.H. NEYREY, “‘Without Beginning of Days or
End of Life’ (Hebrews 7:3): Topos for a True Deityâ€, CBQ 53 (1991) 441-444.
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