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.
“Firstâ€, “Onlyâ€, “One of a Fewâ€, and “No One Else†75
As regards the gods, men of ancient times have handed down to later
generations two different conceptions: Certain of the gods, they say,
are eternal and imperishable (ajidivou" kai; ajfqavrtou") ... for each of
these genesis and duration are from everlasting to everlasting (6.1.2,
emphasis added).
Similarly Sextus Empiricus declared: “... God is eternal (ajivdion)
and imperishable (a[fqarton) and perfect in happiness†(Adv. Phy.
1.45), a unique distinction which Plutarch repeats: “Now we hear the
theologians affirming and reciting ... that the god is deathless
(a[fqarto") and eternal (ajivdio") in his nature†(E Delphi 388F) (48).
Thus true deities are distinguished from heroic mortals by virtue of
their temporal uniqueness (49). This Greco-Roman expression, insofar
as it compares true gods with heroized mortals, asserts something
which is rare and in the possession of very few, hence unique. It
acknowledges god as uniquely superior to all creatures who are born
and die, as well as mortals made gods after death.
(3) ∆Aovrato". Although the thought expressed here can be found in
the Hebrew bible, where it is claimed that God cannot be seen even by
Israel’s most celebrated prophet Moses (Exod 33,20), the precise term
“un-seen†comes from the Greco-Roman world. When Philo (50) and
Josephus (51) use ajovrato", their usage reflects Greek god-talk, as does
Paul’s claim that God is un-seeable (ajovrato", Rom 1,20; Col 1,15;
Heb 11,27) (52).
Both a[fqarto" and ajovrato" require us to enter the world of
negative-predication of god in the Greco-Roman world (53). In reaction
(48) See also Diogenes Laertius, 7.137; Philo, Cher. 86; Justin, Dial. 5.
(49) This material is intended to qualify MARSHALL’s remark that a[fqarto"
was used by the Stoics and was taken into Judaism (Wis 12,1; Philo, Mos. 2.171;
Immut. 26; Sac. 101) (Pastoral Epistles, 405).
(50) Although Philo uses ajovrato" to dismiss the idols of pagans (Leg. Gaium
290, 310, 318), he argues that this unseen God is unique in that he alone sees even
the most secret of things (Spec. Leg. 4.30) and that he is the “un-seen seer†(Op.
69); see also Spec. Leg. 1.20; Abr. 75; Moses 2.171.
(51) Josephus uses most of the unique epithets to describe the soul: “... it
enjoys a blessed (makariva") energy and a power untrammeled (ajkoluvtou) on
every side, remaining, like God Himself, invisible (ajovrato") to human eyes ...
itself of a nature one and incorruptible (a[fqarton)†(War 7.346-47; see also War
7.446). On the Greek character of this passage, see A.T. HANSON, The Pastoral
Epistles (Cambridge 1966) 29; G. HOLTZ, Die Pastoralbriefe (Berlin 1966) 48.
(52) See W. MICHAELIS, “oJrato", ajovrato"â€, TDNT V, 368-370. See also 2
Clem 20.5; Diognetus 7.2; Ignatius, Mag. 3.2 and Poly. 3.2.
(53) Useful studies on this topic include: H.A. WOLFSON, “Albinus and
Plotinus on Divine Attributesâ€, HThR 45 (1952) 115-130 and “Negative Attributes
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