378 GESILA NNEKA UZUKWU C o r 12 ,13 (cf. C o l 3 ,11) , which suggest the uniqueness and creativity of Paul, rather than the Hellenistic or (and) Jewish background some scholars have proposed. The three blessings of gratitude found in rabbinic texts could also be explained by the influence of Hellenistic culture, whether in the specific use of three pairs of opposites to describe every individual identity (race, gender and status), or in the general uses of pairs of opposites to divide and classify every reality. In addition to this cultural influence, the Jewish blessings are used in the rabbinic literature with a theological content deeply engraved in the theology of early rabbinic Judaism. It is clearly very different when we compare the three expressions of gratitude found in Greek writings with what we have in the alleged similar expressions found in rabbinic writings. The listing of only one member of each of the pairs and the inclusion of only the negative pair suggest a Jewish context for its interpretation. The second alternative is that the use of the three blessings of gratitude found in rabbinic writings is uniquely rooted in the J e w i s h tradition of the rabbinic period under study. Here discussions focus on the social historical and religious contexts of early rabbinic liturgy. Scholars readily acknowledge that liturgical traditions of rabbinic Judaism emerged from several major influencing issues, among them the philosophical and theological ideologies concerning Jewish life and rituals, purity Laws, especially the categorization of cleanness and uncleanness. There are also social configurations and conventions that dominated the culture of the time, political realities of that time, especially internal conflicts. These aspects greatly shaped and influenced the cultural, literary and religious perspectives of rabbinic Judaism in the period from the first to third the centuries CE, and of course, the three blessings of gratitude found in rabbinic writings 13. A c c o r d i n g to T. Z a h a v y , the rabbis’ conception of “social stratification and division” and the role of religion in social relationships formed the bases for the composition of the three Extensive discussions on the historical development of rabbinic Judaism 13 could be found in R. BIERINGER – F. GARCÍA MARTÍNEZ – D. POLLEFEYT – P. J. TOMSON (eds.), The New Testament and Rabbinic Literature (JSJS 136; Leiden 2009); J. NEUSNER, Judaism. The Evidence of the Mishnah (Chicago, IL 1981) 14-22.