04_Biblica_Aletti_Layout 1 08/07/13 12:56 Pagina 399 04_B 399 PAUL’S EXHORTATIONS IN GAL 5,16-25 what precedes it and begins with an apostrophe (“Brothers”), the first reading seems to be favorable; but, in Paul, this apostrophe does not necessarily indicate the beginning of another rhetorical unit 8. In fact, Gal 5,26 is introducing the themes that are developed in Gal 6,1-10 9. As for Gal 5,16-25, its unity is easily noted thanks to the oppo- sition of the flesh/Spirit. If all commentators agree in recognizing an alternation of these two terms, they are not in agreement on the passage’s composition. According to Dunn, the section falls fairly naturally into an abccba pattern that runs from v. 16 to v. 24 10: a 16-17 assurance against desire of flesh b 18 led by Spirit, not under law c 19-21 works of flesh c 22-23a fruit of Spirit … b 23b … law not against a 24 assurance against flesh and its desires It is possible to refine the composition, mainly semantic, noted by Dunn by first observing that, like the preceding verses (vv. 13- 15) and like numerous exhortative units in the Pauline letters, the overall composition is concentric: a1 = 5,16 exhortation announcing the theme b = 5,17-24 motivations or reasons, a = 5,25 repetition of the exhortation 2 The positive exhortation in v. 16a is immediately followed by its negative consequence (v. 16b) and portrays the two opposing pow- ers, the Spirit (c) and the flesh (d), to which this unit is devoted 11: See, e.g., Rom 1,13; 10,1; 1 Cor 7,24; 14,20; Phil 3,13; 1 Thess 5,25. 8 Not to yield to vainglory by believing oneself superior but by becoming 9 the servant of the weakest. See J.D.G. DUNN, The Epistle to the Galatians (Peabody, MA 1993) 295. 10 The letters c/C designate the statements relating to flesh and the letters 11 d/D those relating to the Spirit. The lower case letters designate the short units and the upper case letters the longer units. © Gregorian Biblical Press 2013 - Tutti i diritti riservati