In two instances, Paul uses
an introductory formula, but it is not clear what he is citing. In 1 Cor 2:9,
“as it is written” introduces a fascinating citation: “What no eye has seen nor
ear heard and what has not risen to the heart of man, what God has prepared for
those who love him.” While the citation resembles, to some extent, Isa 64:3, it
appears unlikely that Paul thoroughly rewrites this verse (or conflates it
himself with Isa 65:16; Jer 5:16; Sir 1:10; Pss. Sol. 6:6). This is because a
similar citation can be found in a number of other sources, including
Pseudo-Philo (LAB 26:13), Gos. Thom. 17 (as Jesus’s saying), 1 Clem. 34:8; 2
Clem. 11:7; 14:5, and a series of other Christian texts. To complicate the
matter further, Origen claims that the citation can be found “in secretis Eliae
prophetae,” but the Apocalypse of Elijah contains no such passage. It is
possible that the citation is a pre- Pauline Jewish logion that circulated
among different groups. The citation is formulated on the basis of Isa 64:3 but
not a direct citation of its Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic form. While it is
unclear what Paul himself thought of the origin of his citation, his
introductory formula seems to suggest that one way or another he did see it as
deriving from Scripture.
In 1 Cor 9:10, Paul appears
to signify the presence of a citation: “For it is written for our sake that
‘The one who plows should plow in hope and the one who threshes should thresh
in hope of sharing in the crop.’” However, no such text is known, which is why
many English translations assume that no citation has been introduced and that
“it is written” (ἐγράφη) refers to the preceding citation from Deuteronomy (cf.
NRSV; ESV). However, the combination of ἐγράφη with ὅτι does look like an
introductory formula, and the parallel structure of the citation stands out
from Paul’s style in the surrounding context. Moreover, γάρ suggests that this
citation is supposed to offer additional support for Paul’s interpretation that
God has decreed that preachers have the right to material comforts (1 Cor
9:4–11). Just before the passage, Paul cites Deut 25:4 (“You shall not muzzle an
ox while it is treading out the grain”), arguing that the law is not concerned
with oxen but with “us.” The second citation, also written “for our sake,”
confirms that the point of the law is indeed metaphorical rather than a piece
of agricultural advice. It appears therefore probable that 1 Cor 9:10 is
another example of a scripturally based saying that Paul attributes to
Scripture. (Katja Kujapää, “Israel’s Scriptures in 1 and 2 Corinthians,” in Israel’s
Scriptures in Early Christian Writings: The Use of the Old Testament in the New,
ed. Matthias Henze and David Lincicum [Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2023], 365-66)
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