Kleipotte wat maklik breek? 'n Herverstaan van 2 Korintiërs 4:7

Abstract

Translations of and commentaries on the Bible see the image of clay pots Paul uses in 2 Corinthians 4:7 as a derogatory self-characterisation which is used to depict the fragility, ordinariness, cheapness or expendability of those that serve in the ministry. It is generally held that the brittleness of the clay pots in a paradoxical way underlines the "all-surpassing power of God". In this article the thought structure, syntactical, grammatical and socio-historic basis for this understanding of 2 Corinthians 4:7 is researched and (re)interpreted. The results suggest that the metaphor of clay pots should be understood in a complementary rather than a paradoxical way.

ybelvertalings en kommentare beskou die beeld van kleipotte wat Paulus in 2 Korintiërs 4:7 gebruik as 'n neerhalende self-karakterisering wat die breekbaarheid, onaansienlikheid, goedkoopheid of ontbeerlikheid van evangeliedienaars beskryf. Die algemene instemming is dat die broosheid van die kleipot "die allesoortreffende krag van God" op 'n paradoksale wyse wil beklemtoon. Die gedagtestruktuur, sintaktiese, grammatiese en sosio-historiese basis van hierdie uitsig op 2 Korintiërs 4:7 word ondersoek en (her)verstaan. Die resultate dui daarop dat die beeld van kleipotte eerder komplementerend as paradoksaal verstaan moet word.