The social setting of Jesus’ exaltation in Luke-Acts (Lk 22:69 and Ac 7:56)

Abstract

This article presents a model for "intercultural exegesis" and applies this model to Luke 22:69 and Acts 7:56. In this process, the term "Son of Man" is approached from two perspectives: that of a biblical culture in the first century Graeco-Roman world, and that of a current Christian culture in Africa. The study concludes that the "Son of Man" concept in the selected texts not only includes a reference to the eschatological saviour, judge and defender, but also creates a sense of Jesus' solidarity with his fellow human beings. Such an understanding would certainly have led to Jesus' exaltation by his followers, who lived under conditions of social turmoil in the Graeco-Roman world of the first century, and would lead to such an exaltation by those who experience similar circumstances in Africa today.

The New Testament and Intercultural Exegesis in Africa*

“…From this perspective, African context and people are not used just as a field of applying 'exegetical' conclusions, but they stand as the subject of interpretation, equipped with genuine epistemological privilege. Though Matand (1998) and Cilumba (2001) still maintain a distance between the 'exegesis' of the text and its contextualization (or hermeneutic), studies from Manus (2003) and Loba-Mkole (2005b;2006a;2006b) support Ukpong's view in integrating African context/people as one of the active components of intercultural hermeneutics/exegesis/mediation. However, this diversity of opinion can be regarded as a healthy tension between the practitioners of intercultural biblical dialogue.…”

“…Cilumba (2001) and Chris U. Manus (2003). The present author has previously contributed to intercultural biblical exegesis, also viewing it as intercultural mediations (Loba-Mkole 2005a, 2005b. The first section of this article briefly presents different trends of biblical exegesis in Africa, while the second one deals with different phases of intercultural exegesis.…”

“…Loba-Mkole and Jesus' Exaltation Narrative (Luke 22.69 and Acts 7.56) I understand intercultural exegesis as a constructive dialogue between an original biblical culture and the culture of a receptive audience, taking into account cultures of Christian traditions as well (cf. Loba-Mkole 2005a;2005b;2006a;2006b;2006c;2006d). Here, the epistemological privilege is not given only to the receptive audience (contra Ukpong 2002: 62;Tamez 2002b:10;2002a:58), but equally shared by the three sets of cultures involved in this dialogue.…”

Intercultural constructions of the New Testament: Epistemological foundations

“…It can apply to sacred or non-sacred texts. An intercultural biblical construction is based on three frames of reference: original biblical cultures, ecclesial cultures and target contemporary cultures (Loba-Mkole 2005a, b:291-326, 2010:125, 2012:37, 2016:254, 2019a, 2019b.…”