One of the ways scholars approach Paul’s letters is through the study of his “rhetorical style.” In fact, one of the new forms of biblical analysis is referred to a “rhetorical criticism,” to go side by side with textual criticism, historical criticism, redaction criticism, and literary criticism. Each of these biblical studies methods help us get closer and closer to what the author(s) might have wanted to communicate to their audience. A good Bible dictionary will help you look up these different methods of approaching the biblical narrative.
Now, back to rhetorical style. In popular use, rhetoric is used as a put down term or negative evaluation of speech; “it is all rhetoric” as a critique of politician’s endless words. Behind this is a suspicion that each speaker will try to manipulate the hearer to get him or her to do something the speaker wants for the speaker’s benefit or even a falsehood. However, there is a rhetorical style that Paul uses that was used by educated Greeks of his day. Rhetoric was seen as an art form – an art form of presentation, persuasion and argument. In Paul’s usage, his words were designed to have an effect on the reader/hearer.
John Calvin had a method of Bible study that asked the reader to read “closely” the text. This type of reading was to see the plain sense of the words as they lay out on the page. He was not looking to simplify the content of the passage. He was trying to get the reader to stay with the text, turning it over and over, mining it for meaning. He looked for shades in meaning and nuance that were actually there. These characteristics became more apparent with reading a passage time after time in different historical setting.
Seeing Paul’s rhetorical style close up can make us scratch our heads and wonder why he says the things he says in the way he says them. His arguments are often “dense.” But I would suggest that Paul’s letters are like a dense forest and is a wonderful place to visit. The denser the trees, the foliage, the undergrowth and the animal life, the more there is to see and learn. However, moving through a dense forest requires patience and sometimes hard work just to go a few feet. So with Paul’s letters. It takes time; it takes work. The time and work we put into discovering Paul’s rhetorical style brings us much to appreciate in his teaching about the reality of Christ’s love for you and me.
The sermons connected to this Galatians series do not allow me to go into all the finer details each Sunday (they are already long enough). This might be a path you might journey on through these summer months. I will be glad to answer specific questions.
If you are more interested in rhetorical style, you might go to Aristotle's Rhetoric. I believe he was the first Western philosopher to write on this subject in detail.
