125 Burn or Boast? A Text Critical Analysis of 1 Cor 13:3 how καυχ σωμαι could be something added later. Thus, καυχ σωμαι becomes our choice38. Claude PERERA Paters Oblaten Pellenbergstraat 160 Kessel-Lo, 3010 (BELGIUM) 38 Let me wind up with a concluding remark. 1 Cor 13:3 is an instance where one could see how confessional theology makes people go blind to objective evidence in Textual Criti- cism that results in differences in the choice of readings. 1 Cor 13:3 is not the only instance where grace theology has interfered with Textual Criticism. Another clear example is the reading of ∆ικαιωθ ντες ο ν κ π στεως ε ρ νην χομεν in Rom 5:1. Is χομεν indicative or subjunctive? If it is taken as indicative, then the translation is, “Justified by faith, we have peace”. This means that we are already in possession of peace. Protestants prefer the indicative reading even though it has only inferior external evidence. That is because of their major theological foundation of sola gratia. But in Catholic circles where there is no entertainment of a theory of justification by faith alone, the preference is for the subjunctive supported by a number of ancient mss, versions and some Church Fathers. Then it has to be translated as, “Justified by faith, let us have peace”. That means we have to do something to receive the same. External evidence favours much the latter choice. In Protestant exegesis “boasting” is something negative that cannot be encouraged because of their foundational assumption of sola gratia. But Paul seems to be attributing a positive function to “boasting” in 1 Cor 13:3. He reckons with the possibility of giving up one’s body as a sacrifice out of love and yet boasting about it as it was the case with the humiliating death of Jesus on the cross. This is acceptable to us. Paul is replacing the idea of self-centered boasting with that done in a spirit of love and true humility just as it was the case with the folly of the cross a symbol of shame, now with the death of Christ become a symbol of honour. Paul does that dialectically namely, boasting in the weakness transformed by God’s power. In fact, what Paul is doing does not contradict the protestant position but rather reinforces the power of grace However, I do not understand why the Vulgate opted for καυχ σωμαι and rendered it ut ardeam. In spite of the reformation, ut ardeam remained unrevised. Even after the widening of horizons in the Catholic biblical scholarship since the 19th century it remained untouched in Catholic circles, possibly due the influence of Protestant exegesis. It is indeed a positive change in the Catholic circles that the Nova Vulgata Bibliorum Sacrorum (1986) has revised the Old Vulgate rendition, ut ardeam and changed into ut glorier in favour of the idea of “boasting”.