John T. Fitzgerald

Friendship, Flattery, and Frankness of Speech

An investigation of the three related topics of friendship, flattery and frankness of speech (parrhesia) in the Greco- Roman world. The essays examine this triad in Philodemus and Plutarch, discuss Pauls use of friendship language in Philippians, and explore the concept of parrhesia in Paul, Acts, Hebrews, and the Johannine corpus.

Archaeology, the Bible and Modern Faith

Modern archaeology is concerned with the scientific recovery and study of the whole of material culture from the past. This includes visual works of art (mosaics, painted vases, and pieces of sculpture) and monumental architecture (public buildings and temples) and materials on which various kinds of texts appear (inscriptions, coins, and papyri). Although there are many archaeological discoveries relevant to the study of the Bible, the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS) are usually regarded as the most important, especially for understanding early Judaism and emerging Christianity. They were discovered from 1947 to 1956 in caves on the northwest side of the Dead Sea. There are four major areas in which the DSS have influenced contemporary understanding of the Bible, its interpretation and the religious views and practices of the Jews and Christians who lived during the later Second Temple period of Jewish history. First, because many are copies or partial copies of biblical books, their discovery has had a revolutionary impact on studies of the text and canon of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). Second, they are indispensable for understanding early Jewish biblical interpretation. Third, they have enhanced our understanding of early Judaism during the Maccabean and early Roman periods. Fourth, the DSS are important for understanding various aspects of the New Testament and early Christianity. Archaeology has an indisputable impact on the understanding of the Bible. Also there are many serious challenges confronting modern archaeology; I consider four: the unscientific removal of artifacts from a site, the unauthorized transfer of artifacts from the country where they were discovered, unprovenanced artifacts, and forgeries.

17 A People under the Word: Theological Interpretation

To discuss a theology of the Word is an exacting task under any circumstances. For the Christian such discussion involves the nature of revelation and the source of faith. The church became part of Gods revelation by being the response of faith to the Word. It became the historical ground in which the Word was anchored. The importance of the church is further emphasized by the part it played in the mediation and preservation of the Word. The nature of the Christian faith is determined by the nature of the Word. As the Word is Christocentric in character, so also is the faith which comes into existence as a response to that Word. Faith is not only subjective in nature. It admits, indeed requires, objective statement beyond the verbal expression of trust in and commitment to Christ. Keywords: christian faith; Word

25 Paraenesis in the Epistle to Titus

This chapter treats the paraenesis in the Epistle to Titus without regard to the supposed character of the letter as a church order, a supposition the author considers dubious. The salutation in Titus (1:1-4) is, with the exception of those in Romans and Galatians, the longest in the Pauline corpus. It provides Pauls bona fides, and performs a number of functions, one of which is of interest to us, namely, the description of Titus as γνήσιον τέκνον and its significance for the paraenetic character of the letter. In the Epistle to Titus, the philophronetic element is exhibited throughout the letter in the confidence that Paul has in Titus. The language of the Epistle to Titus shares many features with paraenetic style. One of the most characteristic features of paraenesis is its use of antitheses . Remembrance or reminder plays a role in the Pastoral Epistles (PE). Keywords: church order; paraenetic text; Pastoral Epistles (PE); Pauls letters; Titus

10 Exhortation in First Thessalonians

This chapter shares the interest of Elpidius Pax in Pauls manner of exhorting recent converts, but whereas he seeks to illuminate 1 Thessalonians with Jewish advice to converts, the chapter draws attention to the Graeco-Roman tradition of moral exhortation. Before offering examples of the way in which Paul utilizes and modifies elements of that tradition, the chapter identifies some hortatory features that pervade the letter throughout. Pauls modification of the hortatory tradition to describe himself as bearer of the divine message is further illustrated by his adaptation in chapter 2 of the description of the ideal philosopher and his exercise of παρρησία. Pauls use of the traditional hortatory material is marked by profound change as he reshapes it to express his experience of God working in him, or stresses the theological and religious dimensions of ethics, or uses traditional Christian material to address issues also of concern to pagan consolers. Keywords: 1 Thessalonians; Graeco-Roman tradition; moral exhortation; paraenetic letters; Paul

13 The Apologetic Theology of the Preaching of Peter

This chapter points out some theological themes in what is perhaps the earliest extant Christian Apology outside the New Testament (NT), the Preaching of Peter , and compares them with similar themes in earlier Christian missionary preaching , particularly that of Paul. In any case, the Preachings apparent familiarity with the later NT writings rules out Petrine authorship, and it is generally agreed that the Preaching was written by the first quarter of the second century, either in Greece or in Egypt. Early Christian missionary preaching can be reconstructed from a number of NT texts. The influence of Stoicism on some Jewish writings, especially the Wisdom of Solomon, has long been recognized. The tradition reflected by the Preaching is Middle Platonic and would exert great influence on later Apologists. Keywords: christian apology; early christian missionary; New Testament (NT) texts; Preaching of Peter ; stoicism

21 The Christianization of a Topos (Luke 12:13–34)

This chapter introduces ancient Greek and Latin deliberations on greed into the discussion and demonstrates Lukes awareness of the conventions used in those deliberations. It is natural that wealth be associated with the pleasures it makes possible, and the moralists lost no opportunity to link covetousness and wealth with the hedonistic life. The topos comes into play especially in vv. 13-34, for it allows Luke to write in terms widely known in his day. The similarities to the popular conventions associated with covetousness are numerous and striking. Equally striking is the way Luke has placed his own theological imprint on those conventions, in the process Christianizing the topos . Keywords: christianization; Luke

13 “Not in a Corner”: Early Christian Apologetic in Acts 26:26

This chapter focuses on Acts 26:26, where Paul makes claims for the public character of Christianity and his own preaching. Usually, when the purpose of Acts is seen to be the offering of a defense to non-Jews or non-Christians, the apology is defined in terms of political rights, and attempts are then made to describe the historical, and in particular, political conditions that were likely to have been the occasion of the writing. Cynics were frequently regarded as mad because of their rigorous, ascetic life or their unconventional or vulgar behavior. In sum, the dialogue that follows the last account of Pauls conversion in Acts contains themes that Luke had developed earlier. Specifically, he had represented Paul as speaking in language derived from discussions by and about the moral philosophers of his day. An important feature of his depiction of Christianity is the public character of the church. Keywords: Acts 26:26; Christianity; moral philosophers; Paul

27 The Virtus Feminarum in 1 Timothy 2:9–15

This chapter focuses on 1 Timothy 2:9-15, which deals with ethics. It is the authors contention in the chapter that there is greater literary coherence to 2:9-15 than has been recognized, and that popular philosophical discussions of σωφροσύνη suggest that the text should be viewed within that rubric. In 1 Tim 2:9-15, the focus is entirely on women. Sōphrosynē was the primary virtue of women in antiquity, the most common one, often the only one, ascribed to women on tombstones. In the thinking of philosophers of diverse persuasion, it was preeminently their virtue, the virtus feminarum . Philosophy enables women to run their households well. In serving her husband, a wife will be an ornament (κόσμος) to her relatives. Keywords: 1 Timothy 2:9-15; Sōphrosynē ; virtus feminarum

18 Determinism and Free Will in Paul: The Argument of 1 Corinthians 8 and 9

This chapter examines Pauls argument on determinism and free will in 1 Cor 9. A perceived roughness in the transition between chapters 8 and 9 has contributed to the description of chapter 9 as a digression from Pauls discussion of idol meat. The digression has then been thought explanatory, particularly of 8:13. For the most part, scholars have tried to determine the nature of the freedom Paul had in mind (from the Law, from financial dependence, to eat idol meat, or as a description of social status). Paul begins his discussion of the problem of idol meat by relativizing the knowledge the Corinthians claimed for themselves (8:1-6). Stoics and writers susceptible to Stoic influence cautioned against the misappropriation of this notion of ἐξουσία. Keywords: Corinthians; determinism; Paul