New Interpreter's Bible(12 Vols.)-Pre-Publication Examples

Here is another sample(1 TIMOTHY 4:1-16),if you have a section that you would like to see,I will get it posted here ASAP.

-Dan 

1 TIMOTHY 4:1-16,THE TWO WAYS

<Page 810 Ends><Page 811 Begins>COMMENTARY

Chapter 4 broadly follows a pattern of exhortation with ancient precedents,in Jewish tradition already quite elaborate in Deuteronomy 28:1–30.The speaker sets before his audience two paths,between which they have to choose,or two prospects,one of which will be realized,depending on how they respond to the speaker's challenge.The classic Christian examples are Matt 7:13-14 and the early second-century church manual,Didache 1–6.Here the indicative terms are “later times” and “depart from”(4:1);“follow”(4:6);“train yourself”(4:7-8);“promise of life”(4:8);“strive,” “hope”(4:10);“progress”(4:15);and “you will save”(4:16).The first alternative is characterized by talk of “deceitful spirits” and “demons”(4:1);“hypocrisy of liars” and “seared conscience”(4:2);“godless and silly myths”(4:7);and,by implication,general slackness and lack of discipline(4:7-8,10,15).The second alternative,to which the writer wishes to point his hearers,is characterized by “thanksgiving,” “believing and knowing the truth”(4:3-4);“word of God and prayer”(4:5);“words of faith and of the good teaching”(4:6);“godliness”(4:7-8);“hope in God” and “believe”(4:10);“love,faith,purity”(4:12);“reading,encouraging,teaching”(4:13,16);and “charism”(4:14).The contrast is stated sharply for effect,the former set out in pejorative terms,the latter in bland assertions;but sufficient detail is included to enable the reader to perceive that recognizable life-styles were in view.

4:1-5,The Wrong Way.The prospect of defection is held out as a certainty.It had been explicitly stated by the Spirit(v.1).The reference is presumably either to the familiar scenario of immense suffering and persecution to be experienced by the faithful in the last days of the present age,or to a particular prophetic utterance elaborating the prospect in more detail.The prediction had been a feature in Jewish apocalyptic more or 

<Page 811 Ends><Page 812 Begins>

 less since Dan 12:1-2.In Christian tradition,something similar is attributed to Jesus(Mark 13:5-6,13,19-22)and to Paul(Acts 20:29-30;2 Thess 2:3-12),and the same foreboding is expressed in Revelation(e.g.,Rev 2:5,16;14:9-12).The implication is that the writer understands his present as already “the last days.”

The key word here,ajfi"sthmi(aphistemi),can be translated as “fall away,” “become apostate,” “desert”(NIV,“abandon”;NRSV,“renounce”),and is regularly used in the LXX of falling away from God(e.g.,Deut 32:15;Jer 3:14;1 Macc 1:15).There was a real choice to be made here,and given the volatility and lack of clear boundaries around the young churches,there would be considerable crossing of these boundaries,outward as well as inward(see Reflections on 1:1-11).The concern here,then,is to firm up the commitment and resolve of such recruits by painting the alternative in apocalyptic colors(cf.references to Daniel 12:1;Mark 13:1;2 Thessalonians 2:1;and Revelation above).

The immediate contrast is between “the faith” and “deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.” Presumably prophecies within or without the Christian assemblies are in view(cf.2 Thess 2:2;2 Pet 2:1;1 John 4:1-3),promoting views that the writer saw as contrary to “the faith.” The problem of!1 prophecy is an old one within the Judeo-Christian tradition(see,e.g.,1 Kings 22:1;Jeremiah 28:1;1 Thess 5:19-22;Didache 11;Justin Dialogue with Trypho 82),though the earlier Paul was less disposed to attribute to!1 spirits and demons those prophecies that were to be rejected(see 1 Cor 10:20-21;12:10).An example of such teaching supported by prophecy will be provided in 4:3,but it should be noted that the charismatic character of the earlier Pauline churches(1 Cor 14:26-32;1 Thess 5:19-22)still persisted.The firmer structures of organization and formulation of “the faith” had presumably been found necessary,in part at least against the dangers of charismatic excess and!1 prophecy.

Verse 2 is a good example of polemical denigration.Those who depart from “the faith” for such reasons have simply succumbed to “the hypocritical preaching of liars whose own consciences have been seared”(lit.,branded with a red-hot iron and thus desensitized).66 The imagery evoked is vivid,but we should recall that it is coined by one who disagreed violently with the opinions expressed.

An example of such!1 teaching backed by prophetic utterance is the advocacy of an ascetic life-style:marriage forbidden and abstinence from certain foods advocated(v.3).Similar issues had troubled the church in Corinth—regarding marriage(1 Cor 7:1)67 and over the eating of meat offered to idols(1 Corinthians 8:1)—though in the latter case the principal problem was with those who thought it perfectly acceptable to eat such food(see Col 2:20-23).The advice here follows that in 1 Corinthians 7:1 and the theological logic of 1 Cor 10:25-26:Whatever has been created by God is good(Genesis 1:1).68 The faithful,by definition,should know this truth,their consciences being instructed in the faith.The practical test is the same as in the nearest equivalent passage,Rom 14:6:Can the one who eats,acting in a way that seems overindulgent to others in the church,give thanks to God in doing so(v.3)?The answer here is yes;the acceptability of a controversial life-style to God is more determinative than its acceptability to fellow church members.

The point is repeated in strong terms to reinforce it:“Everything created by God is fine and nothing need be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,for then it is consecrated through the word of God and prayer”(vv.4-5).That the rationale is essentially theological(“faith,” “truth,” “made by God,” “word of God,” “prayer”),and not simply freedom of the individual or liberty of opinion,should be noted.

4:6-10,The Right Way.The alternative is to be clearly taught by Timothy(v.6).This is a primary responsibility of the “fine minister of Christ Jesus”;the term used is again dia"konov(diakonos,“minister,” “one who serves”),underlining its still functional and not yet exclusively formal sense(as in 3:8-13;cf.1:12;2 Tim 4:5,

<Page 812 Ends><Page 813 Begins>

 11;this was its more typical earlier use;cf.Rom 15:8;1 Cor 3:5;2 Cor 3:6;6:4;11:15,23;Gal 2:17;1 Thess 3:2).Here the idea of a way of discipleship comes more clearly to the fore,mingled with the earlier family imagery:Timothy has been “nourished,brought up”—that is,within “the household of God”(3:15)—and has “followed faithfully”(see Commentary on 2 Tim 3:10)“the words of the faith and the good teaching.” The doubling up of two of the letters' most consistent terms to denote the body of teaching that had already been formulated as “Christian”(see footnote 9)makes clear the character and direction of the second alternative,the right way,being advocated.Again the impression is clearly given that within the relative amorphousness of the early Christian communities it soon became necessary to agree on and formulate more carefully defined statements of faith and more elaborate codes of acceptable conduct,presumably in order to give a sharper sense of Christian identity and a clearer boundary line over against wider society.In the Pastorals we see this process happening before our eyes.

In sharp contrast,the wrong-way alternative can be dismissed as “profane”(the same word appeared in the vice list in 1:9)and “old wives' tales[myths]”(v.7),the latter phrase having the same disparaging overtone as today(see Commentary on 1:4).To avoid these requires strict self-discipline,which the writer clearly sees to be distinct from the asceticism of v.3,in content,character,and goal.69 The image now switches to the athlete's training(v.8),an image much loved by Paul(1 Cor 9:24-25;Phil 3:13-14).If that is of some profit(as would be generally agreed),then training for “godliness”(the regular term of approbation in the Pastorals;see the Commentary on 2:2)is of profit for everything.The promise is not simply of the victor's wreath in the games,but of life both now and in the age to come(cf.1:16;6:12,19;2 Tim 1:1,10;Titus 1:2;3:7).The writer is so confident of the truth of his conviction that he designates it also a “faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance”(v.9).Some think “the faithful saying” refers to what follows,but v.8b has the more formulaic character(see the Commentary on 1:15).

With the age-old religious instinct to set this present life and its circumstances into a long-term context,the writer reaffirms the goal of godliness:a hope that looks for a salvation beyond the limits of current experience(v.10).The thought is still of the discipline required:“for this cause we work hard and exert ourselves”(ajgwnizo"meqa,agonizometha as in the agon,“athletic contest”).70 “Hope,” as almost always in the NT,is the confident Hebrew assurance,rather than the tentative Greek aspiration(cf.Rom 5:2-5;8:24;Gal 5:5;Col 1:5),the Hebrew character of the thought reinforced by a further reference to “the living God”(see Commentary on 3:15)as the guarantor of the hope.

The hope arises out of the conviction that God is “Savior”(v.10).Elsewhere in the Pastorals(see Commentary on 1:1),the thought is always of “our Savior,” whether in reference to God or to Christ Jesus.But here the note of universalism,first loudly struck in 2:4-6(see also Titus 2:11),is sounded again:“Savior of everyone.” The additional phrase,“especially believers,” sounds odd and has occasioned much discussion:Does it qualify the note of universalism?Presumably it is intended primarily to underline the confidence of the writer's hope:If God is Savior of everyone,then those of faith in God can be all the more confident that they will share in God's salvation.

4:11-16,Timothy as an Example.The role envisaged for Timothy becomes clearer:He receives instruction from Paul and passes it on with authority to instruct and to teach(v.11).How someone should be described who commands overseers and deacons is not made clear.The writer is content to leave the impression,here and elsewhere,that Timothy is Paul's personal representative and emissary.So the authority with which Timothy teaches is that of Paul himself,not that of a distinct rank or office.

The reference to Timothy's youth(v.12)is somewhat surprising.At first encounter he is described in terms suggesting a fair degree of maturity(a disciple well spoken of,Acts 16:1-2).Since then he had functioned as Paul's chief aide for the rest of Paul's ministry(see Commentary on 1:2).That is,if the Pastorals do come from a

<Page 813 Ends><Page 814 Begins>

 late phase of Paul's ministry,then Timothy would have been Paul's chief coworker for about fifteen years.To call someone already into his thirties a “youth” would be unusual,and after such a period of training and responsibility,was anyone who respected Paul likely to question Timothy's authority?If,alternatively,the letter was written later,as seems more likely,and if Timothy himself was still in view,then he would probably have been in his fifties at least.It looks,then,as though the writer is working with an image of Timothy drawn from the earlier letters of Paul.Timothy,in other words,may here function as a representative model of the youthful leader,like the younger member of Paul's mission team of earlier years,someone whose charism or natural ability brought him to the forefront despite his youth.In an era that venerated the wisdom of age,such a one might well be “despised”(1 Cor 16:11,a different word,written at least ten years earlier).And though Paul never uses the word in reference to himself(cf.Rom 2:4;1 Cor 11:22),there certainly were those operating within his churches who had scorned him in the past(e.g.,2 Cor 10:10).

The best way of answering such attacks would be for Timothy to show himself as a model worthy to be copied(v.12).On several occasions Paul had put himself forward as an example(1 Cor 4:16;11:1;Phil 3:17);it is interesting to note that in the first of these,Timothy is sent to remind the Corinthians of Paul's example(1 Cor 4:17).So now it is Timothy who is to provide exemplary leadership “in speech,in conduct,in love,in faith,in purity,” the last probably with the sexual sense of “chastity”(cf.5:2).Little is more destructive of community than authority of status not matched by quality of life.

With the instruction of v.13,whether an epistolary characterization or a real visit in prospect,the function of the letter as the voice of the absent Paul is underlined.Paul's letters were often written to signal an imminent visit or a visit delayed(see Commentary on 3:14-16).“Until I come” can serve as a piece of advice that endures.“Reading” probably means public,rather than private,reading.This would certainly refer to the Scriptures,71 but also to writings worthy to be read in church and probably already also readings of Christian documents—early collections of Jesus tradition and Paul's own letters(cf.Col 4:16;2 Pet 3:15-16).It was in this way that their authority grew and spread.Worth noting is the implied content of a Christian assembly and its variety:the drawing upon ancient scriptural writings and newer writings of recognized worth;encouragement as well as teaching,presumably on the basis of the reading(see Luke 4:17-21;Acts 13:15).

Timothy's authority is underlined by reference back to what is considered a particular commissioning event(v.14).It evidently had three elements:the giving of his “charism,” that is,presumably,by the Spirit(1 Cor 12:4-7,11);a “prophecy”(prophetic utterance;cf.1:18);and “the laying on of hands by the presbytery.” The event is referred to again in 2 Tim 1:6,and the nearest parallel is the commissioning of Barnabas and Saul by the leaders of the Antioch church at the behest of the Spirit,presumably through prophetic utterance(Acts 13:2-3;cf.Acts 14:23).The whole event,however,seems to be envisaged in more formal terms.The “charism” seems now to be conceived of as a permanent gift that Timothy can “neglect”(v.14)or can “rekindle”(2 Tim 1:6),whereas Paul's earlier thought was more in terms of charism as the enactment of grace,coming to visible manifestation in a particular utterance or act(Rom 12:4-8;1 Cor 12:4-11).The laying on of hands as an act of the presbytery(council of elders)sounds like a more formally conceived and structured act,though in 2 Tim 1:6 Paul refers only to his own action,and here the preposition “with” implies attendant circumstances rather than means(“through,” as in 2 Tim 1:6;but see Commentary on 2 Tim 2:2).In v.14,we appear to be on the way to a concept of “ordination” and of charism as “grace of office.”

That commission(“these things”)once given has to be thought about,carefully cultivated,and practiced(the first verb,meleta"w[meletao],has this range of meaning);“these things”(v.15)presumably embraces all that had been referred to in vv.11-14.The charism that is not exercised will wither.“Be in them”;we might say,“Immerse yourself in them.” The personal objective is “progress” in “these things”;the term “progress”(prokoph prokope)was popular in Stoic philosophy,and Paul had used it in Phil 1:25(cf. 

<Page 814 Ends><Page 815 Begins>

 Phil 1:12).The advice complements that of 1 Tim 4:12.

The most important yardstick is “the teaching”(v.16):“Stick with that.” It is that which will ensure salvation both for Timothy and for those whom he instructs in the teaching.Here again we see a deep concern to mark out and delimit the terms of the gospel,the faith,and to forge an exclusive link between that teaching and salvation.Down that track lies the old slogan,“Outside the church no salvation,” with both its strengths and its weaknesses.The strength is that the teaching does encapsulate what Christians have found from the start to contain the words of life.The weakness is that salvation can be thought to be conditional on adherence to a particular set of words,first framed to meet certain historical challenges and interpreted in a narrow and insensitive way.

REFLECTIONS

The advantage of the “two ways” imagery is twofold.In the first place,it emphasizes that there is a choice to be made and that this choice will entail what may be lasting consequences.The vision of endless freedom and an infinite pluralism of “good” possibilities cloaks an uncomfortable fact,summed up in the old aphorism:We are free to choose,but we are not free to choose the consequences of our choice.Freedom to choose a particular career or to experiment with drugs or to throw off sexual restraint sets in motion a sequence of consequences from which it is impossible to escape and which will be character shaping as well as life-style constraining.And these are simply illustrations of the potentially far more momentous choice in regard to religion and faith,if indeed it is the case that a fundamental reality of human beings is that they are also spiritual beings made by God and for relationship with God.

This does not mean that such a momentous choice once made need never be made again.The reality is that there will always be some people,initially drawn to choose the best way,who will “fall away” by paying too much attention to what the writer calls “deceitful spirits”(the problem of!1 prophecy)and “hypocritical preaching of liars”(teaching proferred for factional or personal motives).Here as in other spheres,the price of liberty is eternal vigilance.In this often disturbing reality of enticing alternatives and clashing opinions,it is often vital to have a clear grasp of the basic principles and values on which the religion,the godly life,is built.In the case of the Pastorals,this means “the words of the faith and of the sound teaching.” Few can live out of a faith outline as brief as “God is one;Jesus is Lord”(cf.Rom 10:9;1 Cor 8:6).Most need something more.It is the task of leadership to indicate and define what that more should be,drawing not least from the reading of Scripture and previous tradition(4:13).

The danger on the other side is that such a statement of “the faith and the teaching” can become overdefined and too prescriptive.Here it is important to note the way the writer takes a firm stand on a principle of liberty in regard to one of the most contentious issues for the early churches:whether certain foods were prohibited to believers.In earlier days it had been a make-or-break issue;the very definition and status of “Jew” and “Christian” hung on it(1 Macc 2:62-63;Rom 14:3-4).In the light of such tradition,a cautious respondent would have been tempted to counsel,“If it's offensive to others,don't.” But in this instance the writer follows the line of Paul's advice:“If you can give thanks to God in what you do and for what you do,then it is a consecrated act acceptable to God”(see 4:4-5;cf.Rom 14:6).In other words,the make-or-break issues for one need not be so for others or for the church as a whole.Discerning the difference is what marks out mature leadership.

In the second place,the image of a “way” is a reminder that the Christian life is not to be conceived as something static.This is often the hidden implication of alternative metaphors 

<Page 815 Ends><Page 816 Begins>

 like “position” and “viewpoint.” But the first formal title for Christianity seems to have been “the way”(Acts 9:2;18:25-26;19:9,23;22:4;24:14,22).And Paul's favorite image for Christian conduct is “walk,” itself reflecting the traditional Jewish image^lh(hAlAk,“walk”),from which the term halakhah(“rules for conduct”)is derived.Here the point is evoked particularly by talk of “following”(v.6)and “progress”(v.15).The point is that the Christian life involves movement,growth(nurture,v.6),development.Too often in Christian mission so much attention is given to conversion that the equally important development toward maturity is neglected.

The writer makes clear that such growth and development depend on training and the discipline involved(vv.7-8);they involve hard work and sweat-inducing exertion(v.10);they require cultivation of the gift given and committed personal involvement(v.15).Here again a choice once made has to be repeatedly reaffirmed and lived out.

The imagery also provides another angle on “the faith” and “the teaching.” The Pastorals can be too easily disparaged for their reliance upon a faith and teaching already formulated and prescribed.But it would be more fair to see this emphasis as a stage on the way to greater maturity(of individual and church).That is to say,“the faith/teaching” actually refers to the process of giving Christian identity greater clarity of definition.It is not an endpoint(“the faith” finally defined),but “faith seeking understanding.”

Such progress in faith need not mean a steadily lengthening list of “what we believe and do”(even the more prescriptive tendency of rabbinic Judaism allowed for plenty of dissenting opinions).What it should mean is a greater appreciation of how faith responds to and impacts upon an increasing range of alternative ideologies and practical issues,a process that in turn should provide guidelines(not straitjackets)for future responses and objectives.To “do theology” is not simply to learn about past doctrines and classic statements of faith.It means still more to think through the reality of a living faith and to bring that reality(not just formulae and statements about faith)into dialogue with alternative views of reality,resulting in fresh formulations of the faith.A faith that does not grow and develop condemns itself to wither and die.Tertium non datur:There is no third alternative!

'gods'

hmmm....

i've not read full postings,but a mormon would be licking his lips on interpreting the word 'gods' in psalms as meaning "GODS",rather than judges-as contextual en-devours seem to point toward.

Tex.P.

This is hardly an uncommon look as a brief look at the WBC would show...

Ps 82 opens abruptly,without an introduction,with an immediate focus on God(Yahweh)having taken his stand in the midst of a council,or assembly,of divine beings while he pronounces judgment(v 1).He is clearly in charge,presiding over the meeting.“God” is not further identified,but he is surely Yahweh,the “Great God” who is designated as the “Great King over all the gods”(מלך גדול על־כל־אלהים)in Ps 95:3;cf.96:4(Kraus,Psalms 60–150,155).The “gods”(אלהים)are the divine beings who function as his counselors and agents.cf.v 6;Pss 8:6;29:1(“sons of gods,” בני אלים);89:6–7;Exod 15:11;Job 1:6;2:1;Gen 6:2.The scene is pictured as that of a divine assembly in which the great king pronounces sentence on some of the gods who have failed in their duties.Tsevat(HUCA 40[1969]127)notes that the psalm’s opening suggests that what “might normally be a routine assembly,where the gods report or participate in deliberations,has unexpectedly turned into a tribunal;God has stood up to judge the assembled.” See also,Mowinckel,PIW,I,151.In this regard the meeting is similar to that in Job 1:6–12,which seems routine until Yahweh and Satan come into conflict over Job.

Tate,M.E.(1998).Vol.20:Psalms 51–100.Word Biblical Commentary(334–335).Dallas:Word,Incorporated.

-Dan

I don't have a personal interest in this yet since I can't afford it,but with all the effort Dan has put into getting this set into Logos it's a shame to see that they've increased the required number of preorders.At this point,they owe him and all others with preorders at least some sort of communication.

Perhaps he's simply persuaded them to withdraw their bids. [^o)]

Noticed "Almost there!" progress change=> http://www.logos.com/product/8803/new-interpreters-bible yet still needs more pre-orders to change status to "Under Development"

Keep Smiling

http://www.logos.com/product/8803/new-interpreters-bible

What happened?The progress bar on the NIB is back down to barely over half!

I don't have a personal interest in this yet since I can't afford it,but with all the effort Dan has put into getting this set into Logos it's a shame to see that they've increased the required number of preorders.At this point,they owe him and all others with preorders at least some sort of communication.

More information can be found here:http://community.logos.com/forums/p/53532/391813.aspx#391813

Perhaps I am simply beating a dead horse seeing the progress bar never seems to move at all,but here is another sample….This time the entire book of Philemon being so short i thought I would include it all.

-Dan

THE LETTER TO PHILEMON

INTRODUCTION,COMMENTARY,AND REFLECTIONS

BY

CAIN HOPE FELDER

<Page 881 Ends><Page 882 Begins>

<Page 882 Ends><Page 883 Begins>

THE LETTER TO 

PHILEMON

INTRODUCTION

The Letter to Philemon is one of the seven letters that almost all biblical scholars hold were written by the apostle Paul.Having only twenty-five verses in its English rendering from the 335 words in the apostle's Greek original,Philemon is the shortest among the Pauline epistles.The textual integrity of the letter is complete(i.e.,fully preserved)in twelve of the major uncial manuscripts,and there is a near-total word agreement among the Greek texts of the letter,with but few orthographical differences(in vv.2,6,9,12,25).1

Most commentators agree that Philemon reflects Paul's spirit,theology,moral tone,language,and style,as do 1 Thessalonians,Galatians,1 and 2 Corinthians,Romans,and Philippians,the six other undisputed letters.Ancient church tradition links the letter to Paul,and the major catalogs of the New Testament canon from the early centuries(e.g.,the late second-century Muratorian Fragment and Bishop Athanasius's thirty-ninth Festal Letter to his clergy in 367 CE,among others)list it among Paul's writings.

DATE AND PLACE OF WRITING

The Letter to Philemon differs significantly from Paul's other writings in two ways.First,it is not addressed to a church but to specific persons.Second,it is a letter of mediation to foster reconciliation between two individuals to whom Paul bears common relation as

<Page 883 Ends><Page 884 Begins>

 their spiritual leader:Philemon,a slavemaster,and Onesimus,a slave who fled Philemon's household but who has returned,concerned to make things right.This letter was Paul's plea for a renewed relationship between the two,but one on better terms than before in the light of their mutual faith as Christians.

Three options are usually set forth regarding the place from which Paul wrote the letter:Caesarea,Ephesus,or Rome.These are the places where Paul was imprisoned for considerable periods of time(although there were other occasions when he was taken into custody,as 2 Cor 11:23ff.reports).The dating of this letter depends in large measure on the location of its composition.If Paul wrote to Philemon from Rome,as seems most likely,then the letter was composed about 61 CE.If written during his imprisonment at Caesarea,the letter should be dated about 58 CE.If written from Ephesus,a date of 55 CE would be required.

The argument for Rome as the place of composition has particular merit.Since Philemon was the overseer of the Lycus Valley house churches at Colossae(see the map “Main Roadways of Asia Minor,” 581),in Asia Minor,Onesimus,his slave,would most likely not have remained within a short distance from the household he had fled but would have found his way to Rome,where other runaway slaves from the provinces tended to seek refuge.Although Rome sought to protect slave owners' rights and even encouraged bounty for assistance in returning fugitive slaves to their owners,it is not certain that Onesimus was,in fact,a runaway at all or,if he was,that he had become one without just cause.

Those who suggest Ephesus as the place of origin for this letter cite Paul's request that Philemon prepare lodging for his visit(v.22)as an indication that Paul must have been imprisoned nearby.In addition to this,Ephesus was a provincial capital whose proximity to Colossae made it a more convenient destination for a slave without resources.Against this argument,however,is the fact,based on Col 4:7-9,that Onesimus and Tychicus were commissioned by Paul to carry letters from him to Ephesus,Laodicea,and Colossae.As for Caesarea as the place of writing,it is the most improbable choice of the three because of the difficulty in aligning events surrounding Paul's imprisonment there(see Acts 23:1–25)and the contents of this letter to Philemon.

The circumstance occasioning the letter to Philemon has strong bearing on Col 4:7-9,which mentions Tychicus(“beloved brother,a faithful minister,and a fellow servant in the Lord,” Col 4:7)as someone who will update the Colossian church members concerning Paul's situation.The same text refers to Onesimus as traveling with him;Paul there described Onesimus as “the faithful and beloved brother,who is one of you”(Col 4:9).It is also instructive,and doubtless indicative,that this mention of Onesimus occurs just after the segment in Colossians that details the subordination codes pertaining to slaves and masters(Col 3:22–4:1;it should be noted that the injunction in Col 4:1,advising those who owned slaves to “treat your slaves justly and fairly,for you know that you also have a Master in heaven” is a unique principle for such stock codes).

<Page 884 Ends><Page 885 Begins>

FOCUS

At first glance,the Letter to Philemon seems to focus almost entirely on the issue of slavery.Paul was imprisoned or under house arrest(vv.9,13,23)as he wrote;nevertheless,he was able to provide refuge for the slave Onesimus,who for some reason had fled the household of his master,Philemon.Paul appeals to Philemon as a friend and fellow Christian to take Onesimus back and to receive him without penalty or prejudice,in view of the slave's conversion and new life in Christ,their common Lord.Thus the reference to Onesimus as a “beloved brother”;Onesimus had become a Christian in the interim between leaving Philemon's household and the time the letter was written.Paul's description of Onesimus as “my child,whose father I have become during my imprisonment”(v.10)can be understood to mean that Paul was the primary human agent in helping Onesimus to become a Christian.

The view widely held across many centuries is that this is a fairly straightforward personal letter in which Paul petitions his friend Philemon to forgive and restore his runaway slave,who was both a fugitive and a thief.Now,various questions can be raised about why Onesimus left Philemon's household and why he sought out Paul.Had he been abused by Philemon?Had he,in leaving Philemon,caused him to undergo some financial loss?However,although Paul recognized Philemon's “claim” upon Onesimus,nothing in the letter provides warrant for the notion that Onesimus was a criminal fugitive who had stolen something from his master.

The central meaning and purpose of the Letter to Philemon concern the difference the transforming power of the gospel can make in the lives and relationships of believers,regardless of class or other distinctions.However,the way slavery has figured so prominently in modern history has obscured this deeper,more essential meaning and veiled the perennial significance of the letter.During the period of the European and American slave trade,many slave owners and other defenders of the system who laid claim to Christian leadership appealed to the Letter to Philemon to justify the racial stereotypes they held and the compliance they believed that Scripture requires from those under the slavery system.To be sure,the institution of slavery in the Roman Empire during the first century,the legal infrastructure that supported it,and the various moral judgments given in the New Testament regarding its legitimacy are issues that must be considered in reading the letter.However,close study of the text makes clear that Paul's primary focus is not on the institution of slavery but on the power of the gospel to transform human relationships and bring about reconciliation.There is no basis whatsoever for thinking of Onesimus as a progenitor of the African American slave,especially since the Roman Empire did not have a race-based policy for the institution of slavery,neither in the first century nor at any other time.2 All things considered,the way Paul's letter to Philemon is viewed provides

<Page 885 Ends><Page 886 Begins>

 excellent opportunity for a case study about the ways in which a person's social location can serve as a tacit rationale for reading inappropriate values into the text,distorting the document's original intent.

Quite apart from the fact that it was the work of Paul,the inclusion of the letter to Philemon in the New Testament canon would be justified on the basis of its message about reconciliation.Lloyd Lewis draws attention to Paul's use of “family language” in the letter:“brother”(vv.1,7,16,20),“sister”(v.2),“my child...whose father I have become”(v.10),and the like.The frequency of use of the terms is so pronounced that the communal-family emphasis cannot be viewed as coincidental.Lewis highlights Paul's noble intent expressed in those terms of endearment;the apostle exposes “an unwillingness to canonize the social roles found in his environment.”3

In addition to the many published studies that report traditional interpretations of the Letter to Philemon,new studies have appeared seeking to buttress older views or to supply fresh perspective on how the letter should be viewed and explained.Sarah C.Winter has suggested that the Letter to Philemon was primarily written to a church and was only formally addressed to Philemon as the congregational overseer.The references to the situation between Philemon and Onesimus are explained as not so much dealing with personal matters as framing a paradigm for changing master/slave relationships into new opportunities for manumission and shared fellowship.4

Perhaps the most dramatic departure from the traditional understanding of the Letter to Philemon of late is found in the work of Allen D.Callahan.5 Callahan seeks to dispel the idea that Onesimus was a slave at all,suggesting rather that he and Philemon were estranged biological brothers whom Paul sought to reconcile.Despite flashes of keen insight,Callahan's heavy reliance on “silences of the text” and his literal interpretation of Paul's words about Onesimus as “a beloved brother...in the flesh and in the Lord”(v.16)as indicating a blood kinship between Onesimus and Philemon move the interpretive center of the letter too far from the more common and ancient understanding of Onesimus as a runaway slave.

Eduard Lohse calls attention to the interpretive center of the Letter to Philemon in his majesterial commentary,citing Martin Luther's influential evaluation of the Pauline writing:

This epistle gives us a masterful and tender illustration of Christian love.For here we see how St.Paul takes the part of poor Onesimus and,to the best of his ability,advocates his cause with his master.He acts exactly as if he were himself Onesimus,who had done wrong.

<Page 886 Ends><Page 887 Begins>

 Yet,he does this not with force or compulsion,as lay within his rights;but empties himself of his rights in order to compel Philemon to waive his rights.6

Luther's observation conveys his view that Onesimus had done something wrong,yet exactly who in the letter is the injured party or real victim has remained open to debate.It is quite possible,for example,that Onesimus's only offense was leaving the household of a master—Philemon—who had abused him in some way.There is greater warrant for such a scenario than for viewing Onesimus as a lazy or dishonest servant—the view found in the folklore that circulated among the ruling classes of the modern Western world,especially those who championed and benefited from the institution of slavery.

While Paul's letter to Philemon does not focus on the issue of slavery,it certainly offers clues that help to clarify the apostle's moral stance on the issue.Paul was aware of the provisions in the Hebrew Bible that sanctioned some forms of slavery despite the abhorence of the Hebrews for the long period of their own bondage in Egypt.And,as a Roman citizen,he certainly knew the legal warrants for the system as practiced across the empire.He was astute enough to recognize that the role of a pronounced abolitionist would not only have been foolhardy for himself,despite his Roman citizenship,but it would also have been disastrous to the nascent Christian missionary movement.Such factors make all the more astonishing texts like Gal 5:1,“For freedom Christ has set us free.Stand firm,therefore,and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery”;or 1 Cor 7:21,which suggests that slaves should use every opportunity to gain manumission;7 or 2 Cor 11:20-21,which castigates those who let others enslave them.These statements,rightly viewed,are hardly the words of someone who approves of the institution of slavery.On the contrary,they reflect an attitude consistent with the appeal made in the Letter to Philemon,making the words found there all the more poignant and significant,for Paul is also the one who brought Philemon into the faith.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Commentaries:

Bruce,F.F.The Epistles to the Colossians,to Philemon,and to the Ephesians.NIGNT.Grand Rapids:Eerdmans,1984.A scholarly,evangelical commentary.

Caird,George B.Paul's Letters from Prison.NCIB.Oxford:Oxford University Press,1976.A classic commentary that explores the theological meaning and historical background of Paul's letters.

Dunn,James D.G.The Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon:A Commentary on the Greek Text.NIGNT.Grand Rapids:Eerdmans,1996.A scholarly commentary,particularly helpful for study of the Greek text.

Knox,John.“The Epistle to Philemon:Introduction and Exegesis.” Interpreter's Bible.Vol.10.Nashville:Abingdon,1955.A classic commentary for preachers and teachers.

<Page 887 Ends><Page 888 Begins>

 Lohse,Eduard.Colossians and Philemon.Hermeneia.Philadelphia:Fortress,1971.A scholarly commentary,with extensive notes and references.

Metzger,Bruce M.A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament.New York:United Bible Societies,1971.An excellent overview of the textual variants of the NT writings.

O'Brien,Peter T.Colossians,Philemon.WBC.Waco,Tex.:Word,1982.A critical,scholarly,evangelical commentary.

Osiek,Carolyn.Philippians,Philemon.ANTC.Nashville:Abingdon,2000.A concise,critical commentary,particularly valuable for its analysis of rhetorical strategies and social realities.

Other Specialized Studies:

Bartchy,S.Scott.MALLON CRHSAI:First Century Slavery and the Interpretation of 1 Corinthians 7:21.SBLDS.Missoula,Mont.:Scholars Press,1973.A detailed,scholarly analysis.

Bruce,F.F.Paul:Apostle of the Heart Set Free.Grand Rapids:Eerdmans,1997.A study of Paul's life and thought from an outstanding evangelical scholar.

Callahan,Allen D.“Paul's Epistle to Philemon:Toward an Alternative Argumentum.” HTR 86:4(1993).An intriguing reading of the Letter to Philemon.

———.Embassy of Onesimus:The Letter of Paul to Philemon.Valley Forge,Pa.:Trinity Press International,1997.A comprehensive statement of the author's provocative reading of the Letter to Philemon.

Lewis,Lloyd A.“An African American Appraisal of the Philemon-Paul-Onesimus Triangle.” In Stony the Road We Trod:African American Biblical Interpretation.Edited by Cain Hope Felder.Minneapolis:Augsburg Fortress,1991.An analysis of the Letter to Philemon from a contemporary African American perspective.

Martin,Ralph P.Reconciliation:A Study of Paul's Theology.Atlanta:John Knox,1981.A comprehensive examination of Pauline theology,emphasizing reconciliation.

Meeks,Wayne A.The First Urban Christians:The Social World of the Apostle Paul.New Haven:Yale University Press,1983.A classic study of the social environment of the early Christian movement.

Sampley,J.Paul.Pauline Partnership in Christ:Christian Community and Commitment in Light of Roman Law.Philadelphia:Fortress,1980.A study of partnership in Paul's missionary work and writing as influenced by concepts in Roman law.

Winter,S.C.“Methodical Observations of a New Interpretation of Paul's Letter to Philemon.” Union Seminary Quarterly Review 39(1984).

<Page 888 Ends><Page 889 Begins>

OUTLINE OF PHILEMON

I.Philemon 1:1-3,Opening Greetings

II.Philemon 1:4-7,Philemon Is Commended for His Faith and Charity

III.Philemon 1:8-20,Paul's Request Regarding Onesimus

IV.Philemon 1:21-22,Paul's Expectation to Visit

V.Philemon 1:23-25,Concluding Words and Benediction

<Page 889 Ends><Page 890 Begins>

<Page 890 Ends><Page 891 Begins>

PHILEMON 1-3

OPENING GREETINGS

COMMENTARY

Following the conventional forms of letter writing of his time,Paul names himself first as the one writing;then Timothy,a known close associate who was with him as he wrote.Finally he names the intended recipients:Philemon;Apphia and Archippus,two presumably key persons within Philemon's circle,possibly even family members;and the “church in[Philemon's]house.” Paul describes himself as a “prisoner”(de;smiov desmios,vv.1,9),which was his current situation,being in custody.However,he wanted it clearly understood that he did not view himself as a battle casualty but as an obedient servant to Jesus Christ.Thus the full self-designation “prisoner of Christ Jesus,” which could also mean “prisoner for Christ Jesus”(as the Greek was rendered previously in the RSV).

Paul's self-description here as “prisoner of Christ Jesus” deviates from his more customary self-reference in the undisputed letters as an “apostle of Jesus Christ”(see 1 Cor 1:1;2 Cor 1:1;Gal 1:1;etc.);in the deutero-Pauline Eph 3:1 we find his self-reference as “prisoner for Christ Jesus”;at Eph 4:1,“prisoner in the Lord”;and at 2 Tim 1:8,“me his prisoner.” It is clear that Paul always associated his imprisonments with having been obedient to his Lord.Callahan has suggested that “perhaps Paul's failure to claim his apostolic credentials here,which he so readily flashes before those congregations he has established personally,is better understood as a reflection of his rhetorical situation vis-à-vis churches in which his personal standing and relationship are less than certain.”8 Paul did sometimes assert his claims to apostolicity when his credentials were challenged by opponents;this is seen in his writing to the Corinthians and the Galatians.Yet it was not necessary for him to do so here;since he did not have to assert leadership priority in dealing with a house church that he did not plant,his apostleship is not being questioned.Paul is merely sending this particularly personal letter to Philemon,whom he addresses as his “dear friend and co-worker.”

Philemon is not named elsewhere in the Pauline corpus or in the early Christian literature.Apart from his appearance by name in this letter,nothing more is known concerning him except that he was a slave owner,a head of a household,a leader of a church group that met within his properties,and,by inference,that he was engaged in some business that supported his status.(As for the name “Philemon,” it was as common in the Greek-speaking culture as are “John” and “Joe” in English-speaking countries.)9

<Page 891 Ends><Page 892 Begins>

 Paul addressed Philemon as “dear friend”(ajgaphto;v agapetos,“beloved one”);the abstract adjective seems appropriate because he and Paul had known each other in some settings as coworkers in the furtherance of the gospel.Koinwni"a(Koinonia),or “fellowship,” exists between them,and Paul highlights this fact as he addresses his friend.Callahan suggests that this was Paul's way of preparing Philemon for the claim this letter would press upon him as he read it,“co-worker” being not only initially descriptive but finally prescriptive as well.

Apphia is traditionally assumed to have been Philemon's wife;that she was so is asserted by John Chrysostom(c.344/354–407)in his first homily on the Letter to Philemon.Since Philemon is referred to as “beloved,” some scribes added “the beloved” after her name as well in making copies of this letter,as many cursives(copies written in small cursive letters)reveal.As for Archippus,some commentators suggest that the person identified here by that name is the same person mentioned in Col 4:17.Indeed,many have promoted the view of Theodore of Mopsuestia(c.350–428),influential Antiochene exegete and theologian,that the Archippus greeted here was a son of Philemon and Apphia.The paucity of information from that early period of church history has prompted the pressing of meager data into unwarranted and dubious constructions.Nevertheless,Paul's greeting—addressing them together with Philemon—indicates that both Apphia and Archippus were important figures in the house church headed by Philemon.Archippus is also addressed in loving terms,being greeted as “our fellow soldier”(sustratiw"thv systratiotes).F.F.Bruce has commented that “some personal association with Archippus in the work of the gospel is implied,but what it was is unknown to us.”10

“The church in your house” is mentioned by way of extension.Paul acknowledges the work for which Philemon was responsible and shows concern for the welfare of the assembly.He was aware that Philemon and his family,so intimately related to the congregation for which Philemon had oversight,would appreciate a word that included the group's welfare.Moreover,Paul knew that the plea he was about to make to Philemon in this letter,no matter how it might be handled,would affect social relations within the assembly.So the formulaic close of the apostle's greetings,the implied prayer for continued “grace to you[plural]and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,” is more than a simple expression of courtesy.The greetings and implied prayers found in Paul's correspondence always convey his pastoral concern.11

REFLECTIONS

1.A!0 soldier understands orders and obeys them,strengthened by trust in the cause and a disciplined will to fulfill a known duty.Paul understood himself as a soldier for Christ,a man under orders,so he had no shame in being a prisoner;he knew it was in the interest of the cause he served.

Imprisoned,with a Roman soldier always in his presence or within sight,Paul was reminded constantly of his own ties to authority.He viewed himself as a soldier sent out by his Lord under orders to deal with evil.Though confined for a time,he was content because he had been “captured” while “in battle.” The soldier image must have been uppermost in his mind when,in greeting Philemon,Paul remembered his ties with Archippus(possibly Philemon's son)and greeted him as well,calling him “fellow soldier.” Images from military life may not be as stimulating to the present generation as to those of the past,but it is not possible to understand the depth of Paul's commitment to Christ and his willingness to undergo his many periods of confinement in prison without taking into account the positive aspects of what it means to be “under orders” and to obey them despite the costs involved(cf.2 Cor 9:16).

2.The church at Colossae,perhaps still in its early growth stage,was blessed by a hosting home where its members could meet.Stated church buildings would come only in the future 

<Page 892 Ends><Page 893 Begins>

 (the third century,to be exact),but at that early time the nascent church realized itself and promoted its mission through gatherings in homes.The home was central to the tasks envisioned,the place where worship and learning could take place and fellowship could be experienced.Churches in our time have been discovering anew the importance of small-group life in teaching,in learning,and in community ministry.

With so much in our day that militates against quality time at home,there must be a commitment on the part of a family to provide space and time for church gatherings in the home setting.A church gains something vital when cells of believers can meet for prayer,Bible study,or fellowship in a home setting.Despite the conveniences afforded in other places available for congregational uses,it is in the home that openness beckons,love is promoted,unselfishness is modeled,intimacy deepens,encouragement is gained,and integrity is nurtured.

3.At the beginning of the third millennium,the phrase “church in your house” seems rather foreign;popular culture portrays the modern home as a secular institution.However,reflecting on that phrase takes us to the historical depths of church life—that is,the way particular congregations began and who assisted in their development.Many a vital church began when some person or family offered their dwelling place as a meeting site to help start a fellowship group.Providing space was a ministry that generated cooperation,cohesion,and growth—and that spawned other ministries.

A wise Christian fellowship will keep track of its life as it develops,teaching truths,marking trends,and charting timelines.And a caring church will honor those whose commitment encourages growth and ministry to happen.In modern consumer-oriented societies where so much is readily thrown away to make room for what is next,church leaders with vision will acquaint themselves and the other members of their congregation with information about their group's history,and they will inspire members to appreciate and add to that history through commitment to duties essential for a vital ministry.

<Page 893 Ends><Page 894 Begins>

PHILEMON 4-7

PHILEMON IS COMMENDED FOR HIS FAITH AND CHARITY

COMMENTARY

Paul's pastoral concern involved him regularly in prayers for the churches under his care,for his coworkers,and for those converted under his ministry.Philemon,one of Paul's own converts(v.19)as well as his “dear friend and co-worker,” here learns about the prayers offered to God by Paul on his behalf.Those prayers are filled with thanksgiving over reports from others that Philemon shows “love for all the saints” and a contagious “faith toward the Lord Jesus”(v.5).But they also include intercession,with the apostle asking God to help Philemon share his faith,informed by the knowledge of all the good ways in which this can be done and with an increased effectiveness that honors Christ,his Lord.

These words show us something more than a customary thanksgiving section of a letter:They reveal a specific commendation from Paul to Philemon.Although Paul wrote with particular instances of Philemon's charity in mind,many of which were shared with him by Epaphras(who is named in v.23)and perhaps by Onesimus as well,no such details appear in this letter.Paul is impressed by Philemon's charitable disposition and pays him tribute,acknowledging his deeds as having been done in love and inspired by his faith in the Lord Jesus.“Love”(ajga"ph agape)and “faith”(pi;stiv pistis)are highlighted here by Paul as they are in his other letters,but it is interesting that while “faith” is usually mentioned first elsewhere,“love” receives first mention here.It is likely that Paul was thinking strategically about the issue for which the letter was being sent,hoping that Philemon's charitable disposition would allow the forthcoming appeal regarding Onesimus to be received with understanding and acceptance.

Paul's words of tribute regarding Philemon's charity were not merely literary flourish or contrived flattery.They were an honest expression based on known facts regarding Philemon,knowledge gained,perhaps,from Paul's own previous experience with him,but surely from the good reports heard from others whose lives had been touched in helpful,meaningful ways by the man.Paul,therefore,adds a personal comment about his own emotion resulting from such good reports:“I have received much joy and encouragement 

<Page 894 Ends><Page 895 Begins>

 from your love,because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you,my brother”(v.7).Paul's words here are remarkably similar to those in 3 John 3,where John the Elder confesses his joy over reports about Gaius's “faithfulness to the truth,namely how you walk in the truth.” Bruce has commented,“It is a pleasant coincidence that the two really personal letters in the NT should both be addressed to men so like-minded in their generosity.”12

Paul's intercessory prayers for Philemon included concern regarding what the NIV translates as being “active in sharing your faith,” but which the NRSV renders as “the sharing of your faith.” All told,that “sharing”(koinwni"a koinonia)would involve Philemon's witnessing to others about his faith as well as doing deeds that showed evidence of his faith.Generosity is the present focus,and that becomes clearly noted in v.7 where Paul mentions how the “hearts of the saints have been refreshed[ajnape;pautai anapepautai,“calmed,” “comforted,” “relieved”]” through Philemon's charitable deeds.This commendation covers much about which we have no knowledge,but “the saints” did,and from personal experience.

While this much is certainly understood from the commendation in vv.4-5,the grammatical construction of v.6 leaves us perplexed by translation difficulties and many alternative exegetical possibilities.The Greek wording in v.6 is awkward in its phrasing;the intended meaning of the crucial term koinonia,especially linked with pistis,remains unclear.The differences between the NIV and the NRSV in translating the Greek are readily noted;other translation options can be observed by comparing additional renderings of v.6 in English:

The New English Bible:“My prayer is that your fellowship with us in our common faith may deepen the understanding of all the blessings that our union with Christ brings us[or “that bring us to Christ”].”

New American Standard:“And I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ's sake.”

The New King James Version:“...that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.”

Good News:“My prayer is that our fellowship with you as believers will bring about a deeper understanding of every blessing which we have in our life in Christ.”

Paul's use of koinonia,linked in the context with the genitive pi;stewv(pisteos)and the possessive sou(sou),requires strict attention.While koinonia primarily means “common participation” in something,as equal sharers,the question raised by linking that word in the verse with pisteos sou,“your faith,” is whether that “common participation” should be understood as objective—the fellowship or sharing that results from faith—or as subjective—one's experience of a commonly shared faith.If Paul intended the subjective meaning,then his prayer for Philemon was that God would make him increasingly knowledgeable and effective in the ways that good can be accomplished for,in,and through Christ.“To perceive(or understand)and appreciate all the good[ejpignw"sei panto;v ajgaqou' epignosei pantos agathou]” no doubt refers ultimately to beneficial deeds and helpful relationships.As he wrote or dictated this passage of the letter,Paul was surely solicitous for Philemon to respond graciously to the request he was about to make on behalf of that leader's returning slave,Onesimus.

REFLECTIONS

 1.Paul wrote with a quill dipped in the inkwell of grace.He offered thanksgiving to God for Philemon,and he confessed this to Philemon,thus complimenting him.Everyone has times of feeling misunderstood or unappreciated.And we are usually strengthened when appreciation for us is expressed or when good deeds we have done are acknowledged.At the same time,the person who expresses that appreciation is usually gladdened for having done so.While it may sometimes be vain to seek approval,the need for recognition is a basic human quality.

<Page 895 Ends><Page 896 Begins>

 2.Paul knew of Philemon's social position and wealth.Paul did not commend him,however,for either his station or his possessions,but rather for his gracious and more just use of them.Not only had Philemon done good in “refreshing the hearts of the saints,” but he also had done so in right ways and in the right spirit.The dignity of those who benefited from Philemon's largesse was not undermined but undergirded by the spirit he showed in sharing.No wonder Paul,like many others,no doubt,heard about Philemon's “love for all the saints.” One is reminded of the line in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice:

How far that little candle throws its beams!

So shines a good deed in a naughty world.(5.1.90)

Differences in status or financial condition should never get in the way of helping someone in distress,especially someone in the community of faith(see Gal 6:10).Christian love not only establishes new “familial” bonds,but also dictates timely action when needs are known.

<Page 896 Ends><Page 897 Begins>

PHILEMON 8-20

PAUL'S REQUEST REGARDING ONESIMUS

COMMENTARY

Having reiterated the basis for rapport between himself and Philemon(this being clear from the singular use of “you” in vv.4-21),Paul now begins the primary message the letter is sent to convey.Thus the “therefore”(dio;dio),which here is translated “for this reason”(v.8).

The intercession for Onesimus begins,couched in carefully chosen terms but offered in frankness:“I...appeal to you”(v.9).Paul was aware that 

<Page 897 Ends><Page 898 Begins>

 his situation as intercessor was legally defensible,Roman law having provided for cases of advocacy on behalf of runaway slaves who returned to their master.He also knew that he had a right to intercede on behalf of the now-converted runaway slave as Christ's apostle(thus the use of presbu;thv[presbytes,“ambassador”]).Paul surprises us,however,by choosing not to appeal to Philemon from either position of authority.He makes his appeal for Onesimus “on the basis of love.”

The appeal Paul is about to make is prefaced by a statement of relationship with Onesimus that notifies Philemon about a new fact concerning his runaway slave:“I am appealing to you for my child,Onesimus,whose father I have become during my imprisonment”(v.10).John Knox commented that “this clearly means that Onesimus has become a believer in Christ under Paul's influence.”13 Peter T.O'Brien has suggested that:

This was the first news Philemon had received of his slave since he ran away and he might be expected to react negatively to the mention of his name.So with delicate tact Paul first establishes the central fact that Onesimus has become a Christian,converted during Paul's imprisonment.14

The situation of Onesimus as a runaway slave returning to face Philemon,his master,raises many questions.Why did Onesimus leave in the first place?Where did he go,and where could he expect refuge?If Onesimus had committed some crime,had Philemon published a reward notice regarding him?If so,then how widely would that reward notice have been circulated and known?If there was a reward notice,then Onesimus would have had increased need to remove himself as far from the master's arena of influence(Colossae)as resources and opportunity would allow.If he traveled as far from Colossae as Rome,then perhaps he came to Paul's notice through some encounter with Christians there,Onesimus having sought them out for whatever initial reasons.

But it is also possible that Onesimus went looking for Paul,aware of Paul's influence on Philemon.Paul could be an advocate for him in resolving his situation as a runaway slave.Roman law regarding returning slaves did allow a friend of the master to advocate on the returning slave's behalf in the interest of his or her safety and well-being.15

There are still other questions.Had Philemon disappointed Onesimus,promising manumission and then delaying it?Had Onesimus reached thirty years of age,when freedom was sometimes granted to faithful and deserving slaves,and escaped because he had been denied it?16

There is all too little about Onesimus's situation that can be stated with certainty;too much is left for conjecture.But the little that is given in the Letter to Philemon is positive rather than negative.Onesimus has become converted,Paul's “child”(te;knon teknon)in the faith(v.10).He is now even more “useful” than before,since we must assume that he had served Philemon in some meaningful capacity before his decision to leave or escape Philemon's household.Paul's statement that “formerly he was useless[a[crhstov achrestos]to you”(v.11)could have been intended to cover only the period Onesimus was absent from Philemon and the problems associated with that absence,and,therefore,was not intended to mean that Onesimus was always a lazy or shiftless person.The notice that “now he is indeed useful[eu[crhstov euchrestos]both to you and to me” completes Paul's play on the meaning of the returning slave's name  Onh;simov(Onesimos),which in Greek means “useful,” “profitable.” This name was common among slaves,either bestowed in tribute or perhaps as an incentive to usefulness and a master's profit.Now,as a converted person,Onesimus was more useful than ever.

Paul had no doubt benefited from that usefulness during the time Onesimus had been with him,thus his words “useful both to you and to me.” Because of that usefulness,and having become fond of the slave,Paul would have kept Onesimus with him(see v.13);but a reconciliation needed to occur between the runaway and

<Page 898 Ends><Page 899 Begins>

 his master.The two,as Christians,needed to become friends—no longer one the master and the other a slave.So Paul writes:“I am sending him...back to you”(v.12).

The appeal Paul makes,on the basis of love,not law,is for Philemon to receive Onesimus back “no longer as a slave but more than a slave,a beloved brother—especially to me but how much more to you,both in the flesh and in the Lord”(v.16).Here is the substance of the appeal.Paul knew that this request might well test Philemon's heart,so Paul reveals his own emotion,confessing that Onesimus was linked with his heart:“I am sending him,that is,my own heart,back to you”(NIV,“[he]is my very heart”).

Raymond E.Brown maintains that through appealing to Philemon's cooperativeness rather than censuring him,Paul challenged “a Christian slave owner to defy the conventions:To forgive and receive back into the household a runaway slave;to refuse financial reparation when it is offered,mindful of what one owes to Christ as proclaimed by Paul;to go farther in generosity by freeing the servant;and most important of all from a theological viewpoint to recognize in Onesimus a beloved brother and thus acknowledge his Christian transformation.”17

Paul has already stated that he was not seeking to impose his own will(v.14)or to use any authority he possessed(v.8)to achieve the goal of his appeal;but some forcefulness is evident in his words in v.17,when he invokes the rules of partnership:“So if you consider me your partner,welcome him as you would welcome me.” Having earlier referred to himself as Christ's “ambassador”(presbytes,v.9),Paul here suggests that Philemon favorably honor his petition by accepting Onesimus with the same cordial diplomacy an envoy or ambassador expects and enjoys in representing the one who sends him or her.By introducing the concept of partnership,a mercantile image,Paul thereby invokes its terms,calling upon Philemon to honor all that partnership involves and implies:acceptance,trust,regard,divisions of responsibility in a common purpose,and equality of sharing(in profits and losses).18 This explains in part why Paul could so readily move forward to accept as his own any debts owed Philemon by Onesimus:“If he has wronged you in any way,or owes you anything,charge that to my account”(v.18).

It must be noted from Paul's wording that he has allowed for the possibility of wrongdoing by Onesimus,but he does not mention that he knows of any.His “if” is probably more than rhetorical;it allows Philemon to reckon any damages due him,since only he would know of these.Like Paul's worthy greeting at the beginning of the letter,this gesture of willingness to assume responsibility for Onesimus,debts and all,was carried out in good faith.Paul was thus honoring the mutual dictates of partnership,and Philemon was being challenged to do the same.To authenticate that this was his own!0 pledge as Onesimus's guarantor,Paul did what was his custom when certifying his involvement in some special matter or action,signing his name in his own special way:“I,Paul,am writing this with my own hand:I will repay it”(v.19a).(On Paul's custom of authenticating his presence and involvement in a letter,see 1 Cor 16:21;Gal 6:11;2 Thess 3:17.)

Interestingly,if Colossians was written by Paul—and at about the same time as the letter to Philemon—Paul may have thought about the situation of Onesimus as he wrote the injunctions addressed in Col 3:22-25 to Christians who were slaves,particularly the warning Col 3:25:“For the wrongdoer will be paid back for whatever wrong has been done,and there is no partiality.” But immediately thereafter,this stricture addressed to masters appears:“Masters,treat your slaves justly and fairly,for you know that you also have a Master in heaven”(Col 4:1).Although the injunctions to masters and slaves in some of Paul's letters reflect aspects of the social structure of the churches he addressed,it is natural to wonder whether in this case he had Onesimus and Philemon in mind.Given his stress on justice and fairness regarding slaves,one can reasonably argue that while Paul understood societal conventions and social groupings,he saw some of them ultimately as antithetical to Christian fulfillment through the koinwni"a(koinonia)relationship made possible in Christ,as Col 3:11 and Gal 3:28 dramatically declare.

<Page 899 Ends><Page 900 Begins>

REFLECTIONS

1.Pastoral or ecclesiastical authority based on church law is often used as a warrant and resource in dealing with church problems.However,the more Christlike and creative approach calls for the spirit of persuasiveness,conditioned by love;and this usually yields a more peaceable and long-lasting harvest of harmony.

2.It is the work of divine grace to make “unprofitable” persons profitable.When apprehended by a sense that God's favor is being personally felt and known,every person can be changed into someone whose life offers profit(beneficial fruit)to God and to others.This is the triumph of Christ,his very reason for coming into the world;but it happens only through his “begetting” work in our lives.

Those who have been “born anew” must show others what that new birth means and can effect in everyday,practical terms.The highest and noblest service we believers can render is to reach beyond established barriers of human separation,social class,and ethnicity and touch the lives of persons who are considered “different” and “unprofitable” and,like Paul,help them in Christ to become “useful.” However wasted anyone's life may seem to be,that person must never be written off.God's grace can intercept us,intervene in our particular situations,inspire hope in our hearts,and bring about needed change in our lives.There is a purpose for the life of each and all,and there is a service to be rendered by each of us in this world.

3.Written as a personal request,the Letter to Philemon could be considered a missive of “limited application.” But in the light of the social problems of slavery and the repercussions of its existence and support in the centuries since Paul's day,the concern Paul expressed in this brief letter must be understood and valued as more than an ancient and isolated issue.The important theme in the letter was never highlighted in any of the great theological debates of the ancient church.Divine providence was at work in preserving this letter,for it speaks more forcefully in these later times to us,perhaps,than it did in the first century CE to Philemon,its initial primary reader.

Paul sent Onesimus,a runaway slave,back to his master,Philemon.Many modern readers bristle at Paul's action.They are influenced by modern notions of freedom and an abhorrence of all systems that delimit and circumscribe human dignity.Why did Paul not provide Onesimus with continued refuge?And why did he not overtly condemn the system of slavery within the Roman Empire at that time?

One explanation offered is that Paul did not view slavery as a wrongful institution.Being a Roman citizen,and hence someone who enjoyed the privileges associated with that social boon,he accepted the empire's customs and social systems as a given,and hence he felt no need,even as a Christian,to oppose slavery.

Another explanation put forward defends Paul's deed of returning Onesimus to Philemon by appealing to Paul's apocalyptic views as expressed in 1 Cor 7:29a,31b.It suggests that because of Paul's view that “the appointed time has grown short” and that “the present form of this world is passing away,” he was tolerant of the slavery system and content to live with it,informed by an interim-ethic.However,it must be pointed out that apocalyptic concerns have often served as a catalyst for radical action and protest,both within the Old Testament period and in New Testament times.

There is another more sensible way to answer the question,and it forms an explanation based on three pieces of evidence:this very letter to Philemon,Paul's steady emphasis on freedom in his writings,and a statement in 1 Cor 7:21.All of these passages underscore the personhood of slaves and thus grant us fresh perspective for viewing the socioeconomic arrangement of the master/slave relationship.When Paul made his plea to Philemon to “receive 

<Page 900 Ends><Page 901 Begins>

 [Onesimus,now converted]back no longer as a slave but more than a slave,a beloved brother”(v.16),it should be forcefully clear that Paul wanted Philemon to honor their new tie as Christians above and beyond any legal demands.Their relationship was to be conditioned by love,not law,now that they were linked by faith,and not fealty.

Surely Paul must have sensed what this stipulation could mean in the long run and on an even wider scale,not only within but also beyond the household of Philemon.Paul's action here was that of a!0 ambassador,which is how he earlier described himself(v.9).In returning Onesimus to Philemon,Paul used a form of diplomacy that appears to ignore one aspect of the slavery problem while offering his rationale for a new social arrangement that would in time effect a deeper concern and wider results.

4.In the Declaration of Independence of the United States,the first among the truths held and listed as “self-evident” are these:“that all men are created equal,that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.”(Interestingly,at the time these truths were declared in writing,the Negro slave was not included,being viewed,rather,as but “three-fifths” of a person!)The full truth is this:Every person is unique and of worth because every person is made in the image of God;so human relations are fundamental and crucial.We who preach and teach must be leading examples and instruments of God's will in reaching out to people,in regarding each and all,in responding to acknowledged need,and in working steadily for the human good of all.

Unlike Paul's setting,which was dominated by Rome's monolithic,worldwide system of rule,our surroundings are smaller pockets of organized life within which our voices and votes and personal vision can have some impact.Paul was a significant actor within the world of his time,and his wit and will brought results far beyond his calculation and time.We who serve “the present age” must look to the same Lord for guidance in meeting the demands of our time and place.Paul was convinced that God's “plan for the fullness of time,[is]to gather up all things in[Christ]”(Eph 1:10).Our rightful work falls within that plan,and it is ours to serve our Lord with faith,courage,and commitment.While mindful that human servants can never bring in God's kingdom,we—like Paul—must work in this world with kingdom values informing and influencing our lives and deeds.

<Page 901 Ends><Page 902 Begins>

PHILEMON 21-22

PAUL'S EXPECTATION TO VISIT

COMMENTARY

Paul was intent to do all within his power to reconcile Philemon and Onesimus.The apostle volunteered to remove any stumbling blocks to that desired end,and his letter spells out his role in the process.With Onesimus having been sent back to him,the rest would be up to Philemon.Paul asserted,doubtless for Philemon's encouragement,that he was “confident of[Phi-

lemon's]obedience”(v.21),presumably to the dictates of Christian love,and that he expected Philemon to “do even more” than he had suggested.

Paul may have hoped that,once Philemon and Onesimus were reconciled,Onesimus might be released by Philemon to assist Paul in ministry.The slave was now “a beloved brother” who had proved to be “indeed useful”;his service was viewed by Paul as a possible further expression of Philemon's generosity(through Onesimus's manumission?).Onesimus could by mutual agreement be of service to Paul(in Philemon's place)during the apostle's imprisonment(see v.13).

Paul expected eventually to be freed from prison and,therefore,expresses his hope to visit Philemon.Thus the second and last request made in the letter:“One thing more—prepare a guest room for me,for I am hoping through your prayers to be restored to you”(v.22).The apostle was eager to visit Philemon and the believers at Colossae.This request reflects a more relaxed mood on Paul's part,but it also reflects his knowledge about Philemon's resources as a householder with the means to provide hospitality and support for guests at times of need.It is interesting that in reporting that he expects “to be restored to you,” Paul returns to the plural for the first time since v.3.This might well imply his recognition that Apphia—or even the entire membership of the house church—should also be informed of his plan to visit.Meanwhile,he lives in hope(ejlpi"zw elpizo)for this event,trusting their prayers,along with his own,to be fulfilled in God's time.

<Page 902 Ends><Page 903 Begins>

PHILEMON 23-25

CONCLUDING WORDS AND BENEDICTION

COMMENTARY

The list of persons who sent greetings along with Paul is instructive,and their appearance in this letter provides a clue regarding the location of Philemon and his house church.Epaphras,mentioned first as Paul's “fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus”(v.23),would surely have known Philemon at close range,since he was from Colossae(see Col 1:7-8;4:12-13).Described as a “fellow prisoner,” which should be understood literally,Epaphras was no doubt serving as a personal attendant to Paul,perhaps quartered with him along with the soldier holding authority over Paul.The kind of custody Paul experienced as a Roman citizen allowed him freedom to “conscript” volunteers to serve his outside interests while confined himself.It is possible that by adding “in Christ Jesus” to the description,Paul is really describing Epaphras as standing in close relation to him as a slave would be;a personal slave would have a freedom of access to an imprisoned “master” that others,even close friends,could not share.18 Epaphras's role as a personal attendant,then,was something different in kind or extent than Timothy's,who is referred to as “our brother”(v.1),while Mark,Aristarchus,Demas,and Luke are described as “my fellow workers”(v.23).

Mark,here,is the same John Mark of the book of Acts(see Acts 12:12,25;15:37,39;Col 4:10;2 Tim 4:11;1 Pet 5:13),and it is likely that the Aristarchus mentioned here is the same person spoken of in Acts 19:29;20:44;27:2;and Col 4:10.If the view is accepted that the Letter to Philemon was written from Rome,then one can harmonize the data in Acts and Colossians to locate Aristarchus with Paul during Paul's imprisonment there,and thus relate Colossians and Philemon as having been written at about the same time.Demas,also mentioned elsewhere as being among Paul's circle of workers(Col 4:14;2 Tim 4:10),joined Paul,Luke “the beloved physician”(Col 4:14),and the others in a statement of greeting to Philemon as Paul prepared to close the letter.

The letter required no final instructions.Its message had been shared,its appeal made,and a confidence expressed that its purpose would be honored.So Paul concluded the letter with his customary,brief,but earnest,benediction:“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit”(v.25).F.F.Bruce,in his commentary on this letter,asked:“Was Paul's request granted?Yes;otherwise the letter to Philemon would not have survived.That it survived at all is a matter calling 

<Page 903 Ends><Page 904 Begins>

 for comment,but if Philemon had hardened his heart and refused to pardon and welcome Onesimus,let alone send him back to Paul,he would certainly have suppressed the letter.”20

REFLECTIONS

A close look at the names of those who joined Paul in his final greeting to Philemon brings to view some treasured members of the apostle's circle.Those names,and the histories connected with them,also provide evidence of Paul's charisma as a person and as a leader.

Paul's personality involved something contagious that went far beyond any limitations to his physical appearance.Based on a legendary account of how he looked—the account being so plain and unflattering that the legend seems to embody some truth—Paul was “a man small of stature,with a balding head and crooked legs,in a good state of body,with eyebrows meeting and nose somewhat hooked,full of friendliness.”20 That phrase “full of friendliness” tells much about how Paul was known as a person and as a leader.

Three among those named were Gentile Christians:Epaphras,Demas,and Luke;the other two were Hebrews.The New Testament records both their distinctiveness and their unity.Most important,they were vital and valued members of Paul's circle.They were with him because Paul was a dynamic,creative leader.

What were some of Paul's leadership traits?

(1)Paul led as he was being led:“Be imitators of me,as I am of Christ”(1 Cor 11:1).Enthralled by his Lord,that supreme person Christ Jesus,Paul was forever busy listening for Christ's voice,forever seeking to fulfill the vision laid out for his life by his Lord.Paul not only knew the name “Jesus,” but also he experienced the risen Jesus.

(2)Paul appreciated,recognized,and encouraged others.The many gracious compliments found in his letters are genuine,and not merely contrived.He was not making verbal backslaps with political ends in mind.Leaders of integrity,leaders who value people as persons,avoid the semblance of friendship.

(3)Paul always kept “the big picture” in view as he planned and worked.Even in this letter,something larger remains in view than the reconciling of Onesimus and Philemon,as essential as that was.Paul was eager to see the Christian enterprise move forward with greater effectiveness(see v.6).

(4)Paul knew how,when,and to whom to delegate responsibilities.He needed to enlist the help of others,to be sure,but he also trusted their help and complimented those who gave it.

(5)Paul observed protocol,doing what he sensed to be right at the right time and in the right way.

(6)Paul had goals and sought to reach them through strategic means:prayer,planning,and the help of others,providing honest and honorable incentives to those who assisted him.The Letter to Philemon well illustrates this.

(7)Paul's leadership was characterized by the servant-leader attitude.He was not self-centered.He aspired to live what Martin Buber referred to in another connection as an “unexalted life.”21 “Christ will be exlated now as always in my body,whether by life or by death”(Phil 1:20b).

<Page 904 Ends><Page 905 Begins>

 These were some of the traits Paul's circle of friends were familiar with as they followed his lead.Small wonder,then,that he remained so influential and that his coterie of workers remained so loyal.Paul had that personal “power” about which Ralph Waldo Emerson commented in one of his essays:“Who shall set a limit to the influence of a human being?There are[leaders],who,by their sympathetic attractions,carry nations with them,and lead the activity of the human race.”222323 While each of us has particular gifts with which to further the cause of Jesus Christ,we,too,would do well to follow Paul's lead as appropriate to our circumstances.

<Page 905 Ends><Page 906 Begins>

<Page 906 Ends><Page 907 Begins>

SUSANNA

VERSES 1-64

                                   <Page 171 Ends><Page 174 Begins>

COMMENTARY

The story of Susanna stands in some of the Greek versions as the first of the Daniel stories,before the Hebrew Daniel 1,but after chapter 12 in others.The motivation to place the story before the Daniel 1 was undoubtedly because Daniel is portrayed as a very young man(who is wise beyond his years)in this story.

There are significant differences between the style of the story of Susanna and the Hebrew/Aramaic stories in Daniel 1–6(the non-miraculous 

                                   <Page 174 Ends><Page 175 Begins>

form of deliverance,the internal Jewish matters,among others).Further,Susanna differs from the other two additional works included in the Greek canon of the book of Daniel mainly because of its focus on the subjects of women,sexual abuse,and internal corruption in the Jewish community.

It is often suggested that even though the story of Susanna is considered the most sophisticated and well-developed of the three additions to Daniel(the Song of the Three,for example,seems a hodgepodge of literary styles;Bel and the Dragon are clearly two separate stories),it was rejected by those rabbis who determined the canon because the court procedure was improper23 and because the authority of elders is seriously questioned(especially in the LXX version).It can be argued,however,that there are important reasons why it is significant that Susanna appears in the Daniel collection.First,it presents a female model of courage in a community that needs all of its resources and in which all persons share the threat of political exile and occupation.Second,Susanna includes a significant criticism of internal communal corruption,similar to that found in Ezra and Nehemiah,where it is also directed against corrupt or corruptible leaders of the community.Furthermore,the story of Susanna gives us an interesting episode in the life of the young Daniel,the legendary hero.

Many theories have been suggested for the origin of the story.These include that it was a midrash on the evil prophets mentioned in Jeremiah 29;a late polemic between Pharisees and Sadducees on court procedure;and a folk tale that exhibits well-known themes in folklore,such as the wisdom of the elders overturned by a child.24 No single view,however,has commanded wide agreement.While Susanna is a tale that has clear similarities with the themes of Daniel 1–6,there is nothing within the story that allows a clear date or even a sociopolitical context for the Jewish community that treasured and maintained this story as a part of its religious lore.

The story of Susanna affords us the opportunity to raise questions that have not previously arisen in the study of the book of Daniel—most important,the issue of women’s rights and place in society.Indeed,besides Susanna there is only one other significant woman in the entire Daniel corpus:the queen mother,who makes her appearance in Daniel 5.There seems little evidence that Susanna was written with any aspect of the queen mother in mind as the “other woman” of the Daniel tradition.But was Susanna written with Daniel even in mind?Some scholars wonder whether Daniel originally had a role at all in an earlier form of the Susanna legend—perhaps references to him being added only when the story was made a part of the Daniel tradition at about the time of its translation into Greek(c.100 BCE).

However,this account of life in the exilic community from a woman’s perspective gives us the opportunity to consider a Jewish woman as doubly a symbol of resistance—both to the oppression of exile and to male domination within the Jewish community—and as a model of the kind of spiritual tenacity necessary for faithful resistance in circumstances of exile or occupation.It seems hard to deny that Susanna as a woman within Jewish society is meant to mirror the Jew in foreign society.She is called to resist oppression within that society as the Jews were generally called to resist oppression from outside.Her resistance,her ability to speak truth to power,is honored in this story,as well as the young Daniel’s clever courtroom technique in defending her.

Mieke Bal has asserted that there is a “dominant reading” of biblical texts and interpretative strategies that is “a monolithically misogynist view of those biblical stories wherein female characters play a role,and a denial of the importance of women in the Bible as a whole.”25 Part of this dominant reading,according to Bal,is to dismiss certain aspects of texts and stories that seem to be “meaningless details,” particularly where women are concerned.But attention to such details may have the effect of inverting previous perspectives.Such an analysis of the Susanna story,for example,has been provided by both Bal and Glancy,who focus important attention on Susanna as a woman whose actions are interpreted according to her “appearance” to the “male 

                                   <Page 175 Ends><Page 176 Begins>

gaze.”26 Another way that one can become attuned to such details is through a survey of the literature on violence against women.This commentary will have occasion to relate the study of Susanna to feminist and other sociological studies of rape and violence against women.27

Glancy notes that Susanna is largely the passive victim and the crime that stands “behind” the story is violation of possessions and honor of men—in this case Joakim the husband.Brownmiller argues that male possession laws are the foundation for most modern rape laws in Western society in that rape “was first and foremost a violation of male rights of possession,based on male requirements of virginity,chastity,and consent to private access as the female bargain in the marriage contract.”28

Similarly,then,Glancy notes the intriguing symmetry between Susanna,the “violated wife,” and Joakim’s privileged garden:

What is at stake in the story is not Susanna’s physical well-being as she is threatened with rape and death but the honor of Joachim’s household.When garden and wife are closed against intruders,Joachim’s honor is secure.When the garden is open to intruders,or if the wife is open to a young lover,the entire household is ashamed,its honor lost.29

Glancy is surely correct in her insistence that modern readers often go along with the assumption of the story that the crime is attempted seduction rather than attempted rape—mainly because the modern reader is also beguiled by Susanna’s reputed beauty.Seduction seems,from such a reading,“natural” or “normal.” As Glancy puts it,the narrative of Susanna “relies on a code that represents femininity in terms of ‘to-be-looked-at-ness.’ ”30 Is it an overstatement to call what happens to Susanna rape?The elders,as we shall see,do not physically force themselves upon her.But the difficulty with calling their actions “seduction” is that this term does not adequately express the unequal power dynamics between Susanna and two respected(male)leaders of the community.While their confrontation may not have involved physical contact,in a real way it was overpowering to Susanna and would be referred to in modern terms as sexual harassment with important power dynamics involved.Brownmiller comments:

All rape is an exercise in power,but some rapists have an edge that is more than physical.They operate within an institutionalized setting that works to their advantage and in which a victim has little chance to redress her grievance.31

Given these dynamics,it is important to proceed with an assumption that we are dealing with what ought to be interpreted as attempted rape.

Glancy’s analysis also alerts us to the significance of “seeing,” “gazing,” and “staring” in this story.The reader is invited to imagine the beauty of the bathing Susanna,for example,and thus to relate to the gaze of the hidden elders,who “burn with lust.” Significantly,Daniel catches the deceit of the elders precisely on what they have done,and not on what they have seen.The focused attention of the criminal elders on Susanna is so intent on the attempted rape of her that they give no thought to anything else.

Finally,there is the curious reversal of roles for the figure of Daniel.Susannah is celebrated in this story as the persecuted Jew—persecuted by fellow Jews no less than by the Babylonians—and it is Daniel who assumes the role of the God-sent savior.Indeed,one would have to say that Daniel assumes the role of the angelic messenger—the God-sent salvation in virtually all the other Daniel stories.All of these details will be discussed at more length in the following analysis.

Verses 1-4,Introduction and Setting Among the Babylonian Exiles.The first character to whom the reader is introduced in this story is Joakim,the husband of Susanna.32 He is among the exiles in Babylon,but is apparently 

                                   <Page 176 Ends><Page 177 Begins>

rather well situated.The text describes him as rich,possessing a home with a fine garden.That Joakim is described as having married Susanna and built his fine home while in exile may well be a nod in the direction of Jeremiah’s advice in his letter to exiles that they marry and build houses(and plant gardens)so that their numbers will not decrease while in exile(see Jeremiah 29).

We know from the book of Ezekiel(chaps.14 and 20)that elders met in Ezekiel’s home for important gatherings,much as the writer of Susanna reports the elders’ meeting in the home of Joakim.While this detail may be dependent on sources such as Ezekiel,there is reason to believe that it was a significant memory of the sociological circumstances of the Babylonian exiles.This form of limited self-governance in exile is an important indicator that not only were the exiles able to maintain a familiar form of governance,but also that they settled in large enough groups to make this a viable social form.33

The Greek term used for Joakim’s garden(paradeisov" paradeisos)is a Persian loan word from which we also get the English word “paradise”(see 2 Chr 33:20;Neh 2:8).There is another term that generally refers to a small garden(a vegetable garden?see Neh 3:16,26).When this term is used together with the Greek term for a “paradise”(Eccl 2:5;Sir 24:30-31),it gives the reader the impression that the “paradise,” in contrast to the smaller garden,is a large area kept in a somewhat natural state of beauty.Note that the Garden of Eden is called a “paradise.”

It is significant that Susanna is described as being both beautiful and God-fearing.Is the reader meant to understand that these attributes go together or that they are traits that somehow balance each other?Is feminine beauty a potential danger in a male-oriented reading of these verses?It is not unusual for matriarchs of Israel to be described as beautiful(the description of Sarah[Gen 12:14]and Rachel[Gen 29:17]use the same Greek terms;see also 1 Sam 25:3;2 Sam 11:2;Ezek 16:13;Jdt 8:7).This very beauty,however,is taken almost inevitably as a foreshadowing of trouble(see Tob 3:14-15;6:12).In her  work on rape and violence against women,Susan Brownmiller notes the frequency with which rape cases are reported in the media with a comment about the “beauty” of the victim:

The murder of a beautiful young woman is no more regrettable,no greater tragedy,than the murder of a plain one,except in a culture that values beauty in women above other qualities.By putting greater store in the murder of a beauty,beauty acquires the seeds of its own destruction...thus the myth that rape is a crime of passion touched off by female beauty is given great credence,and women are influenced to believe that to be raped,and even murdered,is a testament to beauty.34

In contrast to,or in connection with,this beauty,Susanna “fears the Lord.”

The phrase used to describe Susanna as one who “feared the Lord” brings this text into an interesting relation with Sirach.The importance of “fear of the Lord” is repeated frequently in Sirach(Sir 1:13-14;2:7-9;6:16;10:19-20;21:6;32:16;34:14,16),suggesting a possible relationship between the writer of Susanna and the wisdom tradition in late post-exilic Israel.Susanna,in short,practiced the way of the wise.Many readers,however,regard Sirach as blatantly misogynist(see Sir 25:16-26;26:5-12;42:9-14),so one must carefully note the contrasting positive view of a woman in Susanna.In short,one can make too much of wisdom connections(as has occurred frequently since such a suggestion was originally made by von Rad).35 Furthermore,it is noted that Susanna’s parents raised her in the knowledge of the law of Moses.This mention of the law of Moses is rather unique(and not present in the LXX version),but here in Susanna it serves as one piece of an important frame;the parents will be mentioned again in v.62.

Verses 5-6,Introduction to the Corrupt Elders.Two elders are singled out and are introduced as being newly appointed judges.Verse 5 also features an unknown prophetic saying that is often related to Jer 23:14-15 and to the accusation against!1 elders in Jer 29:21-23.

The Greek term used here for “wickedness”(ajnomi"a anomia)is used to translate a variety of Hebrew words that are rendered in English 

                                   <Page 177 Ends><Page 178 Begins>

variously as “sin,” “transgression,” and “iniquity.” Judgment is expressed against elders in Isa 3:14 and 9:15,and such leaders of the people were certainly vilified by Ezra(Ezra 10:14).The internal issues of wickedness suggest that Susanna was written in the Hellenistic era at a time when internal factions among the Jewish people began to tear apart the community and divide it into mutually antagonistic parties(a situation well established by the beginning of the New Testament era).It is this internal emphasis that gives Susanna its unique context in the rest of the book of Daniel.

Verses 7-12,The Lust of the Elders.Susanna takes daily walks in Joakim’s garden—a detail that is essential to the development of the story.As she walks,she is seen by the two elders,who seeing her “desire” her(the term ejpiqumi"a[epithymia]is used for “covet” in Exod 20:17 LXX).The term epithymia runs throughout the story(vv.8,11,14,20,56)and is a significant term that appears in wisdom tradition as well.According to Sirach,one is to “desire” wisdom and avoid the cheap lust of foolishness(Sir 16:1;24:19).Consider also the wisdom context of the advice offered in 4 Maccabees:

Self-control,then,is dominance over the desires[epithymia].Some desires are mental,others are physical,and reason obviously rules over both.(4 Macc 1:31-32 NRSV)

And why is it amazing that the desires of the mind for the enjoyment of beauty are rendered powerless?It is for this reason,certainly,that the temperate Joseph is praised,because by mental effort he overcame sexual desire.(4 Macc 2:1-2 NRSV)

Verse 9 contains an interesting interrelation of phrases and ideas.The elders do three things:(1)suppress their consciences;(2)turn away their eyes from heaven;and(3)forget their duty to administer justice.The term used in the first phrase,“suppressed” or “perverted,” is common in wisdom literature(see Prov 6:14;10:9;11:20;Sir 19:25;22:23).Perversion of judgment is also known in prophetic literature(see Isa 59:8;Mic 3:9;Hab 1:4).

The phrase “to look into heaven” is not common in the Bible,but similar ideas certainly occur.The book of Isaiah contains a call to vigilance for God’s near deliverance(Isa 51:6)and describes Hezekiah as being weary from “looking into heaven”(Isa 38:14).Similarly Daniel “looked up” from fasting when he turned to God(Dan 10:5).Isaiah 33:15 suggests that people who survive God’s judgment are those who “shut their eyes from looking on evil.” Presumably,then,the phrase is a way to talk about trusting in God,and turning away from heaven is seen as the equivalent of the other two phrases in the verse.Moore notes,incidentally,that “heaven” could also be a replacement for “God” as is the case in the New Testament use of “kingdom of heaven” instead of “kingdom of God.”36 In general,the context reminds the reader of prophetic condemnation of the leaders of the Jewish community.

Verse 12 brilliantly establishes the importance of the “gaze,” a dark sense of watching,in this story.The specific term used here is also used in Ps 37:12,where it is translated into English as:“The wicked plot against[or “watch for opportunities against”]the righteous,and gnash their teeth at them”(NRSV).Note that the wicked also “watched” Daniel to accuse him in Dan 6:12.In the story of Susanna,this gaze is intensified.

Verses 13-14,The Plot Is Set.When,in v.13,the two elders discover each other heading back to look once again upon the beauty of Susanna,these!1 judges ply their trade on each other!They “examine” each other with the acumen of lawyers and discover the truth about themselves.They agree to keep each other’s secret,and thus the second act of secrecy appears in the story(the first being the unnoticed watching of Susanna by these same elders,a watching that led to their taking their eyes off heaven).Throughout the story,secrecy is contrasted with openness,as the lustful gaze is contrasted with “seeing” in the sense of knowing the truth.The elders,however,now work in collusion.Brownmiller comments on modern cases:

When men rape in pairs or in gangs,the sheer physical advantage of their position is clear-cut and unquestionable.No simple conquest of man over woman,group rape is the conquest of Men over Women.It is within the phenomenon of group rape,stripped of the possibility of equal combat,that the male ideology of rape is most strongly evident.Numerical odds are proof of brutal intention.They are proof,too,of male bonding...and proof of a desire to humiliate the victim beyond the act of rape through the process of anonymous mass assault.37

                                   <Page 178 Ends><Page 179 Begins>

Verses 15-27,The Main Events of the Story.The main events of the story must begin with the elders’ secret entrance into the garden(a third act of secrecy).The writer does not specify when and how these men enter the garden,only that they are there when Susanna prepares to bathe.With the mention of Susanna’s bath,the reader is reminded of David’s walk on the roof of his palace and his lust for Bathsheba as he gazed on her bathing(2 Samuel 11).Like Susanna as well,Bathsheba is described as beautiful.Collins cites a number of other cases in Jewish tradition of men who are filled with desire when watching women bathe.38 The LXX does not include the bath scene at all,however,but instead related that the elders desire her merely from watching her on her occasional walks in the garden.

Unlike David,whose position and power did not necessitate hiding,the elders watch Susanna in secret.Since the elders are in hiding,the maids who attend Susanna do not see them,and so the maids innocently shut the doors of the garden,leaving only the two elders and Susanna in the garden without further witnesses.At the moment the doors are shut the elders become like David.They now have the power of the male over the female,of an elder over a young person,and of judges within the community.

In vv.19-21,the elders speak as if Susanna can freely choose whether to comply with their desires—but she is not free.It is,rather,an act of coercion.Moore points out that the LXX is much stronger in the insistence of the elders and their initial approach to Susanna—suggesting rape.39 If Susanna is unwilling to have sexual intercourse with each of them,then the judges will use their powerful weapon of!1 accusation—the word of a trusted official over a mere woman.False accusation by the powerful was the same weapon used against Daniel(Dan 6:25).It is worth pausing to reflect on the fact that!1 accusation is a threat only when there is an unequal distribution of power.Susanna’s word is not equivalent to the word of the two male judges.Moreover,there are two of them to dispute Susanna’s accusations—two is the required number of witnesses for a capital case(Deuteronomy 19).

In vv.22-23,Susanna knows that she is threatened with being given over “into the hand” of her oppressor.Daniel,too,suffered the threat of being “in the hand” of his oppressor(Dan 3:15;cf.Deut 7:24;32:39;2 Kgs 18:29-30,33-35;Jer 21:12;Dan 11:41;Mic 4:10).

When faced with such overwhelming power over her,Susanna responds with the cry of the oppressed,“with a loud voice”(v.24;see also vv.42 and 60).Susanna thereby also fulfills Deut 22:24,which states that if a woman is threatened with rape within the city(that is,where she could be heard)she must call out;otherwise,she is suspected of complicity.40 The same Greek term used here is used of the Jews crying out from the oppression of Pharaoh(Exod 2:23;14:10 LXX),and it is the same “weapon” used by Hagar in the wilderness,when she cries out to God(Gen 21:16),who delivers her.Similarly,the Jews cry out for mercy from the king in 3 Macc 5:51.This is not to suggest,however,that this outcry is a special or unique term,but the recurrence of the theme is hardly coincidental.To call out with a loud voice occurs in other important contexts as well.In Num 20:16,the call of the people in slavery is answered by God’s “sending an angel”(an obviously intriguing passage in the context of angelic deliverance in the Daniel tradition);and in Deut 26:7,the call is directed to the “God of our ancestors,” a term noted in the Song of the Three(see also Jdt 4:9,12;5:12;Ezek 11:13,where Ezekiel pleads with God not to bring an end to the people).

But as Susanna cries out to God,the elders cry out to the other Jews.The elders make their accusation at this point in Theodotion,but in the LXX,they do not make their accusation public until the tribunal has been gathered.She has presented her fate to the only power that she now has:the delivering power of truth and,ultimately,of God.So Susanna joins Daniel and Mishael and Hananiah and Azariah,among many others,in becoming a model of piety and trustfulness in the context of exile and apparent defeat.

In response to Susanna’s cries,the people in the house come to “see.” But they do not see; 

                                   <Page 179 Ends><Page 180 Begins>

they only know what the elders tell them.Curiously,it is not said that Susanna tries to tell another version of the events at this point in the story.She is calm before her accusers.The elders’ version of the story is believed instantly;Susanna’s youth and femininity(and beauty?)disqualify her immediately in the face of the older male judges.Even the servants are ashamed of her.

Verses 28-33,The Humiliation of the Oppressed.It is only at this point in the story that we hear of Susanna’s children.When summoned to appear before the judges,Susanna comes with her parents,husband,and children.Although in the Theodotion text the husband is not mentioned specifically(Did he refuse to risk humiliation?),he is noted in the LXX version.Furthermore,as Collins points out,it is significant that they gather back at the house of Joakim—that is,the scene of the crime—so that they can all see the trees about which Daniel will soon question the “witnesses.”41 Why is the family included at this point?Is it because it is precisely the integrity of the family that is at issue here?In circumstances of exile and occupation and colonization,family takes on heightened importance.Memmi,for one,does not necessarily celebrate this fact,suggesting that the family becomes the only place where self-governing authority is still possible.42 But we know that the familial structure was economically important too.Hence the tremendous importance given to the crisis of intermarriage in Ezra–Nehemiah.43

In the Septuagint version of the book of Susanna,she is stripped before her accusers.The intention of the translators was probably to convey that she was stripped naked,at least to the waist.(Being stripped for adultery is attested in Ezek 16:37-39;Hos 2:3,10.)But there may be more going on here;Susanna has not even been adequately tried before this condemning act of stripping her is called for.The elders desire that Susanna be unveiled,so that they might “look” at her again.No reason is given for the order that Susanna be unveiled.Is her beauty supposed to be taken as further evidence against her by the court that has been called into session?Are we readers invited to be sympathetic to the elders’ lust because of her reputed beauty?Why do they demand this humiliation of her?The Greek terms used here are correctly rendered in English as “feast the eyes”(NRSV).The same complex term is used in Ps 78:29 in reference to being satiated,filled.The Old Greek adds the element of the elders’ lust in looking at her.Thus Susanna is not merely overpowered;she is to be humiliated(note the discussion of the humiliation of the defeated in the Commentary on Daniel 5). 

Verses 34-41,The Denunciation of Susanna.Verse 34 relates that the elders,rising to tell their stories,lay their hands on Susanna’s head.Is this a way of identifying the guilt of the accused?In Lev 3:2,8,13 and 4:4,11,15,the officiating priest lays his hand on the sacrificial offering,an action intended to transfer punishment of guilt.44 If this is!0,then once again her guilt is presumed in their first act,before they even begin to tell their version of the events.

For the significance of “looking into heaven,” see Commentary on v.9.Here,Susanna’s looking to heaven means trusting in the Lord.To trust in the Lord is an important post-exilic expression for faithfulness.God,according to Nebuchadnezzar,delivered servants who “trusted in him”(Dan 3:28)since no harm came to Daniel in the lions’ den “because he had trusted in God”(Dan 6:23).Sirach teaches the reader to “consider the generations of old and see:has anyone trusted in the Lord and been disappointed?”(Sir 2:10 NRSV;see also 11:21;32:24;see also the trust in God noted in 2 Macc 8:18;3 Macc 2:4;4 Macc 7:21).In the post-exilic context,trusting in the Lord is clearly a concept related to the power of God to deliver in circumstances of overwhelming threat.Once again,the writer uses terminology that equates Susanna’s plight with the most serious of threats to Jews by foreigners in the book of Daniel and elsewhere.

The accusation brought against Susanna in vv.36-41a is adultery.The elders,so they claim,saw her lying with a young man,who escaped when the elders presented themselves to the young 

                                   <Page 180 Ends><Page 181 Begins>

couple in the course of sexual intimacy.The Greek terms used here make the sexual nature of this accusation clear(see Gen 19:5;39:10;and Jdt 12:16).In the Theodotion version,the alleged young man was too strong for the elders to restrain him,while in the LXX the young man escapes in disguise.In the Theodotion version,the elders claim to be overpowered,but in reality it is Susanna who is overpowered by the elders’ story.The judges are believed,and Susanna is convicted.The reader is invited to experience indignation at this injustice and to side with,if not identify with,the female against the authority of the male elders.

Verses 42-51,Susanna’s Cry and Daniel’s Arrival.Once again,Susanna is portrayed as the oppressed “crying out” to God.This is obviously an important theme in the story and,as the commentary has indicated,throughout the Bible—especially in the post-exilic period.But what is of further interest here is precisely what Susanna cries out.The phrase “O eternal God” is not widely attested in the Bible(Gen 21:33;Isa 26:4;40:28),but it is found rather extensively in the book of Daniel(Dan 3:33[v.100 of The Song of the Three];4:31[Theodotion];7:14,27;9:24;12:2).It appears to be the case that this is yet another of the ways of referring to God(“the living God,” “God of heaven,” etc.)that became popular in the period of exile and occupation.

A second interesting phrase in this prayer is the reference to God as the “knower of secrets” or the “one who knows things hidden”(author’s trans.).This aspect of God is of obvious importance in a story where evil and corruption have been associated with persons,ideas,and thoughts that are hidden.Truth will be a revelation in the sense that it will be released from its captivity at the hands of the powerful.Susanna knows their deceit,of course,and now finally protests her innocence(v.43).Susanna,once again,is similar to Daniel(see Daniel 6).

Verse 44 is deceptively short,but politically powerful:“The Lord heard her cry.” Compare the hearing of God in stories of two other women of Jewish history and lore:Hagar(Gen 21:12,17)and Judith(Jdt 4:13;8:17).In v.45,God’s action is to stir up trouble for human leaders once again—God’s resistance to human oppression and incompetence.Daniel,now in the role usually expected of an angelic messenger,is “stirred” by the Spirit of God(see Judg 5:12;Isa 51:9,17;52:1;Dan 7:4;11:25;12:2;2 Macc 13:4).

Daniel calls out,in prophetic tones,that he will not be a party to the shedding of innocent blood(cf.Jer 7:6 as a classic example of this phrase in prophetic literature;it is used extensively as an image of killing the innocent,especially God’s chosen messengers).Daniel describes the people as “fools.” Jeremiah,too,condemned his listeners as fools(Jer 5:21),and the image of the fool runs through Sirach as the antithesis to the godly,the pious,and the wise:“The mind of fools is in their mouth/but the mouth of the wise is in their mind”(Sir 21:26;see also Sir 4:27;8:17;16:23;21:14).

Daniel calls on the judges to judge properly.The witnesses have not been thoroughly examined.This is necessary in Jewish law,45 but is the reader to presume from the story that Daniel is reacting to the improper conduct of the trial or to some knowledge he possesses of the events that he has not yet revealed?Should the reader assume that Daniel was clever enough to sense something wrong about the elders’ story or that such knowledge comes with being “stirred” by God?Whatever the reason for Daniel’s coming to Susanna’s defense,the other elders recognize in him a wisdom beyond his years.46 Daniel is invited to come and to finally reveal what has been hidden from everyone but Susanna,the two corrupt judges,and Daniel himself.

Verses 52-59,The Examination of the Judges and the Truth Revealed.Daniel separates the two!1 judges,intending to examine each of them in turn.He requests that each judge be brought to him separately.What is interesting is that Daniel greets each of them with hostility. 

                                   <Page 181 Ends><Page 182 Begins>

The first is called “an old relic of wicked days.”47(Since the “day of adversity” is noted in Isa 50:9;51:6;Jer 16:19;and Amos 6:3,one may wonder whether “the evil days” that are referred to here are the days leading up to the exile.After all,it was a central tenet of deuteronomistic theology that the exile was brought on by the sins of the people,and the leaders particularly.)Daniel delivers a searing condemnation of the generation of the exile in words similar to those of Jeremiah or Isaiah.In v.53,Daniel lists the sins of leaders in a manner that is highly stylized in prophetic speech(see Isa 5:23;29:21;Jer 7:6;19:4;22:3,17)but is also noteworthy in wisdom literature(Prov 17:15;24:24). 

Verse 54 leaves no doubt that sexual impropriety/adultery is the accusation here(cf.the situation in Judith 12 that uses some of the same Greek terminology).Daniel’s asking the elder about what kind of tree under which this alleged sin took place allows for a clever wordplay in Greek.The type of tree the elder names is called sci’nov(schinos;NAB and NRSV,“mastic”),and Daniel follows this up with a condemnation that calls for the!1 witness “to be cut in two”,or sci"zw(schizo,v.55).Moore,interestingly,suggests that we maintain the wordplay even in English and,therefore,supplies “clove tree” and “cleave” in the first instance,and “yew” and “hew” in the second instance.48 It is also noteworthy that an angel appears as an agent of judgment in Daniel’s condemnation of the lying elder.49

Verse 56 mirrors the preceding questioning,this time of the second elder.Once again,Daniel meets the!1 witness with hostility,and once again the specific vocabulary of abuse is noteworthy:Daniel calls him a “son of Canaan”(NAB and NRSV,“offspring of Canaan”).Both Ezra 9:1 and Neh 9:8 use “Canaanite” as a term of derision,referring to the peoples traditionally conquered by Joshua at the Israelites’ entry into the land;by Ezra’s time,the term had long since ceased to be an accurate description of an actual,contemporary cultural/religious group.50 It is possible that Ezek 16:3 is intended to be a similar slur in the context of delivering a judgment.However,the use of “Canaan” as the name for the people who dwelled in Palestine before the Israelite settlement was common in the late Hellenistic literature(see Judith 5;Bar 3:22;1 Macc 9:37).Its use here,strikingly,seems to be intended as an ethnic slur.Again,in this accusation,lust is given the blame for leading the judge into sin.The wisdom associations of this idea have already been noted(it plays a role in the beginning of the story,v.14,and at the end,v.56),but note also that “corruption” also turns up at the beginning and ending(vv.9 and 56).There is a circular sense of “just rewards” in the story of Susanna;the lying,lustful elders are condemned for what they gave themselves up to in the beginning.

The contrast between the daughters of Israel and the daughters of Judah is quite interesting,although somewhat obscure.Are we to see in Daniel’s statement a reference to the well-known northern propensity to mix with Canaanite religious ideas on a scale supposedly not tolerated in the southern kingdom before the exile?Collins doubts this,because Susanna herself is called an Israelite earlier,and he suggests that perhaps the later Samaritan split is what is referred to here.51 This would be a post-exilic religious development in the Jewish community.The precise nature of the Samaritan split,however,is still quite controversial,52 so this must remain an enigmatic reference in the story.

When questioned about the kind of tree under which they witnessed Susanna’s “adultery” taking place,the second elder answers,“Under an evergreen oak”(v.58).The reader is struck by the difference in the testimony of the elders and joins the surrounding community,as if sitting in a modern courtroom,when they all come to know the truth of the matter.The second elder,too,is condemned by Daniel to face the executing angel of God,who stands ready with sword in hand.

Verses 60-64,Reaction and Conclusion.The people cry out,but this time in jubilation. 

                                   <Page 182 Ends><Page 183 Begins>

God is celebrated as the one who saves those who hope in God(see Pss 33:18;42:5,11;69:6;Sir 34:13;49:10;2 Macc 2:18;7:20;9:20;4 Macc 17:4).Verses 61-62 participate in the role-reversal that is typical of the Daniel stories—the guilty are condemned,and the innocent are vindicated.

Five verses seems a lot of text to dedicate to the happy ending of this story,but the passage serves to justify the conclusion that putting the world right and vindicating the innocent are extremely important aspects of the story.This is an idealistic ending—the restoration of the community under the law of Moses.And it is precisely these last five verses that represent the vision and the hope of the writer of the story of Susanna.

The LXX has a rather nice thought at the end:

On account of this,the youths are the beloved of Jacob,in their singlemindedness.Let us also watch out for capable young sons,for youths will be pious,and there will be in them a spirit of knowledge and understanding for ever and ever.53

Given Susanna’s courage,obviously we should amend this quotation to read that we should watch out for capable sons and daughters!Collins suggests that this ending has the tendency to focus the story on youth vs.elders,rather than Theodotion’s emphasis on the courage of Susanna.But we should note that the general themes of innocence,guilt,and truth are all seen as significant in the conclusion of the story.This should not distract the reader from the central elements of the story as a whole—that is,the oppression of the powerless by the powerful.

REFLECTIONS

Germaine Greer has suggested two categories of rape:“grand rape” and “petit rape.” The former is what we ordinarily associate with forcible rape.The latter,however,is a form of rape in which “the seducer in fact has some disproportionately unfair advantage over the woman.He need not threaten her,but it is his superior power which induces her to acquiesce against her will.”54 Clearly,the difference between seduction and rape is not so clear,especially in a case like that of Susanna.

Only when one reads literature on rape does one begin to realize how complicit one becomes in Susanna’s abuse by “understanding”(read:excusing)the near rape of her as just a symptom of the social circumstances of exile.Such a view diminishes Susanna’s suffering and marginalizes her as a possession of her husband and as a temptress(only because she is beautiful).But it is only when we understand the story about rape,when we confront the sobering impact of using the term itself,that the story actually unfolds with all its power as a part of the Daniel corpus about resistance.

Susanna is approached by two men who try to exert their influence,power,and authority over her.The distribution of power and choice is clearly weighted in favor of these elders.She must either give herself to them or face death as a falsely accused adulteress.Susanna’s courage,her turning to God in the face of overwhelming danger,is,therefore,the equivalent to Hananiah,Mishael,and Azariah standing before Nebuchadnezzar and refusing his command to bow down and pray to him.

The story of Susanna invites us to consider injustice within as well as outside of our religious life.Thus the context of exile is almost an ironic twist—as if to say to the reader,“The Babylonians aren’t the only sources of injustice here.” Finally,we must remember that the story is not only about the sin of the elders,but also about the corruptibility and foolishness of the entire exiled community.The elders are not the only fools identified by the young

                                   <Page 183 Ends><Page 184 Begins>

Daniel.The community in the story of Susanna is ready to judge her without a trial,and she is marched through a kangaroo court.The community,too,is showing signs of internal corruption and lack of fortitude.Daniel calls for solidarity as well as wisdom when he labels them fools for condemning “a daughter of Israel without examination and without learning the facts”(v.48 NRSV).Note,further,the enigmatic saying “This is how you have been treating the daughters of Israel,and they were intimate with you through fear;but a daughter of Judah would not tolerate your wickedness”(v.57 NRSV).It has been speculated that this verse refers to conditions before the exile,or perhaps to the Samaritan split(i.e.,Samaritans=north/Israelites).In at least one significant passage,“daughters” is a metaphor for the people as a whole.In Ezekiel 23,the northern kingdom,called Oholah(Samaria),and the southern kingdom,called Oholibah(Jerusalem),are condemned for having committed “adultery” with Assyria,Babylonia,and Egypt.If Daniel intends a similar metaphor,then the “daughters” are the people as a whole,corrupted by the “foreigners,” implied in his calling the corrupt elders “Canaanite”(v.56).Susanna’s treatment,then,is severely condemned by Daniel in terms that suggest that the elder’s behavior is equivalent to idolatrous behavior of the people as a whole in previous eras.

It is clear that Susanna goes through all the steps of the otherwise oppressed male Jews in the Daniel tradition:confrontation with an overpowering threat,calling out to God,angelic/miraculous delivery,and punishment of the accusers.Reflection on this detail calls on us to face a most uncomfortable reality in the modern church:We can become so wrapped up in the faith and justice issues of the world that we fail to address the insidious presence of injustice within our own fellowship. 

The continued second-class status of women within some churches,and particularly the continued refusal of some faith traditions to accept a woman’s call to equal leadership in ministry,is simply an acceptance of the world’s judgment of women,and it makes a mockery of the church’s claim to seek justice and the full expression of the kingdom of God within our world.55 Those who would continue such suppression and oppression,even in the church,ought to keep in mind that the story of Susanna emphasizes that “the Lord heard her cry”! 

                                   <Page 184 Ends><Page 185 Begins>

Acts 20:17-38,PAUL’S SPEECH OF SUCCESSION

                                 <Page 279 Ends><Page 280 Begins>

COMMENTARY

Paul’s speech to the Ephesian elders at Miletus brings to fitting conclusion his controversial mission to the city of Ephesus.Because it is his only speech addressed to believers,it carries paradigmatic value for the readers of Acts.We may insinuate what Paul says to the Ephesian elders into other stories in which Paul makes pastoral house calls to organize and encourage fledgling Christian congregations.His sermon topics concerning Christian leadership and character,in which he is exemplary,are particularly relevant themes of Paul’s ongoing mentoring ministry.

S.Walton has noted the centrality of the Miletus discourse to the ongoing debate over whether Luke used any of Paul’s letters when writing Acts.643 In contrast to Paul’s missionary speeches or legal briefs,this one addresses a pastoral setting similar to his letters,many of which convey similar concerns and interests.644 For this reason an analysis of this speech may prove to have special importance in understanding the relationship between the Paul of Acts and the Pauline letters.645 All the speeches of Acts are composed by Luke,and this one in particular is a piece of his finished portrait of Paul;however,its topics and theological conception are substantially Pauline,646 so much so that C.Hemer thinks it possible to consider it Luke’s précis of Paul’s actual words,of which Luke was an auditor.647 While the majority of modern commentators remain uncertain about whether Luke witnessed this event or had direct access to any of his letters,they concur that he at the very least used Pauline sources to compose a speech that substantially agrees with the Pauline letters in its portrait of Paul and presentation of his message.648 What must be added to this conclusion,however,is that Luke conveys an idealized representation of a canonical Paul whose Miletus

                                 <Page 280 Ends><Page 281 Begins>

message he intends to function as formative of Christian mission well into the future.649 

The question of the speech’s literary genre is also pertinent to any discussion of its wider role within the NT canon.There is virtual unanimity among commentators that this is Paul’s farewell speech,serving to publish his “last will and testament” to a gathering of close associates and friends.650 There is one problem with this consensus:Paul does not die in Acts.For this reason,I am inclined to consider this speech more narrowly as a “speech of succession,” occasioned by Paul’s departure from Ephesus when it is appropriate to charge newly appointed leaders to continue his work in his absence.In this sense,it functions within Acts in a manner similar to the opening narrative,where details of the apostolic succession of Jesus are given(see 1:3-14;also 12:1-17;cf.Luke 22:14-38;24:36-53).651 In that earlier story,Jesus prepares his apostles for their future ministry in light of his departure(1)by reviewing and interpreting his past suffering,proofs of his resurrection(cf.20:7-12),and his message of God’s kingdom(see 1:3);(2)against the horizon of his future ascension/departure from them(1:2);(3)and in retrospect of John’s promise of the Spirit(1:4-5),(4)the Lord charges his apostles to bring a Spirit-empowered witness of him to restore Israel as a light to the nations(1:6-8).(5)The succession is completed with Jesus’ departure into the heavens(1:9-11).The purpose of Jesus’ final speech to his apostles is not to bid them farewell but to commission them for a future mission that continues what he has begun to do and to say as Messiah(see 1:1).652 

If the interpreter considers Paul’s Miletus speech and departure as roughly analogous in form and function to the Lord’s final speech to his apostles,then the following sketch of topics emerges(see below):653(1)Paul rehearses his past ministry,relating his suffering and testimony(20:18b-20)(2)against the horizon of his future departure from them(20:21-25)and(3)in retrospect of his ministry among them(20:26-27).(4)Paul then charges the Ephesian elders to care for the church of God(20:28-35).(5)The succession is completed with Paul’s departure from them(20:36-38).Paul’s purpose is pastoral preparation;his aim is to equip his successors to continue what he has begun to do and say in Ephesus,knowing that his departure from the city and its Christian congregation is now final(20:25).

These various literary and redactional conclusions point to the value of this speech in framing an approach to Paul’s epistolary witness.What the Paul of Acts says to his successors in Asia forms a rhetorical ethos that cultivates the living reader’s confidence in his exemplary persona and trustworthy instruction and has lasting importance for the church catholic in every generation.By extension,then,if the Paul of Acts has lasting importance as the spiritual exemplar and theological mentor of God’s people,then the Pauline letters supply his theological primer and personal testimony to their living readers who are confident of his lasting importance in their Christian formation.In this regard,the themes of his speech suggest touch-points with his letters that help to fashion a coherent theological understanding of their collective witness to “the whole counsel of God”–for example,faithful and humble leadership,costly suffering of consecrated service to God,congregational welfare over personal gain,threats against the church.654 

Paul’s discourse also concerns those who are responsible for transmitting and interpreting his legacy to others in his absence.His previous mission in Ephesus laid a foundation,and his gospel defined its theological boundaries;yet,this deposit of God’s grace is under constant threat,and spiritual vigilance is required of those who are custodians of it.These Pauline inheritors are charged to imitate their mentor’s faithfulness no matter the cost,without which his precious legacy has no future.By extension,if the Pauline letters are the textual precipitate of Paul’s legacy,then their future in the church is predicated on faithful interpreters who firmly embrace Paul’s testimony to

                                 <Page 281 Ends><Page 282 Begins>

God’s grace and imitate his faithful service to God’s calling.The responsibility of interpreting Paul for the next generation of believers is no longer a matter of casting lots or of holding ecclesial office,but of good character and orthodox belief in faithful imitation of Paul.

20:17-18a. This brief introduction to the speech sets its stage and tone:Paul “sent a message”(metakalevw metakaleo)to Ephesus asking that the “elders[presbuvteroi presbyteroi]of the church” meet with him in Miletus.Luke assumes that a council of elders leads in the formation of Christian congregations from the very beginning of the mission to the nations(see 11:30;14:23;15:6;16:4).The use of metakaleo suggests that this is a meeting according to God’s plans,which gives it an air of importance(see 10:32). 

20:18b-27. The first half of Paul’s speech to the Ephesian elders concentrates their attention on his legacy.It is enclosed by an apologia of his past ministry at Ephesus,which he characterizes as faithful both to his prophetic calling(vv.18b-21)and to his congregants(vv.26-27).Sandwiched between is a prophecy of his future suffering in Jerusalem(vv.22-24)and an assertion on this basis that he will not return to Ephesus(v.25).

20:18b-21. In a single Greek sentence,the Paul of Acts defends his Asian mission,centered in Ephesus,in two integral movements.The first appeals to the entire body of evidence of “how I lived among you”(cf.1 Thess 2:1-2;5:10-11;Phil 4:15)–a life characterized by humble service to the Lord and by costly endurance of “the plots of the Jews”(v.19;cf.2 Cor 1:3-11).While testimony of his “humility”655 reflects Paul’s commentary on his inward affections(cf.2 Cor 10:1;11:7;1 Thess 2:6),the appeal to consider his suffering,which resulted from various plots against him,is more empirical and invites his auditors to evaluate the hard evidence in his favor.The reader too can participate in this review by recalling the narrative of his Ephesian mission in consideration of Paul’s struggles there(see 19:8-10;20:3;cf.20:33-34).

The second broad movement concerns the disposition of his pastoral obligations to the Ephesian church.Paul’s description of prophetic tasks performed is exemplary of Christian leadership for the church’s future;he will later recall these same images as characteristic of ministry that continues his legacy in his absence.He asserts that in general he “did not shrink from doing anything helpful.” On the one hand,Paul does not shrink from his calling to teach the congregations(“house to house”;see 15:16-17;cf.Rom 16:5;Phlm 21)his mission has founded–unlike Judas,for example,whose betrayal of Jesus was a repudiation of his divine appointment to care for the messianic community(1:16b-17).On the other hand,Paul does not shrink from the message he publicly proclaims “to Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus”(v.21;cf.Rom 10:8-13).Not only is there a practical apostasy that Paul avoids in his regular ministry among believing households;there is also a theological apostasy that Paul avoids in defending the truth claims of the gospel,which he summarizes by the Lukan catchwords “repentance” and “faith.”

20:22-24.The shift from apologia(retrospect)to prophecy(prospect)is signaled by the appearance of the phrase kai;nu`n ijdou`(kai nyn idou,“And now I...”).Even as Paul’s faithfulness is made evident by his costly devotion to the tasks of the prophet-like-Jesus,he is also faithful or “captive/compelled”(v.22)to/by what the “Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and persecutions are waiting for me”(v.23).Details of a particular revelation from the Spirit to Paul are not mentioned.In fact,he claims that he does not know what will happen to him in Jerusalem(cf.Rom 15:30-32).Commentators have long noted the parallelism between Paul’s prophecy and the Lord’s prediction of his passion in Jerusalem.While this is certainly characteristic of Luke’s typological shaping of his narrative and perhaps is a subtext of this part of Paul’s speech,the prophecy is still much too vague to assert that Paul’s final Jerusalem visit is of a type with the Lord’s.Paul did not die there,nor does he know what will happen to him there.

That he should expect suffering to await him in

                                 <Page 282 Ends><Page 283 Begins>

Jerusalem is no different from what he expects in every city,since the Lord prophesied that his mission would result in Paul’s suffering for his sake(see 9:15-16).This is the inevitable effect according to Acts of preaching a message that he characterizes as “the good news of God’s grace”(see 15:7-11).Further,it seems more likely that the compelling motive of Paul’s journey to Jerusalem is as a religious pilgrim in keeping with his observance of Jewish practices(see v.16)and not as a Christian martyr.While he can claim that he does not count his life of any value(v.24a;cf.2 Cor 4:7—5:10;6:4-10;Phil 1:19-26),the revelation to which he refers must be the vision in the Spirit that indicates that Rome is the city of his destiny(see 19:21).Only Paul and the readers of Acts know that it will be Rome,with a layover in Jerusalem,where Paul will “finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus”(v.24b;cf.1 Cor 9:24;Phil 3:8-13).

20:25. For these reasons,Paul’s statement of departure does not predict a Jerusalem “passion.” His emphatic assertion that none of them will ever see his face again must be understood in terms of his earlier vision of a new mission field in Rome,which therefore requires his departure from and a succession of his leadership in Asia.That his farewell concerns the Roman mission and not a Jerusalem passion is indicated by repetition of the central task of his prophetic vocation in Ephesus–“proclaiming the kingdom”(see 19:8)–and recalls Jesus’ paradigmatic prophecy about the inspired witness of his successors that includes teaching about God’s kingdom(see 1:3,6;14:22;28:23,31;cf.1 Cor 6:9-11;1 Thess 2:12;Col 1:13)at the “end of the earth”(see 1:8).

20:26-27. Paul concludes his personal reminiscence by again declaring that he did not shrink from his prophetic obligations in proclaiming the gospel in Ephesus(see v.20).The striking declaration that he “is not responsible for the blood of any of you”(v.26;cf.1 Thess 2:10)recalls his earlier indictment of unrepentant Jews in Corinth(see 18:6),which presumed that they no longer could excuse their rejection of God’s gospel on grounds of their ignorance of its claims and Scripture’s warrants.Paul’s preaching ministry has clarified God’s script of salvation’s history and so to refuse his message is to refuse God’s invitation.In this new setting in which Paul addresses believers the issue is not the salvation of his auditors but their assumption of Paul’s mission in Ephesus.Whether or not the foundation he has laid in that city continues to be built upon is no longer in his hands;his departure signals the official beginning of their own ministry in his absence.

The addition of a final summary of Paul’s gospel,“the whole purpose[boulhv boule]of God”(v.27;cf.Eph 1:11),delineates the theological boundaries of this ecclesial foundation.Elsewhere in Acts boule denotes God’s sovereign purpose that is worked out in the Messiah’s mission(see 2:22-23)and now in the church’s mission under the aegis of the Holy Spirit(see 4:28;5:38;13:36;cf.Gal 1:4;Eph 1:9,11).There is no Pauline teaching that deviates from God’s boule;therefore,Pauline teaching is “canonical” in congregations founded by him.The implication is that God views any deviation from his catechesis as apostasy and subversive of God’s scripted plans for salvation’s progress into the future of Ephesus.

20:28-35. The second half of Paul’s speech shifts from a description of his past and prophecy of his future to consideration of his succession in Ephesus by the elders of the church.He charges the elders(here called ejpivskopoi[episkopoi,“overseers”]without change of meaning)with their ministry in ever-vigilant expectation of coming dangers(vv.28-31).He goes on to exhort them to follow his and the Lord’s example of leadership within a community of goods that cares for the poor(vv.32-35).

20:28-31. Paul’s rehearsal of the dangers that will face the elders following his departure is enclosed by his charge for them to “keep watch[prosevcw prosecho]over yourselves and over all the flock”(v.28;see also 5:35b)and to “be alert”(grhgorevw gregoreo)to his pastoral example(v.31).The image of a shepherd watching over his flock is a familiar biblical metaphor of the leader’s provident care over Israel(cf.Exod 10:28;Deut 4:9;Ezek 14:11-12;Jer 23:2;Hos 5:1;Mic 5:4;John 10:11-16;21:17-17)of which the Paul of Acts is exemplary.He presumes their competence to do so because “the Holy Spirit has made you overseers,” which not only suggests the mediation of the Spirit’s power for ministry(see 1:8)but also the Spirit’s authorizing “mark” in their lives that others have recognized(see 6:3-4).

While the role of elders to pastor “the church of

                                 <Page 283 Ends><Page 284 Begins>

God” seems clear enough,it is confused by the following relative clause “he bought[peripoievw peripoieo]with his own blood[dia;tou` ai{mato" tou` ijdivou dia tou haimatos tou idiou],” which is obscure both in plain meaning and in its purpose in the speech.656 That God acquires(peripoieo)a people by saving them from destruction is a biblical idea and probably Paul’s meaning here(cf.Ps 74:2).But that God did so by means of God’s own blood is very difficult to understand theologically.A few commentators think that i[dio"(idios)connotes here a term of endearment for a near relative,or “one’s own”(=one’s own Son,so the NRSV).Others suggest that Luke combines fragments from two Pauline formulae about “the church of God” and “Christ purchases the church for God by his blood” but in a jumbled way.He may have been grammatically careless at this point because of his lack of theological interest in the efficacy of Christ’s blood in saving people from their sins.Even if Acts does include a theology of the cross elsewhere,it is clearly not of the robust variety found in the Pauline letters.657 In any case,the general sense of Paul’s vague phrase is that the church has extraordinary value for God and for this reason the elders must take their calling with utmost seriousness.

The ethos shaped by the inclusio of Paul’s charge to pastoral action is of a countercultural community whose beliefs and practices are set against the social norm–which is certainly in line with the preceding narrative of his controversial Ephesian mission.Paul recognizes that his departure will occasion a serious challenge to the purity of that ethos.Two potential dangers are noted:False teachers will come as “savage wolves” from the outside(v.29)and “from your own group” inside the flock of God(v.30).The catchphrase echoes the Lord’s reference to “savage wolves”(Matt 7:15;10:16;Luke 10:3;John 10:12),which connotes “false prophets” within Israel–teachers of Israel who reject the messianic word.The phrase has a similar meaning in Paul’s speech,except that now it is his proclamation about God’s kingdom that establishes a rule of faith that measures doctrinal purity within the church:The “savage wolf” is any teacher who distorts the truth of Pauline teaching(see 13:10;cf.Phil 2:15).

Paul’s warning of!1 teaching within the church is unusual in Acts.The repetition and variety of references to Paul’s teaching in this speech underscore the importance of theological purity in maintaining and transmitting the Pauline legacy to the next generation of believers.Further,Paul calls upon the memory of the elders to remember “that for three years I did not cease night or day to warn everyone with tears”(v.30;cf.2 Cor 2:4).Luke’s characteristic use of hyperbole again underscores the value of Paul’s personal example,which also carries canonical status within the ongoing community.

20:32-35. A rhetorical shift from warning to encouragement is once again marked by the kai;nu`n(kai nyn,“and now”)–“and now” Paul’s concern for an effective succession is made more apparent to his auditors.These final lines of the speech combine blessing(v.32)and exhortation(vv.33-35)similar to the benedictions of Pauline letters.The main thread of Paul’s speech remains fixed on his “message”(lovgo" logos)of God’s grace(see v.24;see also 14:3;5:32).The edifying connection of Paul’s gospel with the “building up”(oijkodomevw oikodomeo)of his successors(cf.Rom 14:19;15:2;1 Cor 3:9;8:1;10:23;14:3-5,12,17,26;2 Cor 10:8;12:19;13:10;1 Thess 5:11)for their future “inheritance”(cf.Rom 15:16;1 Cor 6:9-11;Gal 3:18;4:30;5:21;Titus 3:7)reflects Pauline themes expressed in Lukan vocabulary.

In the context of Acts,however,the use of oikodomeo to encourage the spiritual formation(“build up”)of elders glosses the earlier use of ajnoikodomevw(anoikodomeo)in Amos’s prophecy of a “rebuilt” Israel(see 15:16)to remind the reader that God continues to fulfill the promise of a restored Israel’s mission to the nations(see 15:17-18)even in Paul’s absence through the ministry of spiritually restored elders.In this regard,Paul’s concluding admonitions reflect the concerns expressed by James concerning whether the mixing of uncircumcised Gentiles with repentant Jews in the synagogues of the diaspora will result in the attenuation of the Jewish legacy within the church(see 15:20-21,29).Even though Acts has carefully

                                 <Page 284 Ends><Page 285 Begins>

depicted Paul and,therefore,his legacy as Jewish,the reader should note the implied connection between his final exhortations and the cautionary notes sounded earlier by James regarding the social solidarity of the community.If the principal concerns of James,however,are to maintain this sense of solidarity by abstaining from the pollutants of pagan religion,Paul’s concerns are more ethical and echo the social practices of the community of goods(see 2:42-47)within an acquisitive culture such as Ephesus(see 19:25b-27):The dispossession rather than “coveting” of property is the measure of one’s spiritual authority(v.33;see 4:32-35);658 and working with one’s hands to earn one’s keep(v.34;see also 18:3)is motivated by the evident need “to support the weak”(v.35).As with the content of what is taught,these moral norms are in imitation of Paul and obedient to the Lord’s command,“It is more blessed to give than to receive.”659 The purpose of appealing to Jesus is to underscore the practical truth that the community’s solidarity is only as strong as its commitment to its own “weak”(see 4:32-35;6:1-7).Finally it  is not because of his example but because of the command of Jesus that Paul can also say that “we must[dei` dei]”–a divine necessity–help the poor and the powerless.This practice remains the social mark of the community of goods in whose life the kingdom of God has been restored by God’s grace.

20:36-38. This concluding panel casts a poignant image of a fond farewell.The sheer weight of emotive terms Luke layers into this scene–“much weeping,” “embraced Paul and kissed him,” “grieving especially because...they would not see him again”–highlights the theme of Paul’s departure from Ephesus in the speech itself(vv.25,29)and all that is staked out because of it.It is a mistake to conclude,however,that since Luke writes from a perspective after Paul’s death he must,therefore,be writing about Paul’s death.As has been argued earlier,the Paul of Acts addresses the importance of an orderly succession of ministry in Ephesus that is occasioned by Paul’s departure for a new mission elsewhere(=Rome;see 19:21)and not by his so-called passion in Jerusalem.The finality of Paul’s farewell,when “they brought him to the ship,” simply makes more urgent the elders’(and the reader’s)compliance with his instructions.

REFLECTIONS

“Keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock,of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers”(20:28 NRSV).There are few biblical passages more instructive of the role and character of church leaders than this one.Both in what he assumes and by what he says,Paul supplies the church of every age with the essential role model and curriculum for a course in leadership training.In describing his own trials and temptations,Paul insinuates himself into his successors minds as their prophetic exemplar:They,too,will encounter similar attacks both within and outside the congregation and must deal with them as he has.Paul assumes in his absence the continuing presence of the Holy Spirit in the congregation–the Spirit who both calls and,therefore,enables its leaders to survive these attacks and to flourish as a result.

The primary marks of the Christian leader correspond to the primary problems Paul anticipates will always threaten the Christian leader:purity,possessions,power.The peculiar definition of each envisages the nature of the countercultural community that these people have been called to lead.Those who are called by God and nurtured by God’s Spirit to lead a people belonging to God should neither be trained nor be measured by secular standards of leadership.Thus,for example,the quotient of one’s purity is measured by faithful ministry of the word of God(20:20).Especially in the Pastoral Epistles,congregational leaders are instructed to teach “sound(or “healthy”)doctrine” to others,ever alert to avoid theological error and to squelch its

                                 <Page 285 Ends><Page 286 Begins>

dissemination from other sources(cf.1 Tim 1:3-7,10-11;4:6-10;2 Tim 1:8-14;2:2;3:1-9;Titus 1:9-11).The effectiveness of the gospel to initiate people into life with God is subverted by theological compromise.Beware of the “wolves” within and without the congregation who might threaten the purity of our rule of apostolic faith(cf.20:29-30).

The messianic career of Jesus is the subtext of Paul’s speech:He is the model the Paul of Acts follows(cf.20:24),who in turn bids the Ephesian elders to follow his example(20:31).Strategically,then,he concludes by quoting Jesus as saying,“It is more blessed to give than to receive”(20:35).Perhaps of greater practical importance to Paul than doctrinal purity is how leaders use their possessions(cf.1 Tim 6:3-10,17-19).No interpreter of Acts denies the importance of intelligent and articulate preaching(see 19:16-34);yet,Luke knows that the world will consider such preaching specious if the church says one thing and lives another.The abstract truth of a word about God’s grace is tested in the real world by whether or not the handling of our goods is also gracious rather than greedy.The motive of Christian ministry must never be monetary and momentary.Those put in charge of the spiritual formation of believers must not covet their possessions(20:33);indeed,they are to make money to redistribute it among the poor(20:34-35).In the simplicity of one’s lifestyle and the sharing of one’s goods the truth of God’s generosity toward us all is made more concrete.

The third mark of the Christian leader according to Paul is how that person handles personal power.Most of us can rehearse with regret the moral failure of various Christian leaders.The media sometimes gloat in telling of these failures as though it impugns the integrity of the church’s witness in the world.Perhaps it does.All too often these failures are prompted by an “arrogance of power” when those placed in positions of influence have used their high standing to coerce others to do their bidding.The leader who imitates Paul’s example is drawn to ministry by the Holy Spirit to serve the redemptive interests of God and the needs of God’s flock.The prophetic leader of a countercultural community is one who serves others and sets aside as unseemly the ambitious acquisition of power or pretension of self-importance.The disturbing effect Jesus had on the power brokers of his world was due to the presence of God in places where life was being shaped by norms and values contrary to God’s kingdom.The kingdom preaching of the incorrigible Paul had a similar effect on the rich and famous of his day(cf.20:22-25).So it is in our day that the mark of competent leadership is the disturbing effect a faithful life will have on those whose definition of power places personal ambition over justice and grace as God has defined it in Jesus.

I really need this resource because I love this so much

I KNOW EXACTLY HOW YOU FEEL….Hopefully enough people will decided to give it a chance to get it into pre pub ASAP...

ECCLESIASTES 3:1-15,REFLECTIONS ON THE MEANING OF TIME

Link to: 

                                   <Page 304 Ends><Page 305 Begins>

COMMENTARY

3:1-8.This is perhaps the best-known passage in Ecclesiastes,the beloved list of things for which there is a proper time.The topic of time was a favorite one with wisdom writers.In Sir 39:16-34,as also elsewhere in Qohelet(e.g.,Eccl 3:14-15;6:10),time marches strictly to God’s command.But not here.In these verses,God plays no explicit role in setting the “seasons” and “times.” In this passage,Qohelet does not say why things occur at their appropriate times.They just do.Only as he reflects further in the enigmatic ensuing prose passage(vv.9-15)does the Teacher invoke God’s role in the matter of time.

The distinctive style of the passage may indicate that Qohelet drew it from another source.The seven verses 2-8 contain fourteen antitheses,56 encompassing twenty-eight experiences known to all human beings,all organized under the twofold synonymous heading,“For everything[phenomenon]there is a season,and a time for every matter under heaven”(v.1).Like 1:3-11,this pericope is simply a list of empirical observations.Except for the bracketing words “be born...peace,” the list offers no order of importance or any other evaluation at all other than the principle stated in the heading.None of these times and seasons is a pregnant,potential-filled kairov" kairos.The “times” are moments of human-scale appropriateness intricately interwoven with implicit cosmic orders.The first item on the list,“a time to be born,and a time to die”(v.2),is clearly out of human hands,but the rest involve human choices.The wise person’s task evidently is to know when the right time has come and to move visibly with whatever invisible program there may be.

In v.3,the reference to “a time to kill and a time to heal” seems to give society two ways to respond to individual transgression.The first is capital punishment;the second is the work of physicians and other kinds of helpers to improve the life of an ailing person.Since sickness was regarded as a punishment from God,some may have thought nothing should be done for the sinner/invalid.Qohelet,however,seems to affirm the right of physicians to intervene in the sequence of cause-and-effect and to heal when it is time to do so.

The medieval midrash Qohelet Rabbah interprets the reference to scattering and gathering stones(v.5a)as a strict parallel to embracing(v.5b)—i.e.,both are metaphors for sexual relations.Given the fact that stichs a and b of each verse in the series are closely related to stichs c and d of each verse,this seems preferable to taking v.5a as a reference to the preparation of a field of rocky Palestine for farming(see Isa 5:2).

Surely the teaching that there is “a time to keep,and a time to throw away”(v.6b)intends to do more than simply warn “pack rats” to get serious about cleaning out the attic.In a broader sense,this antithesis suggests that both prudence and providence—that boundless outpouring of help to other people—are genuine human virtues.If v.7a refers to the ancient Israelite mourning custom of rending garments(see Gen 37:29;2

                                   <Page 305 Ends><Page 306 Begins>

Sam 13:31),then v.7b would authorize the family to sew the rips back up again when the mourning was over.Mourning customs could also explain the coupling of v.7ab with v.7cd,“a time to keep silence and a time to speak,” for as Job 2:13 suggests,silence was appropriate in the presence of bereavement.If,on the other hand,the picture is of a sewing bee,even in that context silence might,from time to time,be golden.When Ben Sira thought about this subject,he too tied talk to time:“The wise remain silent until the right moment”(Sir 20:7 NRSV).

The culminating v.8,which raises the human experiences of love and hate,war and peace,reverses the order in the final clause,putting peace in the position of a “punch line.” Thus do peace and birth(v.2a)bracket the entire list.By this simple device,their antitheses,death and war,are demoted to realities that,though both profound and universal,have neither the first nor the last word.

3:9-15.In the prose section,which follows the poem of vv.1-8,the notions of the rhythm and rightness of time are pursued further.“What gain have the workers from their toil?” the Teacher asks in v.9.His answer takes the form of religious truth claims about human endeavor.In 1:13,the “business” that God gave human beings to do is “unhappy” or even “evil.” Not so in v.10,because now Qohelet has supplied an important context for human striving:It all takes place within “suitable”(hpy yA peh)time.God “has made everything suitable for[NIV,beautiful in]its time”(v.11 NRSV)and has given human beings a sense of having a place in the stately unrolling of the universal(“everything”),predetermined providential plan of God.The good news is that the(presumably)good God has provided direction,even finality,to the course of history(vv.14-15).The bad news is that people “cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end”(v.11).Withholding this knowledge is within the sovereign authority of God.By refusing to show the trump cards of the future,God keeps humanity—who want to know good and evil(Gen 3:22),who want to have an unassailable name(Gen 11:4),who want to compete with God—in awe and submission.It goes without saying that what cannot be known by human beings also cannot be changed by them.Verse 11 is the very epitome of one of Qohelet’s principal themes:the impossibility of knowing what is truly going on in the world(see the section “The Ideology of the Book of Ecclesiastes,” 282-85,in the Introduction;see also Eccl 6:10-12;7:14,27-28).

Both the NRSV and the NIV take the much debated word!l[h(hA(olAm)in v.11 to refer to time(NRSV,“sense of past and future”;NIV,“eternity”;cf.Eccl 3:14).Taken this way,the picture is of human creatures endowed by God with a keen consciousness of the passage of time,yet not endowed with the capacity to make any sense of it.In Murphy’s words,v.11b “is a fantastic statement of divine sabotage.”57

The other meaning of the word hA(olAm,“world,” has been advocated in modern times by such scholars as Ewald,Voltz,H.L.Ginsberg,and Gordis.Although the latter meaning of the word is largely a development in post-biblical Hebrew(see Sir 3:18;M.’ Abot 4:17),Ecclesiastes uses a number of other words of which the same could be said.For Gordis,this meaning yields a teaching that reinforces his proposal that enjoyment of life is at the heart of the message of the book:“He has also placed the love of the world in men’s hearts,except that they may not discover the work God has done from beginning to end.”58 Scott relates the term back to the root sense of “that which is obscure,hidden,” and translates,“Yet he has put in their minds an enigma.”59 Whitley suggests “ignorance.”60

In favor of viewing hA(olAm as “eternity”(NIV)are the facts that this is the usual meaning of the noun in the Hebrew Bible and that the context establishes “time”(v.11a)as the subject under discussion.The problem is to arrive at the exact nuance of time in this sentence.“Eternity” can be misleading,too,if a reader thinks of immortality or the spiritual contemplation of divine timelessness rather than history in its most inclusive sense.The paraphrase of the NRSV suggests frustration with the One who fixed the times of all things and gave humankind a sense of that reality,

                                   <Page 306 Ends><Page 307 Begins>

yet who withheld the timetable from those who might otherwise have understood it.Faced with this problem,Rankin argues for a revocalization of hA(olAm to!l[h(hA(elem),“forgetfulness.” The sense,then,would be that although God made everything excellent in its time,God also burdened people with “the inability to remember and record all the generations of human history,” thereby depriving them of the means of making history comprehensible.61

Within the awful incomprehensibility of the big picture(v.14),however,God has made a “gift” of the possibility of human happiness.It is a gift made to “all”(lk kol,v.13)—a teaching that omits the deterministic reservation voiced in 5:19 and 6:12 that God “enables” only some to enjoy life.As Gordis has pointed out,Qohelet teaches that “joy is God’s great commandment for man.”62 Verses 2-13,therefore,are ethical teachings.When the Teacher says,“Be happy and enjoy...eat and drink and take pleasure in...toil”(vv.12-13;see 2:24),he means that to accept God’s gift of life is to be obedient to the will of God.

REFLECTIONS

In 3:1-8,the Teacher does not describe the inexorable cycling of times as another absurdity,nor does he frame it with despair.On the contrary,he endorses it.Time is not out of joint:“For everything there is a season.” Here at last he finds solidity and dependability.It is good that there is order in life.It is good that there is a time to die that stands over and against the time of birth,for to have it any other way would be to admit that there is no order at all but only arbitrary and erratic events.In 3:1-8,the Teacher is able to affirm that the polarities within which life must be lived are both discernible and secure.

One can wax enthusiastic about the moral possibilities of some of the items on Qohelet’s list of things for which there is a proper time.For example,that there is “a time to keep,and a time to throw away”(v.16)invokes the two virtues of prudence and providence.It is good to know that the cosmic orders provide a place for saving against a future rainy day(even ants do it!see Prov 30:25).Qohelet seems to open the door to prudential moral behavior.

There is also a time to throw away.Now,the virtue we call generosity is about throwing away,about the unstinting pouring out of good things on those around about.We call God’s generosity “providence”;the Bible also knows that human behavior can be providential.The idea reaches a keen point in Jesus’ difficult teaching “Be perfect,therefore,as your heavenly Father is perfect”(Matt 5:48 NRSV).Taken by itself,that verse has served some people as a disastrous invitation to excessive scrupling and perfectionism.But taken in context,it is clear that the God-like perfection(i.e.,“reaching the mark”)that Jesus advocates is in human giving,“throwing away.” The context of the saying in the Sermon on the Mount reads,“[God]makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good,and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.For if you love those who love you,what reward do you have?Do not even the tax collectors do the same?”(Matt 5:45-46 NRSV).For the Gospel writer,perfection consists in being like God in pouring out providential generosity onto others.In teaching that there is a time for divestiture,Qohelet,too,opens the door to providential moral behavior.

Similar discussions can be advanced about the other antitheses of the poem,as if they invited the individual to be sensitive to appropriate times for action and then to act,morally,perhaps decisively,to kill,to heal,to keep silence,to speak,to love,to hate,to make war,and to make peace.However,if we read this list through the lens of predetermination,as vv.9-15 suggest we do,a number of things change radically.First of all,there can be no quarrel with any members of the list,such as hate and war.If everything occurs on the God-given schedule,then this list cannot be weeded.Second,there is little real possibility of moral action.If a time

                                   <Page 307 Ends><Page 308 Begins>

to make love is not a matter of a conscious human choice to act appropriately,but merely a matter of a timetable set forth in advance by God for organisms or even for human individuals,then there can be no question of moral agency in the lovemaking,but simply answering responses to the call of the hormones.All of the earlier remarks about perfection in giving(v.6b)become simply nonsense.There simply comes a time to throw stuff away,no doubt because of the approach of death.

Commentators and preachers alike have generally not wanted to consign the beautiful poem of 3:1-8 into the grim jaws of necessity,and they have warrant.The uniqueness of its style and its logical coherence invite attention to this pericope in its own terms.Even if only for heuristic reasons,much can be gained by reading it independently of context—at least of vv.9-15—and thereby seeing it in a different light from that given it through the(tinted)lens of predetermination.If one reads the poem with the understanding that the fixed orders provide structure rather than calendar,then individual human moral decision making is possible.One can then hear in this poem a challenge to be wise,to be ethical,to discern when one’s actions are in keeping with God’s time and then to act decisively.

Reading vv.1-8 through a positive lens focuses on the grace inherent in the periodic structure of life.What would the gift of life be,for example,without the concomitant gift of death(v.2)?Without the knowledge of death,life would lose its urgency and savor.Without death no poetry would be written,no music composed,no monuments raised,no children begotten.This is not to say that people actually welcome death,except those in the most dire states of emotional and physical distress.Nevertheless,a healthy acknowledgment that “there is a time to die” leads people “to improve each shining hour.” In that sense,even if taken as a list of grim necessities,Qohelet’s hymn serves as a gift of truth.And truth is grace!

A predestinarian rereading of the poem of 3:1-8 does seem to occur in the prose context in which the poem is now placed within the book of Ecclesiastes.For example,v.15 situates life squarely in the middle of an endlessly repetitive and rigid scheme that cancels any intention by vv.1-8 to make place for human free will:“That which is,already has been;that which is to be,already is.” No innovation or creativity seems to be possible under those rules!Yet,the Teacher maintains a slight ambivalence even in this passage.The key to this chink in the armor of predisposition is the declaration “it is God’s gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil”(v.13,italics added).Not only is this option available to all,as opposed to only those who have been specially enabled for the task of enjoyment(contra 5:19;6:2),but also it seems to be phrased in terms of a choice.If there is a choice,there is also the possibility of moral behavior.If there is a choice,then the Teacher’s student can be as happy and as wise as the Teacher,if the student chooses gratefully to accept the small daily pleasures of life as gifts of God.

The tension between a radical predisposition of all things into an inexorable sequence of times and seasons,on the one hand,and,on the other hand,a small but secure place for human choice has troubled adherents of Islam—that most predestinarian of the Western religions.The tension is exemplified in the seventy-third stanza of the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám:

With Earth’s first Clay

They did the Last Man knead,

And there of the Last Harvest sow’d the Seed:

And the first Morning of Creation wrote

What the Last Dawn of Reckoning shall read.

In this view,nothing happens that was not already determined on the day of creation.That cannot easily be squared with any human initiative in happiness.What a way to make a world!

                                   <Page 308 Ends><Page 309 Begins>

Omar’s sad yearning to reorganize the world along very different lines,expressed in his 99th stanza,might have struck a chord of response in Qohelet,too:

Ah Love!could you and I with Him conspire

To grasp this sorry Scheme of Things entire,

Would not we shatter it to bits—and then

Re-mould it nearer to the Heart’s Desire!

Hopefully a few more will take the leap of faith and get this work into production.I will try to post another sample later this week.By no means is this some perfect commentary but as far as I am concerned it would be enough if it is all I had,and I can not wait to get it on my computer be it in Olivetree or Logos.

Dan,

How far out are we from publication do you estimate?I've followed your support/promotion of this series and am heavily leaning toward a purchase.I just hate being on hold so long after I've ordered it.

I would love to know that myself.Someone from Logos should be able to tell us,but i have no idea is it 10 more,5 more,300 more…  I plan to try to encourage people of the worth of this series by placing a passage or chapter of every book of the Bible up.Will continue till it goes into preproduction.

-Dan

James,your order gets us one step closer.You know what to do.

It does look like it's getting closer,which is good.  FWIW,I just posted a link to it on my FB,hoping some more people will sign up. 

Thinking of my country's national holiday happening tomorrow  and the USA's  later in the week.I thought I would post another example. 

-Dan

REFLECTIONS

When we read 1 Thess 4:13–5:11,we are prompted to think about end times,last things,and the ultimate destruction of the world as we know it.The proverbial “thief in the night” description of the day of the Lord of 1 Thessalonians(which is also mentioned in the Synoptics)appeared in medieval literature and continues to work its way in the thought of great texts today.125 Julia Ward Howe's “Battle Hymn of the Republic”(1862)lyrically captures the 1 Thessalonians' end-time rhetoric about the Lord's coming with trumpets sounding forth(1 Thess 4:15-16).Paul's brief comments about believers being “caught up in the clouds” has become the basis for many books and for a degree of anxiety about a “rapture” of believers.
To be sure,these verses are saturated with apocalyptic imagery,that suggests an imminent end and final days.Yet Paul's apocalypticism inspired hope,gave comfort,and provided challenge to the socially alienated persons of his day.Reminders of God's provision for the absent(deceased)brothers and sisters in the future are powerful testaments to God's care for all believers in the present.Notices of permanent union with the Lord in the future are challenging statements about God's desire for believers to come together on earth right now,even though Martin Luther King,Jr.'s words are as!0 today as they were years ago:“At eleven o'clock on Sunday morning when we stand to sing `In Christ there is no East or West,'” we stand in the most segregated hour of America.”126 Talk of eschatological battle is a serious invitation for us not to settle for easy “peace and security slogans” or other superficial changes that leave many people still confined to the margins of existence.
Thus,Paul's apocalyptic diction is not innocuous.It is radical and impinges on the quality of life lived in the present.In many ways,it is reminiscent of the apocalyptic spirit found in the Negro spirituals.Although the spirituals were noted for their otherworldly orientation,they also had this-worldly functions.127
The slave's world was full of trouble,storms,and hard times,as the songs “Soon I Will Be Done,” “Been in the Storm So Long,” and “I Been Rebuked and I Been Scorned” attest.These songs expressed longing and hope for another world.Among the this-worldly functions,however,were the building up of community solidarity and the practice of a veiled form of critique and communication.128 With an eye toward the future and yet with a challenge for community solidarity in the present circumstances,the slaves sang “Walk Together Children.” In “Swing Low,Sweet Chariot” and “Steal Away to Jesus,” the slave likely engaged in covert communication,cryptically requesting or signaling the help of the “underground railroad”(sweet chariot)to get “home”(the northern states or Canada).
Thus,the spirituals included both “apocalyptic visions and heroic exploits of the Scripture,” despite the tensions between the two.129 On the one hand,the slaves spoke of a future day of judgment,as in “That Great Gittin' Up Morning,” “Roll,Jordan,Roll,” and “My Lord,What a Morning.” On the other hand,they spoke of biblical heroes(e.g.,David,Joshua,Moses,and Noah)whom God had delivered in this world.130
Both the future and the present were important for them.In sum,the spirituals confronted the slaves' sordid experiences,remythologized the biblical concepts to speak cryptically but encouragingly,and provided a source of comfort and challenge.Their apocalyptic strain,like Paul's apocalyptic vision,read the present reality in the light of the future expectation. --ABRAHAM SMITH,New Interpreter's Bible Volume XI

I know that they have a business plan but to me it's like a butcher shop introducing vegetarian foods,and then wondering why their customizers are not preordering the vegetarian items.Logos' primary customers are various conservative Christians,they obviously should not neglect them but with a few of the pre pub items they should step out in faith a bit.and say these are going attract people wanting other options.

I agree 110%. If Logos wants to expand their customer base,they need to offer items that is going bring in new customers. I think they are hoping that the FSB faithlife website will do this,but I am not convinced it will.

It is!0 we do not know the terms set by abingdon. But considering  everything in the NIB family other than the 12 volumes has been released already in Olivetree with NO PREPUBLICATION(Study Bible,One Volume commentary and 5 volume dictionary).So this leaves me feeling that Abingdon is not opposed to their products being produced.I value greatly all contributors to the NIB,both conservative and more liberal ones.This is as far as I am concerned the ONE commentary everyone should start with.Accessible enough for any layman,but offering enough for any scholar to gain insight from it.You are very right to say it's a tremendous resource.and it does look like at least a couple more orders may have been placed when I asked Catholic Logos users to consider it.It is a set all Christians can benefit from.

-Dan

 I do not bid on or pre-purchase anything I do not actually want.But release dates are always unknown and when too many come up at once or come up at the wrong time,I have had to cancel.

This is inevitable,especially considering the unknown-until-the-last-minute process and the propensity for items to go live in clumps.Logos must live with its own awkward circumstances,just like we must.

After the sixth,maybe the fourth,timethat 86%of the 'buyers" back out on day 21the new rule for CP and Pre-pub will be NO RETURNS 

Well I disagree with you strongly there… 

I agree that rule changes would upset things.I try to only bid on item that I intend to buy. and Yes,funds run out-or too many in one month and no payment plan.

But I also asked that if that happens many times[I used as an example 86%of buyers backing out]how do we expect the company,that only puts books into production after getting enough buyers lined up to cover the cost,to react-after only getting 10%of the cost in hard cash over and over again-with maybe the same set of customers doing it over and over again?

I am OK with backing out-no funds,poor explication of the resource,needs change over time,etc but what I objected to was soliciting bids that were never intended to be executed. And asked how would Logos react if that was done a few times? [maybe with the same customers returning the resources over and over again-or maybe those customers would be locked out-No,better idea,just don't count their bids![and no one knows that there is aHidden BAD customer list] ]

Peace-This set is out of my range. Hope you get it in a reasonable time. 

I am disillusioned with Logos handling of the NIB issue

So am I

but will share the info...

Thanks

I do applaud Logos for going after the New Interpreter's series,but I wish Logos would be willing to swallow the extra costs to get this important series made.

-Dan

Dan,I'm curious to know how you compare the NIB with the Word Biblical Commentary which seems to have a lot of support among logos users.

Any chance we're actually going to see the NIB finished for Logos?For that matter,the NIDB,too?