10.1 | First-Person Claims in Some Ancient Historians and Acts Craig S. Keener Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, KY, USA William Sanger Campbell rightly notes that historians used the first-person
singular more as narrators than as actors. Nevertheless, historians do sometimes
depict themselves in the first-person in narrative action, including in familiar
biblical narratives. Although Luke includes notice of his participation, using the
first-person plural minimizes focus on it far more than even third-person usage
would have done. By simply including himself in group actions, he avoids distinct
focus on himself, allowing him to maintain his focus on Paul. Like many authors, the
author of Acts need not name himself because he was familiar to the first real
audiences of Acts. |
10.2 | The Message and the Medium: Some Observations on Epistolary Communication in Late
Antiquity Lincoln H. Blumell Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA In antiquity the most common form of communication between two or more parties
who were physically separated was the letter. As a result, letters often constitute
important source texts for a wide variety of issues and figure prominently in early
Christian literature. To fully utilize the evidence provided by letters, it is
important to realize that these texts are conditioned by a number of internal and
external factors that can affect the message(s) they convey. To elucidate some of
these factors, this study surveys the epistolary evidence from Late Antiquity and,
as part of this analysis, pertinent issues like the use of scribes and letter
carriers are also considered. |
10.3 | Matthew 5.39 and 26.67: Slapping Another's Cheek in Ancient Mediterranean
Culture John Granger Cook LaGrange College, LaGrange, GA, USA This article examines the practice of slapping another’s cheek in the ancient
Mediterranean world. Using texts from Latin and Greek writers and ancient Christian
and pagan interpreters of Matt 5.39, this article shows that these ancient writers
were probably unaware that backhanded (or left-handed) slaps were grossly insulting,
a contention made occasionally in modern scholarship. Some Hebrew texts, on the
other hand, may show awareness of more insult in left- handed slaps. This study will
shed light on the significance and implication of the slaps Jesus suffered during
his Passion according to Matthew. |
10.4 | A Text without 1 Corinthians 14.34-35? Not according to the Manuscript
Evidence Jennifer Shack Concordia University College of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada The text of 1 Cor. 14.34-35 is controversial in nature, and some have
classified it as an interpolation in the text. This article contends that the theory
that this text is an interpolation is unconvincing when the external evidence is
reconsidered. This conclusion is shown through an analysis of the text and
marginalia concerning these verses in Codex Vaticanus, Codex Fuldensis and
MS 88. |
10.5 | Josephus's' Life and Jewish War Compared to the Synoptic Gospels Jordan Henderson Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, KY, USA While there is a growing recognition among scholars that the Synoptic Gospels
fall within the genre of ancient biography, the differences in detail between these
three accounts of Jesus’ life remain puzzling. As a case study, this article
analogously compares the differences between Josephus’s Life and the
autobiographical portions of his Jewish War to explore the outer range of
variations that might have been acceptable for different works in the genre of
ancient biography narrating the life of the same historical figure. |
10.6 | A 'Majority' Reading for James 3.3 Supported by Both External and Internal
Evidence William Varner The Master’s College and Seminary, Santa Clarita, CA, USA This article argues for a different textual reading in Jas 3.3a from what is
found in the critical texts of NA27/28 and UBS4/5. The orienter ἴδε instead of the
conditional εἰ δὲ has both older external evidence and better argument
based on the internal evidence for its adoption. The discourse marker ἴδε
in 3.3a combined with the ἰδού in 3.4 and 3.5 call attention to the three
examples from natural life—the horse/bridle, the ship/rudder and the fire/forest—and
effectively combine to make a rhetorical argument for the power of the tongue, both
for good and for evil. |
10.7 | The Meaning of αὐθεντέω in 1 Timothy 2.12 Cynthia Long Westfall McMaster Divinity College, Hamilton, ON, Canada The purpose of this article is to present an explicit methodology and
procedure in the study of the word αὐθεντέω based on current suggestions
and procedures in lexicography and informed by linguistic theory. This is done by an
attempt to map patterns of how the word was used. This study attempts to locate a
single basic (but complex) semantic concept that could account for the diachronic
occurrences of the verb and extended, peripheral or marginal meanings. This article
tests the suggested range of meaning and identifies patterns in the occurrences of
the word that shed light on how the word was used in contexts that assist us in
finding a single basic semantic concept that accounts for this range of
meanings. |
10.8 | Recognizing Jesus: A Study of Recognition Scenes in the Gospel of Mark Adam Z. Wright McMaster Divinity College, Hamilton, ON, Canada This article examines the role of recognition scenes in Mark’s Gospel.
Recognition scenes were a common feature in ancient literature and served to propel
a narrative’s plot towards a definitive end. By examining the nature of recognition
scenes as well as their functions within the narrative, a greater appreciation can
be gained for the structure and purpose of Mark’s Gospel. What will be shown is that
such recognition scenes, which revolve around the identity of Jesus, create an
ironic tension that culminates in the crucifixion and subsequent resurrection of
Jesus. |
10.9 | Martial Moses in Flavian Rome: Josephus's Antiquities 2-4 and
Exemplary Roman Leadership James M. Petitfils Biola University, La Mirada, CA, USA This article focuses on Josephus’s narrative presentation of Moses in
Ant. 2–4 in light of a popular pedagogical discourse in Flavian Rome—the
Roman discourse of exemplarity. Beginning with an overview of this Roman moral
conversation and a brief spotlight on the premier leadership characteristic
celebrated in discourse on exemplary leadership in Flavian Rome (martial prowess),
this article argues that Josephus’s presentation of Moses aligns well with both the
narratological form and the characteristic moral content of Roman exemplarity. This
article situates Josephus in his Roman discursive environment and offers a
contextually specific explanation for his narrative presentation of a particularly
martial Moses. It also highlights the permeability of ancient cultural boundaries,
as well as the utility of Hellenistic and Roman discursive practices and approaches
for the construction of Jewish identities. |