Divine Visitations and Hospitality to Strangers in Luke-Acts: An Interpretation of the Malta Episode in Acts 28:1-10

351 Pages·2013·1.9 MB·English

by  Joshua W. Jipp

Divine Visitations and Hospitality
to Strangers in Luke-Acts
Supplements
to
Novum Testamentum
Executive Editors
M.M. Mitchell
Chicago
D.P. Moessner
Fort Worth
Editorial Board
L. Alexander, Sheffield – H.W. Attridge, New Haven
F. Bovon, Cambridge MA – C. Breytenbach, Berlin
J.K. Elliott, Leeds – C.R. Holladay, Atlanta
D. Marguerat, Lausanne – M.J.J. Menken, Tilburg
J.C. Thom, Stellenbosch – P. Trebilco, Dunedin
VOLUME 153
The titles published in this series are listed at brill.com/nts
Divine Visitations and Hospitality
to Strangers in Luke-Acts
An interpretation of the Malta Episode
in Acts 28:1–10
By
Joshua W. Jipp
LEiDEN • BOSTON
2013
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Jipp, Joshua W.
 Divine visitations and hospitality to strangers in Luke-Acts : an interpretation of the Malta
episode in Acts 28:1–10 / by Joshua W. Jipp.
  pages cm. — (Supplements to novum testamentum)
 includes bibliographical references and index.
 iSBN 978-90-04-25582-1 (hardback : alk. paper) — iSBN 978-90-04-25800-6 (e-book)
1. Bible. Acts XXViii, 1–10—Criticism, interpretation, etc. 2. Hospitality—Biblical teaching. 
i. Title.
 BS2625.6.H6J57 2013
 226.6’06—dc23
2013027835
This publication has been typeset in the multilingual “Brill” typeface. With over 5,100 characters
covering Latin, iPA, Greek, and Cyrillic, this typeface is especially suitable for use in the
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iSSN 0167-9732
iSBN 978-90-04-25582-1 (hardback)
iSBN 978-90-04-25800-6 (e-book)
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For Amber

CONTENTS
Acknowledgements  ........................................................................................ xiii
1 The Episode at Malta (Acts 28:1–10): A Lukan Text
‘Full of the Viewpoint of Antiquity’  ................................................... 1
i. illustrative Examples from the History of interpretation
of Acts 28:1–10  .............................................................................. 3
A. Concerns with Historicity  .................................................. 3
B. The Viper Episode  ................................................................ 4
C. Paul’s Character as a Jesus-like-healer  ........................... 12
D. The Literary Relationship between the Malta
Episode and the Conclusion of Acts ............................... 14
E. The Significance of the Barbarians  ................................. 17
F. Hospitality to Strangers  ...................................................... 19
ii. Summary of Remaining Questions about
the Malta Episode  ...................................................................... 22
iii. The Argument and Plan of the Study  .................................. 24
A. The Argument  ........................................................................ 24
B. The Plan of the Study  .......................................................... 25
2 Placing the Episode at Malta: A Preliminary Examination of
Acts 28:1–10 within its Literary Context  ........................................... 27
i. The Significance of the Sea-Voyage: (Acts 27:1–44)  ......... 27
A. The Hellenistic Narrative Setting  .................................... 28
B. The Roman Centurion’s Kindness to Paul  .................... 31
C. Paul as Prophet like Jesus  .................................................. 31
D. The Salvation of the Gentiles ............................................ 33
ii. The Questions Raised by the Episode at Malta  ................ 37
A. The Literary Structure of the Malta Episode  ............... 37
B. The Barbarians  ...................................................................... 39
C. The Barbarians think Paul is a God  ................................ 44
D. The Absence of Christological Proclamation//
The Presence of Healing  ..................................................... 49
E. Hospitality to Strangers  ...................................................... 53
iii. Need for Further Examination  ............................................... 57
viii contents
3 Establishing the Cultural Script of Hospitality to Strangers
in the Graeco-Roman World  ................................................................ 59
i. Constructing the Cultural Script ............................................ 60
A. Homer’s Odyssey as Foundational  ................................... 60
B. The Elements of ideal Hospitality in the Odyssey  ...... 62
C. Some Summative Comments on the Semantics of
and Sanctions for Hospitality  ........................................... 72
D. Corrupting the Cultural Script: Odysseus and
Polyphemus the Cyclops (bk. 9)  ...................................... 74
E. Excelling the Cultural Script: Telemachus gives
hospitality to Athena (bk. 1)  .............................................. 77
F. An Epilogue on Homeric Hospitality: Odysseus’
Return to ithaca (bks. 13–24)  ............................................ 81
ii. Extending the Cultural Script i: Hospitality in
Post-Homeric Greek Writings  ................................................. 88
A. Theoxenies and Euripides’ Bacchae  ................................ 88
B. Aeschylus’ Oresteia and the Corruption of
Hospitality ............................................................................... 95
C. The Equation between inhospitality and Barbarians
in the Greek Tragedians  ..................................................... 103
D. The Greek Historians and Guest-Friendship//
Ritualized Friendship  .......................................................... 105
iii. Extending the Cultural Script ii: Hospitality in Roman
Writings  ......................................................................................... 112
A. Continuity between Greek and Roman Hospitality  .. 112
B. Vergil’s Aeneid ........................................................................ 115
C. Theoxenies in the Writings of Ovid  ................................ 122
D. Dio Chrysostom’s the Hunter: a Critique of
Upper-Class Hospitality  ...................................................... 127
4 The Cultural Script of Hospitality to Strangers in the Hebrew
Bible and Post-biblical Jewish Literature  ......................................... 131
i. Constructing the Cultural Script of Hospitality
to Strangers  .................................................................................. 131
A. The Hospitality of Abraham and the Divine Visit in
Genesis 18:1–16  ....................................................................... 131
B. The Hospitality of Lot and the inhospitality of the
Sodomites in Genesis 19:1–11  ............................................. 136
C. Post-biblical readings of Genesis 18–19  .......................... 142
contents ix
D. Other Jewish Heroes as Paragons of Hospitality
in Post-biblical Literature  .................................................. 149
E. Legislated Hospitality to Aliens and Wanderers in
the Pentateuch  ...................................................................... 151
ii. Corrupting the Cultural Script of Hospitality to
Strangers  ........................................................................................ 156
A. Violated Hospitality in the Book of Judges  .................. 157
B. The inhospitable Egyptians in Philo  .............................. 166
iii. Conclusion  .................................................................................... 169
5 The Grammar, Symbols, and Practices of Hospitality to
Strangers in the Lukan Writings  ......................................................... 171
i. Hospitality Corrupted and Excelled in Simon and
the Sinful Woman: Luke 7:36–50  ........................................... 171
A. The Divine Visitation and the Peoples’ Response:
Luke 7:1–35  .............................................................................. 171
B. The Pharisee and the Sinful Woman: Luke 7:36–39  .... 175
C. Hospitality as a Sign of Acceptance of Jesus:
Luke 7:40–47  .......................................................................... 178
D. The One Able to Forgive Sins: Luke 7:48–50  ............... 180
ii. Hospitality and the Kingdom of God, inhospitality and
Judgment: Luke 9:51–10:24  ....................................................... 182
A. The Journey to Jerusalem Begins: Luke 9:51–62  .......... 182
B. Hospitality and inhospitality to the Lord’s
Emissaries: Luke 10:1–16  ...................................................... 186
C. The Success of the Lord’s Visitation: Luke 10:17–24  ... 191
iii. Hospitality and the Recognition of the Lord:
Luke 24:13–35  ............................................................................... 194
A. To See the Crucified: Luke 23:1–24:12  ............................. 195
B. Journeying with the Concealed and Disguised Lord:
Luke 24:13–27  ......................................................................... 196
C. The Stranger is transformed into the Host:
Luke 24:28–35  ........................................................................ 200
iV. Ritualized Hospitality and the inclusion of the Gentiles:
Acts 10:1–11:18 ................................................................................ 204
A. Scene One: Cornelius’ divine vision (Acts 10:1–8)  ...... 205
B. Scene Two: Peter’s divine vision (Acts 10:9–16)  .......... 207
C. Scene Three: Peter’s hospitality to Cornelius’
embassy (Acts 10:17–23a)  .................................................... 209