Sisters Rejoice. Paul's Letter to the Philippians and Luke-Acts as seen by First-Century Philippian Women

284 Pages·1988·5.59 MB·English

by  Lilian Portefaix

LILIAN PORTEFAIX
Sisters Rejoice
PAUL'S LETTER TO THE PHILIPPIANS AND LUKE-ACTS
AS RECEIVED BY FIRST-CENTURY PHILIPPIAN WOMEN
CB
CONIECTANEA BIBLICA
NEW TESTAMENT SERIES 20
ALMQVIST & WIKSELL INTERNATIONAL
Printed in Sweden by TRYCJ[J[ONTAKT, Uppsa1a 1988
CONIECTANEA BIBLICA • New Testament Series 20

Lilian Portefaix
Sisters Rejoice
Paul's Letter to the Philippians and Luke-Acts as Seen "by
First-century Philippian Women
ALMQVIST & WIKSELL INTERNATIONAL

ABSTRACT
Portefaix, L., 1988. Sisters Rejoice. Paul's Letter to the Philippians and Luke-Acts as
Seen by First-century Philippian women. Coniectanea Biblica. New Testament
Series 20. 280 pp. Uppsala. ISBN 91-22-01201-X.
The purpose of the present study, based on the 'reception theory' of literary texts held by
W. Iser and H.R. Jauss, is to achieve as valid as possible a reconstruction of first
century women's understanding of the Christian message. These women are thought to
have had little knowledge or experience of Judaism.
To this end PhiIippi has been chosen as providing a suitable setting for a case study
which aims at the recreation of the historical recipients of Paul's letter and Luke-Acts
(particularly Acts 16: 11-40). Consequently, PhiIippian women's socio-cultural and
religious backgrounds have been reconstructed from surviving archaeological,
epigraphical and literary sources. While Philippian women shared the same socio
cultural background, their religious referential frameworks differed: the latter were
formed either by their previous pagan worship or by their Christian education and
experience.
By means of an audience-orientated reading of the New Testament texts as received
by these women, the following general conclusions are reached:
(1) Paul's initial audience consisted of women who had been converted to Christianity
within the first decade after his first visit to the town. These women shared a pagan
referential framework. The concepts of 'celestial citizenship' and 'servitude' became
key words for their understanding of the letter. Although they were acquainted with
these concepts from their pagan background the connection between the two and the
moral implications inherent in the idea that taking on the suffering of a deity would
open the way to a blessed after-life were alien to them. The 'imitatio Christi' placed
their lives in a cosmic setting and gave their sufferings a hitherto unknown meaning.
(2) Luke-Acts was received by two different audiences. One consisted of newly
converted and pagan women with little or no experience of Christian life and the oth-er
of women who had been born into Christianity.
For the first Luke's message was seen as referring to an earthly Utopia illustrated
by his account of the early church in Jerusalem. They saw the PhiIippian episode (Acts
16: 11-40) as an introduction by Paul of a new Dionysus into the colony-a Dionysus who
would prove himself to be stronger than all other deities and above the Roman Empire.
The second audience saw Luke-Acts as a 'picture-book' illustrating their Christian
upbringing. To them Luke's account of the early church pointed to their coming
participation in the citizenship of Heaven and his female characters became models for
Christian behaviour: of these Lydia was the most important to Christian women.
This book throws light on the manifold interpretations of the New Testament which
were attributable to the variety of the religious referential frameworks of the audiences.
Where a knowledge of Judaism was lacking and the leavening influence of that
tradition was absent, the disparity of interpretation was greatest.
Lilian Portefaix. Department of Theology, Uppsala University, Box 1604, S-
751 46 Uppsala, Sweden.
© 1988 Lilian Portefaix
Distributor: Almqvist & Wiksell International, Stockholm
ISBN 91-22-01201-X
Printed by Tryckkontakt, Uppsala

Dedicated
to all the brethren