Philip: Apostle and Evangelist : Configurations of a Tradition (Supplements to Novum Testamentum) (Supplements to Novum Testamentum)

278 Pages·2002·15 MB·English

by  Christopher R. Matthews

PHILIP: APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST
SUPPLEMENTS TO
NOVUM TESTAMENTUM
EDITORIAL BOARD
C.K. BARRETT, Durham - P. BORGEN, Trondheim
J.K. ELLIOTT, Leeds - H.J. DEjoNGE, Leiden
A. J. MALHERBE, New Haven
M.J.J. MENKEN, Utrecht - J. SMIT SIBINGA, Amsterdam
Executive Editors
M.M. MITCHELL, Chicago & D.P. MOESSNER, Dubuque
VOLUME CV
PHILIP
APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST
Configurations of a Tradition
BY
CHRISTOPHER R. MATTHEWS
BRILL
LEIDEN • BOSTON • KOLN
2002
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufhahme
Matthews, Christopher R.:
Philip: apostle and evangelist: Configurations of a tradition / Christopher
R. Matthews. - Leiden ; Boston; Koln : Brill, 2002
(Supplements to Novum testamentum ; Vol. 105)
ISBN 90-04-12054-8
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is also available.
ISSN 0167-9732
ISBN 9004120548
© Copyright 2002 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands
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PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS
For Jane and Clint Matthews
and Lori
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CONTENTS
Preface ix
Abbreviations xi
Introduction 1
"Apostle" 4
Philip Traditions 9
Methodology 10
Plan 14
I. Philip in the Second Century 15
Presbyters and Apostles in Papias 19
Philip and his Daughters in Controversy 23
The Daughters of Philip and Apostolic Tradition 27
II. Philip in Samaria: Acts 8:4-25 35
Acts 8:4~25: Setting and Structure 36
The Tendency of Luke's Account 38
The Narrative Portrait of Philip 42
The Narrative Portrait of Simon 50
The Interpretative Issues 54
Expansion of the Philip-Simon Tradition 58
Critique of the Peter-Simon Tradition Hypothesis 61
Philip the Apostle in Acts 64
III. Philip and the "End of the Earth": Acts 8:26-40 71
"To the End of the Earth" 71
Legend and Composition 74
Tradition and Redaction 80
Comparative Legends in Luke-Acts 86
Philip in Caesarea 91
Conclusion 94
IV. Philip in the Gospels 95
The Synoptic Gospels 95
The Fourth Gospel 100
Vlll CONTENTS
John 1:43-46 102
John 6:5-7 110
John 12:20-22 114
John 14:7-11 117
John 21:2 122
John 4 123
Conclusion 127
V. The "Gnostic Philip" 129
Pistis Sophia 130
The Gospel of Philip 135
The Sophia of Jesus Christ 140
The Letter of Peter to Philip 143
What's in a Name? 151
Conclusion 155
VI. The "Apocryphal Philip" 156
Dispelling the Shadow of Secondary Status 157
The Acts of Philip 162
The Itinerary of Philip 166
Acts of Philip I 171
Rewriting as Composition 180
Peter's Daughter (APh Mart. 36 and BG 8502) 183
Rewriting as Redescription (APh VI and APt 23-28) 183
Peter and Philip Upside Down (APh Mart. 34 and APt 38) .... 189
Conclusion 196
Appendix: Precis of the Acts of Philip 198
Conclusion 216
Bibliography 219
Indexes 239
PREFACE
The present work is a revised and updated version of my 1993
Harvard dissertation. The initial impetus behind the study arose from
a conversation with George MacRae on Luke's treatment of Philip
and Peter in Acts 8. The original goal of my research was to analyze
selected pericopes in Acts in an attempt to formulate a method for
distinguishing between tradition and composition in Luke's second
volume. George MacRae's untimely death made it impossible to pro-
ceed for some time. At the suggestion of Helmut Koester, and other
members of the New Testament department at Harvard Divinity
School, the focus of my project shifted to Philip and the coverage
expanded to encompass the New Testament and Early Christian
literature.
I am thankful for the advice and encouragement of many people
over the years in connection with this project. Helmut Koester,
Bernadette J. Brooten, and Francois Bovon were invaluable for their
guidance in connection with the original version of this work. I
remain grateful for their encouragement to pursue publication of the
study. Ron Cameron's careful reading and critical advice at all stages
of this work have been most beneficial in helping me to clarify the
logic of my arguments and improve their written expression. Richard
I. Pervo early on read through the original version and offered both
encouragement and practical advice on a revision. Hans-Martin
Schenke was also kind enough to read the original version and rec-
ommend its publication for a wider audience. Because more years
went by (more quickly!) than I initially anticipated in bringing the
revision task to fruition, I found that my views on various facets of
the study as well as my perspective on the whole had evolved. I am
grateful to Burton Mack for reading and commenting on my initial
attempt at a revision in light of my new concerns. His practical
advice was a great help as I went about clarifying and updating my
perspective.
I also wish to thank David Moessner along with Margaret Mitchell
and the editorial board of the series for accepting my work. I am
appreciative as well for the comments and advice offered by the
anonymous readers that enabled me to strengthen aspects of the