The Apocryphal Epistle to the Laodiceans: An Epistolary and Rhetorical Analysis

173 Pages·2012·1.52 MB·English

by  Philip L. Tite

The Apocryphal Epistle to the Laodiceans
Texts and Editions for
New Testament Study
Edited by
Stanley E. Porter and Wendy J. Porter
VOLUME 7
The titles published in this series are listed at brill.nl/tent
The Apocryphal Epistle to
the Laodiceans
An Epistolary and Rhetorical Analysis
By
Philip L. Tite
LEidEN • bOSTON
2012
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data
Tite, Philip L., 1969–
 The apocryphal epistle to the Laodiceans : an epistolary and rhetorical analysis / by Philip
L. Tite.
  p. cm. — (Texts and editions for New Testament study, iSSN 1574-7085 ; v. 7)
 includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
 iSbN 978-90-04-22805-4 (hardback : alk. paper)—iSbN 978-90-04-23162-7 (e-book) 1. Epistle of
St. Paul to the Laodiceans—Criticism, interpretation, etc. i. Title.
bS2900.L36T58 2012
229’.93—dc23
2012016075
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
humanities. For more information, please see www.brill.nl/brill-typeface.
iSSN 1574-7085
iSbN 978 90 04 22805 4 (hardback)
iSbN 978 90 04 23162 7 (e-book)
Copyright 2012 by Koninklijke brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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idC Publishers and Martinus Nijhoff Publishers.
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To my sister Kim
For always believing in me
And
in loving memory of my brother-in-law Larry
You are missed

CONTENTS
Abbreviations  .................................................................................................... ix
Preface  ................................................................................................................. xi
  i. introduction  ............................................................................................ 1
  ii. Epistolary Analysis i: The Prescript  ................................................. 19
 iii. Epistolary Analysis ii: The Thanksgiving Period  ......................... 29
 iV. Epistolary Analysis iii: The Letter body ......................................... 43
  V. Epistolary Analysis iV: The Paraenesis  ........................................... 57
 Vi. Epistolary Analysis V: The Letter Closing  ...................................... 77
  Vii. A Theological Synthesis of Laodiceans  .......................................... 83
Pauline Eschatology .............................................................................. 83
Pauline Ecclesiology  ............................................................................. 91
Pauline Christology, Pneumatology, and Trinitarian
Theology  .............................................................................................. 94
Viii. Concluding Comments  ........................................................................ 101
Pseudo-Historical Letters and the Problem of Pseudonymity  103
Paul as “Culture Hero” in the Second Century  ............................ 112
Reassessing the Relationship of Laodiceans to Other Pauline
Letters  .................................................................................................. 120
Situating Laodiceans within the Social Currents of the
Second Century  ................................................................................. 123
Appendix i: Text, Translation, and Epistolary Arrangement of
Laodiceans  ......................................................................................................... 125
Appendix ii: dating the Apocryphal Epistle to the Laodiceans  ....... 129
viii contents
bibliography  ...................................................................................................... 135
Ancient Texts index  ........................................................................................ 147
Modern Author index  .................................................................................... 152
Subject index  ..................................................................................................... 155
AbbREViATiONS
ABD Anchor Bible Dictionary
AJT American Journal of Theology
ANF Ante-Nicene Fathers: Translations of the Writings of the Fathers
down to A.D. 325. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1867–97 (American
edition, 1885–1906). Reprint: Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956–68.
ANRW Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt
bCNH bibliothèque Copte de Nag Hammadi
bdAG Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early
Christian Literature, 3rd edition, edited by W. bauer, F. W.
danker, W. F. Arndt, and F. W. Gingrich. Chicago: University
of Chicago Press, 2000.
BR Biblical Research
bWANT beiträge zur Wissenschaft vom Alten und Neuen Testament
CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly
ECL Early Christianity and its Literature Series
Exp.T Expository Times
GRBS Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies
HTR Harvard Theological Review
iCC international Critical Commentary
ITQ Irish Theological Quarterly
JAAR Journal of the American Academy of Religion
JBL Journal of Biblical Literature
JECS Journal of Early Christian Studies
JETS Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
JSNT Journal for the Study of the New Testament
JSNTS Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement Series
JSPL Journal of the Study of Paul and His Letters
JTI Journal of Theological Interpretation
JTS Journal of Theological Studies
LCL Loeb Classical Library
LNTS Library of New Testament Studies
MTSR Method & Theory in the Study of Religion
Neot. Neotestamentica
NHMS Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies
NovT Novum Testamentum