Corpus-Paul

[Rick Strelan <rick.strelan AT mailbox.uq.edu.au>]

John Dickson wrote:

>Private homes appear to have played a significant role in Paul's mission,
>both as a socially acceptable context for his public proclamation and as a
>meeting place for the post-mission EKKLHSIA. Can anyone can shed light on
>how 'outsiders' might have come into this setting (1 Cor 14:23)? What were
>the social 'rules' of the ancient household vis-a-vis guests? Are we to
>imagine a sign on the front gate inviting all to enter - "Paul of Tarsus
>teaching here today" - as in the case of some philosophers in the period, or
>would it have been by invitation only?

Not an answer, but a comment along the lines: I have often wondered whether
the term 'called' [KLHTOS] used by Paul etc is packed too much with
theological and not enough with social meaning. At symposia there were the
invited and the uninvited - the KLHTOI and the AKLHTOI. Is it possible that
when Paul talks about the KLHTOI he is using the meal jargon - Christians
are those invited to 'the meal' [cf Mth 22:14 etc]?

Just a thought


Dr Rick Strelan
Studies in Religion
University of Queensland
Australia 4072