corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Corpus-Paul
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- From: "Rabbi Saul" <tim AT rabbisaul.com>
- To: "Corpus-Paul" <corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org>
- Subject: Re: [Corpus-Paul] Onesimus
- Date: Sat, 7 Aug 2004 01:32:01 -0600
> Philemon 10-11 (NRSV) reads, "I am appealing to you for my child,
Onesimus,
> whose father I have become during my imprisonment. Formerly he was useless
> (AXRHSTON) to you, but now he is indeed useful (EUXRHSTON), both to you
and
> to me." Usefulness was the primary quality that Paul hoped for from
> Onesimus, and this is confirmed by Phlm 20, which reads, "Yes, brother,
let
> me have this benefit from you in the Lord!".
>
> Phlm 10-11 seems to me to be Paul's way of saying how and why he had given
> Philemon's slave the name Onesimus. He tactfully does not mention the
> previous name, but rather emphasises his new identity. It is striking that
> these two short sentences contain all the elements often associated with
> renaming situations:
etc
All very fascinating, but I wonder if it may not be that the exact reverse
is somewhat more likely. (1) Is it so strange that a slave would be
identified as "useful"? Hmm. Probably not. (2) Is it so strange to think
that Paul might wish to make a play on the meaning of Onesimus's name? This
seems all the more likely, given the fact that only here and in 2 Tim. do we
find euchrestos in the Pauline letters - i.e. it is not generally a term he
finds ready to hand. But Onesimus's name, it would seem, gets him thinking
about the category.
It would seem to me that this is a more ready-to-hand solution than a
renaming.
Tim Gallant
Pastor, Conrad Christian Reformed Church
Conrad, MT
Biblical Studies Center
http://www.timgallant.org/center.htm
Pauline studies:
http://www.rabbisaul.com
(406) 278-5846 / (406) 278-7809
Fax: (406) 278-7809
http://www.timgallant.org
-
[Corpus-Paul] Gaius Titius Justus a.k.a. Stephanas,
Richard Fellows, 08/01/2004
-
RE: [Corpus-Paul] Gaius Titius Justus a.k.a. Stephanas,
Doug Chaplin, 08/01/2004
-
Re: [Corpus-Paul] Gaius Titius Justus a.k.a. Stephanas,
Richard Fellows, 08/02/2004
-
RE: [Corpus-Paul] Gaius Titius Justus a.k.a. Stephanas,
Doug Chaplin, 08/02/2004
-
Re: [Corpus-Paul] Gaius Titius Justus a.k.a. Stephanas,
Richard Fellows, 08/03/2004
-
RE: [Corpus-Paul] Gaius Titius Justus a.k.a. Stephanas,
Doug Chaplin, 08/03/2004
- Re: [Corpus-Paul] Gaius Titius Justus a.k.a. Stephanas, Richard Fellows, 08/04/2004
-
RE: [Corpus-Paul] Gaius Titius Justus a.k.a. Stephanas,
Stephen C. Carlson, 08/04/2004
- [Corpus-Paul] Onesimus, Richard Fellows, 08/07/2004
- Re: [Corpus-Paul] Onesimus, Rabbi Saul, 08/07/2004
- Re: [Corpus-Paul] Onesimus, Richard Fellows, 08/08/2004
- Re: [Corpus-Paul] Gaius Titius Justus a.k.a. Stephanas, Jeff Tiona, 08/07/2004
- RE: [Corpus-Paul] Gaius Titius Justus a.k.a. Stephanas, David C. Hindley, 08/08/2004
- [Corpus-Paul] Cephas and Peter in Galatians, Richard Fellows, 08/08/2004
- Re: [Corpus-Paul] Cephas and Peter in Galatians, Harold R. Holmyard III, 08/16/2004
- Re: [Corpus-Paul] Cephas and Peter in Galatians, Stephen C. Carlson, 08/16/2004
- Re: [Corpus-Paul] Cephas and Peter in Galatians, Harold R. Holmyard III, 08/17/2004
-
RE: [Corpus-Paul] Gaius Titius Justus a.k.a. Stephanas,
Doug Chaplin, 08/03/2004
-
Re: [Corpus-Paul] Gaius Titius Justus a.k.a. Stephanas,
Richard Fellows, 08/03/2004
-
RE: [Corpus-Paul] Gaius Titius Justus a.k.a. Stephanas,
Doug Chaplin, 08/02/2004
-
Re: [Corpus-Paul] Gaius Titius Justus a.k.a. Stephanas,
Richard Fellows, 08/02/2004
-
RE: [Corpus-Paul] Gaius Titius Justus a.k.a. Stephanas,
Doug Chaplin, 08/01/2004
- <Possible follow-up(s)>
-
Re: [Corpus-Paul] Gaius Titius Justus a.k.a. Stephanas,
Frich107, 08/02/2004
- RE: [Corpus-Paul] Gaius Titius Justus a.k.a. Stephanas, Doug Chaplin, 08/02/2004
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