Honor and Shame in the Second Letter to the Corinthians. In recent years biblical scholars have begun to recognize the value of

Transcription

1 Honor and Shame in the Second Letter to the Corinthians In recent years biblical scholars have begun to recognize the value of anthropological studies for biblical interpretation. This cross disciplinary pursuit has opened the door for many valuable studies of Mediterranean culture and its importance for understanding the biblical text. Such studies have led scholars like David desilva to boldly claim that in order to hear the texts correctly we must apply ourselves to understand the culture out of which and to which they spoke. 1 Failing to heed this advice leads to a neglect of the cultural milieu of the biblical world and, therefore, neglect of important values that shaped the world of the authors and recipients. 2 By engaging with the culture of the biblical texts we are able to discern both the theological and social meanings of words and phrases thus gaining a fuller understanding of the text. 3 Of significant interest for this thesis will be determining how the social values of honor and shame shed light upon the interpretation of Paul s second letter to the Corinthians. The contention of this thesis will be that understanding Greco-Roman values of honor and shame will significantly aid our understanding of the message of 2 Corinthians. 1 David A. desilva, Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity: Unlocking New Testament Culture (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000), Ibid, Halvor Moxnes, Honor, Shame, and the Outside World in Paul s Letter to the Romans, in The Social World of Formative Christianity and Judaism, ed. Jacob Neusner, Peder Borgen, Ernest S. Frerichs, Richard Horsley (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1988), 207.

2 The Importance of Honor and Shame The cultural values of honor and shame have been labeled as the core values in the Mediterranean world in general and in the Bible as well. 4 These two values, which go hand in hand, permeate the Mediterranean world reaching into every area of life. One of the significant ways in which honor and shame functioned in the culture was rhetorical, with leaders seeking to influence their followers by identifying certain actions as honorable or dishonorable. 5 As we will see, this function was especially prominent among minority groups fighting to maintain their identity within the larger culture. Analyzing 2 Corinthians in light of the function of honor discourse may provide important interpretive insight into Paul s purpose and message in the letter. 6 The importance of honor and shame will be seen more clearly in the literature review. Assumptions and Limitations This thesis will be guided by certain assumptions and may face certain limitations. First, this research will be guided by the conviction that cultural analysis is valuable for biblical interpretation. Along with this assumption is the assumption that the cultural milieu of the New Testament can be discerned with a high degree of probability through an interaction with extra-biblical literature of the time. Third, I will assume that the canonical form of 2 Corinthians is an appropriate text for this study. 7 Finally, I will 4 Joseph Plevnik, Honor/Shame, in Biblical Social Values and Their Meaning: A Handbook, ed. John J. Pilch and Bruce J. Malina (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1993), See David A. desilva, The Wisdom of Ben Sira: Honor, Shame and the Maintenance of the Values of a Minority Culture, Catholic Biblical Quarterly 58 (1996b): Arthur J. Dewey, A Matter of Honor: A Social-Historical Analysis of 2 Corinthians 10, Harvard Theological Review 78 no 1-2 (Ja-Ap 1985): See David A. desilva, Let the One Who Claims Honor Establish That Claim in the Lord : Honor Discourse in the Corinthian Correspondence, Biblical Theology Bulletin 28 Sum 1998: 62. This 1

3 assume that Scripture is the product of both a divine and human author. This means that a cultural analysis of the world behind the text is appropriate and profitable for interpretation. This research may be limited by the availability of primary copies of documents relevant to the Greco-Roman period. If this proves to be the case, secondary sources, which have interacted extensively with primary sources, will be used in lieu of the primary sources. Definitions of Terms Throughout this study the two most important terms to understand will be honor and shame. It is important to recognize at this point that these terms have both a male and a female component which is in danger of being disregarded in discussions of honor and shame. 8 Joseph Plevnik notes that honor is a value embodied by adult males, while (positive) shame is a value embodied by adult females. 9 Simply put, positive shame encompasses values such as chastity, modesty, and temperance; while honor embodies such values as strength, courage, daring, valor, generosity, and wisdom. 10 The opposite of such values equals negative shame. Two more brief comments on honor and shame will enhance these definitions. David desilva defines honor as the public acknowledgment of a person s worth, granted on the basis of how fully that individual embodies qualities and behaviors valued by the assumption is necessary due to the disagreement over the unity of the letter (see the section methodology to follow). 8 Chance, John K. The Anthropology of Honor and Shame: Culture, Values, and Practice. Semeia 68 (1994): Plevnik, Honor/Shame, Ibid, 96. 2

4 group. 11 Joseph Plevnik defines shame as a claim to worth that is publicly denied and repudiated. 12 Both of these definitions highlight the importance of the public conception of honor and shame. Honor and 2 Corinthians 13 It is important to, again, touch upon the value of anthropological studies and New Testament interpretation. Bruce Malina says that the purpose of such pursuits is to hear the meaning of the documents in terms of the social systems in which they were originally proclaimed. 14 While this has been alluded to above, it is important to explore the validity of this claim. In order to do so, a brief overview of the cultural value of honor and shame will be presented. It is also important to note that due to the lack of honor and shame research specifically related to 2 Corinthians, this literature review will focus on works discussing honor and shame, leaving a thorough survey of honor and shame language in 2 Corinthians for the thesis. The Centrality of Honor David desilva claims that the culture of the first-century world was built on the foundational social values of honor and dishonor. 15 The significance of this statement for understanding biblical texts can be seen when we recognize that in the cultural melting pot that was the Mediterranean world Greeks, Romans, and Judeans all 11 David A. desilva, Honor and Shame, in Dictionary of New Testament Background, ed. Craig A. Evans and Stanley E. Porter (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000), 518. Italics mine. 12 Plevnik, Honor/Shame, 96. Italics mine. 13 In the following discussion I will focus on the language of honor with the recognition that honor is only influential when shame is its opposite. Shame can be seen as the opposite of the value of honor. 14 Malina, New Testament World, xi. 15 desilva, Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity, 23. 3

5 considered honor and shame to be pivotal values in their cultures. 16 This high esteem, and the subsequent pursuit, of honor made dishonor a fate worse than death. 17 The pursuit of honor as the highest virtue is seen in many writings that influenced the first century world. DeSilva cites Aristotle as proposing two motives for choosing a course of action: honor or pleasure. Of these two options, honor was far superior. This belief had been handed down to him from his teacher Isocrates who advised his young pupil that, while honor with pleasure was a great good, pleasure without honor was the worst evil. 18 A.W. Adkins recognized that this value had long been embedded in the Greek culture when he noted that Homer taught that the chief good is to be well spoken of, (and) the chief ill to be badly spoken of, by one s society. 19 These values continued into the world of the New Testament defining much of first-century Mediterranean society. While the social values of honor and shame are central in the history and thinking of the biblical world it is important to exercise caution in seeing them as the sole values of the culture. Just as the Mediterranean world was a cultural melting pot with many different groups vying for survival, it was also a world of diverse values that directed the actions of its inhabitants. With the recognition that the culture was a rich tapestry of many values... one should not assume that in every interaction or consideration honor 16 Jerome H. Neyrey, Despising the Shame of the Cross: Honor and Shame in the Johannine Passion Narrative, Semeia 68 (1994): Plevnik, Honor/Shame, desilva, Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity, 24, citing Aristotle s Nicomachean Ethics [1110b11-12] and Isocrates Ad Demonicus A.W. Adkins, Merit and Responsibility: A Study of Greek Values (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1960),

6 provides the stitch-pattern for the whole. 20 Recognition of this will necessitate care in assuming that the social values of honor and shame are the interpretive keys to every issue in biblical interpretation. The Corporate Nature of Honor As alluded to above, honor exercised its influence in the court of public opinion and was primarily a group value with individual members sharing in the group s honor. 21 This focus shows that ancient people were fundamentally concerned with the approval and disapproval they experienced in the eyes of their fellow citizens. 22 In this sense, the group was more important than the individual who received his or her status from the group. 23 This does not invalidate the contribution of the individual to society, but rather heightens it as the individual s deeds were reflected upon the honor of his or her associates. With such a responsibility, the individual should be more cognizant of the needs of others and thus inclined to observe political, social, economical, and religious norms. 24 The norms to be followed were determined by socially preferred sanctions or orientation 20 David A. desilva, Despising Shame: Honor Discourse and Community Maintenance in the Epistle to the Hebrews, SBLDS 152 (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1995), Plevnik, Honor/Shame, desilva, Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity, Moxnes, Honor, Shame, and the Outside World, desilva, Honor and Shame,

7 for behavior. 25 It becomes apparent that the individual played a vital role in society by upholding the fabric of the society through personal actions and choices. In this system, the individual has tremendous responsibility to the members of his or her group. 26 Honor and the Distinction of Minority Groups The responsibility of the individual to the group was complicated by the multicultural nature of the society and the attendant multifaceted understandings of honor and shame. This caused the various groups within the culture to define honorable behavior in terms of (their) own distinctive set of beliefs and values which led them to evaluate people both inside and outside that group accordingly. 27 For the present study, the challenge will be to distinguish between the values of the minority Christian group and the dominant pagan culture. In the midst of a culture where values of honor differed from group to group, it was crucial for minority groups to define the honorable in terms of that which protected the identity of the group. It was the task of the group leader to orient (and reorient) the group s attention to the value system of the minority culture. 28 Failure to do so would inevitably lead to the demise of the group as individuals vacillated in their commitment to the ideals of their subculture and leading to a loss of its distinct identity. Honor and the Court of Reputation 25 Malina, New Testament World, See desilva, Honor and Shame, desilva, Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity, desilva, Honor and Shame, 518 writes, Where different cultures with different values existed side by side, it became extremely important to insulate one s own group members against the desire for honor or avoidance of dishonor in the eyes of outsiders.... 6

8 In order for the group to survive the pressures from without, it was necessary to establish a court of reputation. This court consists of those to whom the individual in a group looked for recognition of honor. As noted above, honor is a group affair, and is the value of a person in his or her own eyes... plus that person s value in the eyes of his or her social group. 29 This important social dimension necessitates the minority group s establishment of an alternate court of reputation because adherence to the group s values and ideals will remain strong only if one redefines the constituency of one s circle of significant others. 30 Two factors are crucial for the establishment and maintenance of the court of reputation. First, the community must be bound together in their commitment to live in light of the ideals of their society. Compromising the standards established by the group must be seen as dishonorable in spite of the lure of other forces whose ideologies threaten the group. David desilva notes the importance of the community when he writes, Group members need to understand (and to articulate for one another) why the approval or disapproval of outsiders does not matter to the members of the group and why it is no reflection of the group members true honor and worth. 31 Without the constant encouragement and accountability of the group, the individual is in danger of compromise. The second crucial factor is the establishment of an ultimate source of honor. In antiquity, both Jewish and Greco-Roman authors consistently point to God as the 29 Malina, New Testament World, desilva, Honor and Shame, desilva, Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity, 40. 7

9 ultimate arbiter in matters of honor. 32 In this understanding God is the significant other who can grant or withhold honor and praise. Thus, human beings cannot make claim to honor, cannot boast of their prerogatives. 33 God is the ultimate source of approval and sanction for the actions of the group members. This idea permeates the New Testament, and 2 Corinthians in particular, as the writers understood the necessity of fixing the group members focus upon God alone. This is particularly seen in Paul s discussion of the judgment seat of Christ in 5:10. In Paul s estimation, the only deeds with true value are those that remain standing after each believer receives what is due him. From this, Paul makes it clear that the ultimate source of recognition (and, therefore, honor) is God himself. Therefore, it is foolish to continue living according to standards that pagans set up as honorable. All that ultimately matters is the approval of God. The Redefinition of Honor The establishment of an alternate court of reputation naturally led to the redefinition of the dominant society s understanding of honor. Thus the writers of the New Testament in particular transform concepts of shame and turn them into avenues of honor. 34 Often, the negative opinion of outsiders is transformed into a badge of honor for group members as insults and abuse become a competition in which the minority culture s members must endure unto victory. 35 Persecution was to be expected among 32 See desilva, Honor Discourse in the Corinthian Correspondence, Moxnes, Honor, Shame, and the Outside World, See Neyrey, Despising the Shame of the Cross, for an account of the redefinition of shame in the Johannine Passion account. 35 desilva, Honor and Shame,

10 the Christians who, through endurance, would share in the glory of their Savior s sufferings. Paul, one of the premier leaders of the community, set a vivid example of this as he sought weakness, lowliness, suffering, and fear... for the sake of the gospel. Instead of seeking recognition in the eyes of others, he wants to be found in Christ, his Lord and his judge. He does not seek human approval... but only God s approval. 36 This is vividly seen as Paul boasts of his sufferings in 2 Corinthians 11: By highlighting his shameful treatment through beatings, hardships, danger, and experience as a fugitive, Paul seeks to convince the Corinthians that shame for the sake of Christ is true honor. For Paul, his circumstances were all the more honorable because they were proof of his loyalty to his divine commission. 37 By sharing his struggles Paul is seeking to reinforce his teachings on honor and shame, cementing these new values which are expected among community members. How to Gain Honor A natural question in an honor based society is the acquisition of such a prestigious title. Citizens of the first century world understood that honor could be either acquired or ascribed. Ascribed honor was honor given to a person based on who they were, not because of what they had done. Such honor can be given by certain officials like God, the king, or aristocrats who have honor and the power to bestow honor on others Plevnik, Honor/Shame, desilva, Honor Discourse in the Corinthian Correspondence, Malina, New Testament World, 32. 9

11 The most common way to gain honor, however, was by acquiring it through the social game of challenge and response which was a salient feature of Mediterranean culture. 39 Malina calls this game a tug-of-war in which persons hassle each other according to socially defined rules in order to gain the honor of another. 40 Such a characterization leads one to believe that the social system of the time was highly competitive and unfriendly. This is partly because honor was a valued commodity that was in limited supply. In order to gain honor, one had to take it from someone else. 41 And when someone who was challenged failed to respond in the proper way (in the eyes of their society) they forfeited their honor to the challenger. 42 The competitive nature of this culture has led scholars to label it the agonistic culture, agon being Greek for struggle. 43 While this was the way the game was played in the culture at large, the Christian community refined the rules in certain ways. One of the prominent aspects of this redefinition was to seek honor without degrading the honor of another. 44 Christians would use the value of honor to regulate behavior but not with an excessive emphasis on competition for attaining honor at the expense of others. 45 This is primarily true of those who are in the community of believers, as Paul s bold language in 2 Corinthians 39 Neyrey, Despising the Shame of the Cross, Malina, New Testament World, 33. & Purity, Neyrey, Despising the Shame of the Cross, 117. See also desilva, Honor, Patronage, Kinship 42 Malina, New Testament World, Ibid, See desilva, Honor Discourse in the Corinthian Correspondence, desilva, Despising Shame,

12 represented a social challenge 46 to his opponents. Paul sought to discredit his opponents with the hope that the Corinthians would recognize his God-given apostolic authority. Conclusion In order to identify honor discourse in a piece of literature scholars suggest that certain lexical patterns will emerge. 47 While these lists will be helpful for a discussion of honor in the thesis it will be necessary to rely on ideas and themes of honor that have been discussed in order to illustrate Paul s understanding, and use, of honor discourse in 2 Corinthians. As we have seen, the values of honor and shame permeated Mediterranean culture. Importantly, these same ideas permeate the second letter to the Corinthians. Paul s defense of his ministry (2 Cor 10:7-11), claim of ascribed honor (2 Cor 10:17-18), construction of an alternate court of reputation (2 Cor 5: 9-10), encouragement for benevolence (2 Cor 8:7-12), and redefinition of the honorable (2 Cor 11) all point to the importance of honor discourse in 2 Corinthians. Methodology 48 In order to determine the value of honor discourse in 2 Corinthians it will be necessary to study not only lexical but also ideological considerations of the topic. In order to this, it will be necessary to survey the relevant literature from the Hellenistic period that speaks to this issue. Without a solid grasp of honor discourse as it appears in 46 Dewey, A Matter of Honor, See desilva, Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity, 27-8 and Moxnes, Honor, Shame, and the Outside World, 210 for lists of words. 48 For much of the following material I am greatly indebted to the methodological decisions of David desilva in his dissertation Despising Shame: Honor Discourse and Community Maintenance in the Epistle to the Hebrews, 24ff. 11

13 the ancient world, the thesis will be flawed. As desilva advises (strong) documentation from ancient sources which illustrate... what honor was, how honor was measured, and how honor worked will greatly increase the accuracy and the depth of the thesis. 49 The primary documents to clarify issues of honor will be rhetorical handbooks, the writings of minority communities like Cynic and Stoic philosophers, and Jewish texts that were written in times of trial. This task will be all the more difficult, and crucial, due to the lack of agreement on the part of anthropologists on the exact nature of honor discourse during this period. 50 This disagreement, however, does not negate the possibility of gaining an accurate picture of honor and shame. After a thorough survey of ancient literature, the thesis will be focused upon the letter of 2 Corinthians. Of primary importance will be a discussion of the unity of the letter. While I will operate under the assumption that the canonical form of the letter is a sufficient and reliable text for this study, it will be necessary to comment on the widespread disagreement regarding the structure and unity of the letter. 51 Following this discussion attention will turn to determining the background of the second letter to the Corinthians. The history of Corinth, the dominant groups, the identity of Paul s opponents, and the overall social milieu of the city will be objects of inquiry. Each of these issues is important in determining the nature of honor and shame discourse 49 desilva, Despising Shame, Chance, The Anthropology of Honor and Shame, For a good summary of the issues relating to the literary structure of 2 Corinthians see Paul Barnett, The Second Epistle to the Corinthians, NICNT (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), See also Ralph P. Martin, 2 Corinthians, WBC (Waco, TX: Word Books, Publisher, 1986), xxxviii-xl; Jan Lambrecht, Second Corinthians, vol. 8, Sacra Pagina Series, ed. Daniel J. Harrington (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1999), 7-9; Victor Paul Furnish, II Corinthians: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, Anchor Bible 32A (New York: Doubleday, 1984), 30-53; and David E. Garland, 2 Corinthians, NAC 29 (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1999), for discussions of this issue. 12

14 in the letter. Knowing the audience and their situation will assist in making an accurate interpretation of the data in the letter. It will also be important to determine the genre of the letter. David desilva notes that three prominent rhetorical genres were in use at the time the letter was composed: epideictic, forensic, and deliberative. 52 The epideictic genre is the only genre that is directly concerned with issues of honor and shame. In order to determine the importance of honor and shame discourse in 2 Corinthians, it will be important to determine the genre of the letter. This will take place through a detailed exegesis of 2 Corinthians. This study will seek to determine lexical and ideological references to honor and shame. The exegesis of 2 Corinthians will focus on the original language of the text and will seek to determine common threads in Paul s argument throughout the letter. Analysis and Reporting of Data Finally, I will seek to analyze and apply my findings in light of honor and shame discourse. Through this analysis I will seek to determine why Paul chose to use honor and shame language and what he wanted to accomplish through its use. In reporting the data, I will attempt to highlight various themes of honor and shame in the letter. This will present a more unified understanding of the theme in the letter as opposed to a verse by verse exegesis that notes various aspects of honor and shame. Through my reporting of the data I will seek to show that Paul was attempting to accomplish several important tasks through his letter by using the language of honor and shame. Anticipated Benefits 52 desilva, Despising Shame,

15 Social analysis of the biblical texts has the potential of shedding light on interpretive problems and allowing a proper understanding of biblical texts. Bruce Malina says that social analysis offers a dimension not available from other approaches, along with a way to check on the hunches of interpreters when it comes to questions of what any given author said and meant to say. 53 In this understanding literary critical, theological, and historical studies of 2 Corinthians all have value. However, this study of 2 Corinthians will focus on the value of a social scientific approach to the biblical text. It is my hope that through this study the message of 2 Corinthians will be heard in ways consistent with the original audience. 53 Malina, New Testament World, xi. 14

16 BIBLIOGRAPHY Adkins, A.W. Merit and Responsibility: A Study of Greek Values. Oxford: Clarendon Press, Chance, John K. The Anthropology of Honor and Shame: Culture, Values, and Practice. Semeia 68 (1994): Barnett, Paul. The Second Epistle to the Corinthians. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, desilva, David A. Despising Shame: Honor Discourse and Community Maintenance in the Epistle to the Hebrews. SBLDS 152. Atlanta: Scholars Press, The Wisdom of Ben Sira: Honor, Shame and the Maintenance of the Values of a Minority Culture. Catholic Biblical Quarterly 58 (1996): Let the One Who Claims Honor Establish That Claim in the Lord : Honor Discourse in the Corinthian Correspondence. Biblical Theology Bulletin 28 (Sum 1998): Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity: Unlocking New Testament Culture. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, Honor and Shame. In Dictionary of New Testament Background, ed. Craig A. Evans and Stanley E. Porter. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000, Dewey, Arthur J. A Matter of Honor: A Social-Historical Analysis of 2 Corinthians 10. Harvard Theological Review 78 no 1-2 (Ja-Ap 1985): Furnish, Victor Paul. II Corinthians: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. Anchor Bible 32A. New York: Doubleday, Garland, David E. 2 Corinthians. NAC 29. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, Lambrecht, Jan. Second Corinthians. Vol 8 Sacra Pagina Series, ed. Daniel J. Harrington. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, Malina, Bruce J. The New Testament World: Insights from Cultural Anthropology. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, Marshall, Peter. A Metaphor of Social Shame : QRIAMBEUEIN in 2 Cor 2:14. Novum Testamentum 25 (O 1983): Martin, Ralph P. 2 Corinthians. WBC. Waco, TX: Word Books, Publisher,

17 Moxnes, Halvor. Honor, Shame, and the Outside World in Paul s Letter to the Romans. In The Social World of Formative Christianity and Judaism, ed. Jacob Neusner, Peder Borgen, Ernest S. Frerichs, Richard Horsley. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1988, Neyrey, Jerome H. Despising the Shame of the Cross: Honor and Shame in the Johannine Passion Narrative. Semeia 68 (1994): Pitt-Rivers, Julian. Honor. In International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, vol. 5 (New York: The Macmillan Company & The Free Press, 1968), Plevnik, Joseph. Honor/Shame. In Biblical Social Values and Their Meaning: A Handbook, ed. John J. Pilch and Bruce J. Malina. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1993,