Our Politeuma Is in Heaven!

Gennadi A. Sergienko

Description

For many of whom I often told you, and even now am writing with tears, walk as the enemies of the cross of Christ: they walk to their final destruction, their god is the belly and their glory is in shameful things, their minds are earthly bound. But our πολίτευμα is in heaven from where we expect the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our Savior.
Philippians 3:18-20
Paul’s letters to Philippians show us that this rather outspoken man had plenty of opportunity and cause to aggravate his christian contemporaries. However, for Paul to use such hostility and to name people as “enemies” shows us that we should take note and try to understand the meaning behind his statement. In this work the author asks: who were these enemies? What did they do wrong? Why did they deserve destruction? In search of these questions the investigation looks to the early Christian communities and their formation within the socio-political realities of the urban centers of the Roman Empire. Through this we learn a great deal about the uneven and complex dynamics of the early Christian community and a deep understanding of Paul’s warning to them.

Informations

• Publié par: Langham Creative Projects
• Date de parution: 14 octobre 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781907713729
• Langue: English

Extrait

This detailed work focuses on the formation of and challenges to early Christian community and identity in Roman Philippi in the first century. It brings forward a wealth of inscriptional and literary evidence useful for understanding the cultural setting in which Christians of first century Philippi lived out their daily lives. Against this backdrop, Sergienko probes the thesis that the Philippian Christians were compromising their commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior by participation in local voluntary organizations that included the practice of emperor worship. Paul challenges their allegiance to an earthly politeuma – a voluntary association – with his declaration that Christians in fact have their politeuma – source of authority – in heaven. Offering a fresh look at ancient evidence and the text of Philippians, Sergienko crafts a suggestive argument for reading this epistle and Paul’s call for exclusive allegiance to Jesus Christ as Lord in light of various religious, social, and cultural obstacles faced by the church.
Marianne Meye Thompson
George Eldon Ladd Professor of New Testament
Fuller Theological Seminary, California, USA

“Our Politeuma is in Heaven!”: Paul’s Polemical Engagement with the “Enemies of the Cross of Christ” in Philippians 3:18-20
Gennadi A. Sergienko

© 2013 by Gennadi Sergienko
Published 2013 by Langham Monographs
an imprint of Langham Creative Projects
Langham Partnership
PO Box 296, Carlisle, Cumbria CA3 9WZ, UK
www.langham.org
ISBNs:
978-1-907713-74-3 Print
978-1-907713-73-6 Mobi
978-1-907713-72-9 ePub
Gennadi Sergienko has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988 to be identified as the Author of this work.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher or the Copyright Licensing Agency.
Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Sergienko, Gennadi Andreyevich, author.
Our politeuma is in heaven!.
1. Bible. Philippians, III, 18-20--Language, style.
2. Paul, the Apostle, Saint--Language. 3. Hapax legomena.
4. Paul, the Apostle, Saint--Political and social views.
I. Title
227.6’066-dc23
ISBN-13: 9781907713743
Cover & Book Design: projectluz.com
Langham Partnership actively supports theological dialogue and a scholars right to publish but does not necessarily endorse the views and opinions set forth, and works referenced within this publication, or guarantee its technical and grammatical correctness. Langham Partnership does not accept any responsibility or liability to persons or property as a consequence of the reading, use or interpretation of its published content.

Converted to eBook by EasyEPUB

Моей любимой жене Вере, благодаря терпению и поддержке которой, стало возможным написание этой работы
To my beloved wife, Vera. Thank you for the patience and support that made writing this work possible.
Contents

Cover


List of Abbreviations


Chapter 1 Introduction


1.1 Topic and Goal of the Dissertation


1.2 State of Scholarship


1.3 Voluntary Associations and the “Enemies of the Cross”: The Thesis of the Dissertation


1.4 Outline of the Dissertation


Chapter 2 Voluntary Associations within a Graeco-Roman City


2.1 Religious and Professional Associations


2.2 Membership


2.3 Organizational Structure


2.4 Social Function of Voluntary Associations


2.5 Relating to Imperial Rome


2.6 The Religious Function of Voluntary Associations


Conclusion


Chapter 3 The Roman Colony of Philippi


3.1 Historical Overview


3.2 Demographic Situation


3.3 Socio-Economic Features


3.4 Political Profile


3.5 Religious Profile


Conclusion


Chapter 4 Voluntary Associations at Philippi


4.1 Silvanus Association


4.2 Diana Association


4.3 Dionysiac Association


4.4 Associations of Isis and/or Serapis


4.5 Associations of the Thracian deities Sourgethes and Hero


4.6 Association of Dendrophorus Augustalis


4.7 Association of the Purple-Dyers


4.8 Association of Grave-Diggers


4.9 Association of Gladiators


Conclusion


Chapter 5 Christian Ekklēsia at Philippi and Voluntary Associations: Discovering the Points of Correlation


5.1 The social context of Paul’s ministry


5.2 Philippian Christian Community


Conclusion


Chapter 6 The Earthly Politeuma of the Enemies of the Cross and Paul’s Vision of the Politeuma in Heaven (Phil 3:18-20)


6.1 The Earthly Πολίτευμα of the Enemies of the Cross (Phil 3:18-20)


6.2 Paul’s Counter-Argument Against the “Enemies of the Cross”


Conclusion


Summary


Appendix 1 Cults Attested at and Near Philippi


Appendix 2 Membership List of the Silvanus Association at Philippi


Appendix 3 Graeco-Roman and Jewish Literary Sources on Πολιτευμα


Bibliography


1. Primary Sources


3. Reference Works


4. Secondary Literature


About Langham Partnership

Endnotes
List of Abbreviations

Modern Translations of the Bible

NAB
New American Bible
NASB
New American Standard Bible
NIV
New International Version
NRSV
New Revised Standard Version
NJB
New Jerusalem Bible
RST
Русский Синодальный перевод (Russian Synodal Translation)

Books of the Bible

Exod
Exodus
Deut
Deuteronomy
Judg
Judges
2 Kgs
2 Kings
Neh
Nehemia
Ps
Psalms
Prov
Proverbs
Isa
Isaiah
Jer
Jeremiah
Ezek
Ezekiel
Dan
Daniel
Hos
Hosea
Mic
Micah
Hab
Habakkuk
Zeph
Zephaniah
Zech
Zechariah
Mal
Malachi
Matt
Matthew
Rom
Romans
1-2 Cor
1-2 Corinthians
Gal
Galatians
Eph
Ephesians
Phil
Philippians
1-2 Thess
1-2 Thessalonians
Phlm
Philemon
1 Tim
1 Timothy
Tit
Titus
1 Pet
1 Peter
Heb
Hebrews
Rev
Revelation

Old Testament Apocrypha and Psedepigrapha

2 Esd
2 Esrda
1-2 Macc
1-2 Maccabees
3-4 Macc
3-4 Maccabees
Sir
Sirach
Tob
Tobit
Wis
Wisdom of Solomon Apoc. Abr. 2 Bar. The Apocalypse of Abraham 2 Baruch (Syriac Apocalypse) 1 En.
1 Enoch (Ethiopic Apocalypse) 3 En. Jub. 3 Enoch Jubilees T. Dan. Testament of Dan Sib. Or. Sibylline Oracles

Dead Sea Scrolls

11QPs a
Psalms Scrolls

Rabbinic Literature
b.Ta‘an.
Babylonian Talmud, tractate Ta‘anit b.Hag.
Babylonian Talmud, tractate Hagigah Gen. Rab. Genesis Rabbah Num. Rab Numbers Rabbah Cant. Rab. Song of Songs Rabbah Midr. Teh. Midrash Tehillin
(midrash on Psalms) Pesiq. R. Tg. Ket. Pesiqta Rabbati Targum on Writings

Classical and Hellenictic Literature
Appian B Civ. Civil Wars Aristotle Eth. Nic. Eud. Eth. Pol. Rhet
. Nicomachean ethics Eudemean Ethics Politics Rhetoric Aristides Or. Orationes Asconius Pis. Commentary on Against Piso Athenaeus Deipn. Deipnosophistae Augustine Civ. Dei. The City of God Cicero Amic. Rep. Ver. De Amicia On the Republic Against Verres Dio Chrysostom Or. Oration Euripides Bacch. Cycl. Bacchantes Cyclops Hesiod Op. Works and Days Isocrates Areop. Areopagiticus Josephus C. Ap. Ant. Bell Against Apion Jewish Antiquities Wars of the Jews Philo Agr. Conf
. Decal. Ebr . Flacc. Ios. Leg. Legat
. Mos. Opif.
Praem.
Quaest. in Gn. Spec
. Leg. Vit. Cont.
On the Agriculture On