Leadership and Lifestyle: The Portrait of Paul in the Miletus Speech and 1 Thessalonians

by Steve Walton

• ISBN13: 9780521780063
• ISBN10: 0521780063
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-08-28
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

This study contributes to debate about the portraits of Paul in Acts and his epistles by considering Paul's Miletus speech (Acts 20.18b-35) and identifies and compares major themes in Luke and Paul's views of Christian leadership. Comparisons with Jesus' speeches in Luke show how Lukan the speech is and, with 1 Thessalonians, how Pauline it is. The speech calls the Ephesian elders to service after Paul's departure to Jerusalem, focusing on: faithful fulfilment of leadership responsibility; suffering; attitudes to wealth and work; and the death of Jesus. Paul models Christian leadership for the elders. Parallels in Luke highlight his view of Christian leadership - modelled by Jesus and taught to his disciples, and modelled by Paul and taught to the elders. Study of 1 Thessalonians identifies a remarkably similar portrait of Christian leadership. The Miletus speech is close in thought, presentation and vocabulary to an early, indubitably Pauline letter.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	xi
Abbreviations	xiii
Why study the Miletus speech?	1	(33)
The Paul of Acts/Paul of the epistles debate	2	(12)
Luke's knowledge of the Pauline epistles	14	(3)
Review of previous work on the speech	17	(15)
Orientation of this study	32	(2)
Are parallels in the eye of the beholder?	34	(18)
Introduction	34	(1)
Parallelism in Luke-Acts	34	(6)
What kind of unity have Luke and Acts?	40	(4)
A hierarchy of connections	44	(3)
Acts and the Pauline parallels	47	(4)
Conclusion	51	(1)
The Miletus speech in context	52	(42)
Immediate context	52	(3)
Literary genre	55	(11)
Structure	66	(9)
Overview of contents	75	(9)
Themes	84	(10)
EXCURSUS 1: THE TEXT AND TRANSLATION OF ACTS 20.28b	94	(43)
The Miletus speech and Luke's Gospel	99	(38)
Introduction	99	(1)
Luke 22.14--38	100	(18)
Luke 12.1--53	118	(10)
Luke 21.5--36	128	(2)
Briefer passages	130	(4)
Conclusion: leadership	134	(3)
EXCURSUS 2: THE TEXT OF LUKE 22.17--20	137	(78)
The Miletus speech and 1 Thessalonians	140	(46)
Introduction	140	(2)
Orientation to 1 Thessalonians	142	(15)
From the Miletus speech to 1 Thessalonians	157	(17)
From 1 Thessalonians to the Miletus speech	174	(9)
Leadership in 1 Thessalonians	183	(2)
Conclusions	185	(1)
The Miletus speech, Ephesians and 2 Timothy	186	(13)
Ephesians and the Miletus speech	186	(6)
2 Timothy and the Miletus speech	192	(6)
Conclusion	198	(1)
Concluding reflections	199	(16)
Review and summary of results	199	(2)
Implications for study of the Miletus speech	201	(11)
Implications for the Paul of Acts/Paul of the epistles debate	212	(1)
Future work suggested by this study	213	(2)
Bibliography	215	(25)
Index of ancient texts	240	(13)
Index of modern authors	253	(2)
Index of subjects	255