[B-Greek] Chiastic Structure in Philemon 5

Iver Larsen iver_larsen at sil.org
Wed Nov 4 03:02:23 EST 2009


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tony Pope" <borikayaama_tekiri at sil.org>
To: "B-Greek" <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: 3. november 2009 18:26
Subject: [B-Greek] Chiastic Structure in Philemon 5


>I notice you have had no reply to your question, so I'll say something. I agree 
>with your sentiments
> entirely. I have never been happy with the interpretation of this verse as a 
> chiastic structure. As
> I understand it, interpreters are driven to it because, as you suggest, they 
> feel unable to give a
> "non-religious" meaning to PISTIS. The assumption is that the statement must 
> be the same as in
> Colossians 1.4, especially as it is supposed to have been written at the same 
> time as the letter to
> Philemon.

Col 1:3-4 is indeed an important background for understanding how Paul 
introduces many of his letters:
The text is:
3 Εὐχαριστοῦμεν τῷ θεῷ [καὶ] πατρὶ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ πάντοτε περὶ 
ὑμῶν προσευχόμενοι,
4 ἀκούσαντες τὴν πίστιν ὑμῶν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην ἣν ἔχετε εἰς πάντας 
τοὺς ἁγίους

EUCARISTOUMEN TWi QEWi (KAI PATRI TOU KURIOU hHMWN IHSOU CRISTOU) PANTOTE PERI 
hUMWN PROSEUCOMENOI,
AKOUSANTES THN PISTIN hUMWN EN CRISTWi IHSOU KAI THN AGAPHN hHN ECETE EIS PANTAS 
TOUS hAGIOUS

The text in Philemon has many similarities:
4 Εὐχαριστῶ τῷ θεῷ μου πάντοτε μνείαν σου ποιούμενος ἐπὶ τῶν προσευχῶν μου,
5 ἀκούων σου τὴν ἀγάπην καὶ τὴν πίστιν, ἣν ἔχεις πρὸς τὸν κύριον Ἰησοῦν καὶ εἰς 
πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους

4 EUCARISTW TWi QEWi MOU PANTOTE MNEIAN SOU POIOUMENOS EPI TWN PROSEUCWN MOU
5 AKOUWN SOU THN AGAPHN KAI THN PISTIN hHN ECEIS PROS TON KURION IHSOUN KAI EIS 
PANTAS TOUS hAGIOUS

In both cases Paul is thanking God in his prayers for the addressee since he has 
had a good report of their faith in Jesus and love towards all the saints.

We find a similar statement in Eph 1:15-16 but with the reason before the 
thanksgiving:

15 Διὰ τοῦτο κἀγὼ ἀκούσας τὴν καθ᾽ ὑμᾶς πίστιν ἐν τῷ κυρίῳ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην 
τὴν εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους
16 οὐ παύομαι εὐχαριστῶν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν μνείαν ποιούμενος ἐπὶ τῶν προσευχῶν μου

DIA TOUTO KAGW AKOUSAS THN KAQ' hUMAS PISTIN EN TWi KURIWi IHSOU KAI THN AGAPHN 
THN EIS PANTAS TOUS hAGIOUS
16 OU PAUOMAI EUCARISTWN hUPER hUMWN MNEIAN POIOUMENOS EPI TWN PROSEUCWN MOU

In all of these Paul is referring to what he has heard.

Also consider 2 Thes 1:3:
Εὐχαριστεῖν ὀφείλομεν τῷ θεῷ πάντοτε περὶ ὑμῶν, ἀδελφοί, καθὼς ἄξιόν ἐστιν, ὅτι 
ὑπεραυξάνει ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν καὶ πλεονάζει ἡ ἀγάπη ἑνὸς ἑκάστου πάντων ὑμῶν εἰς 
ἀλλήλους

EUCARISTEIN OFEILOMEN TWi QEWI PANTOTE PERI hUMWN, ADELFOI, KAQWS AXION ESTIN, 
hOTI hUPERAUXANEI hH PISTIS hUMWN KAI PLEONAZEI hH AGAPH hENOS hEKASTOU PANTWN 
hUMWN EIS ALLHLOUS

PISTIS in Paul's writings has as its object God or Jesus, not people, and this 
is so much expected that the word often occurs without an object, since the 
reader can easily supply it.

In 1 Thes 1:2-3 there is a similar thanksgiving in prayer because of their ERGON 
THS PISTEWS KAI KOPOS THS AGAPHS.

PISTIS is directed to God and AGAPH to other people. Paul obviously sought and 
received reports about these two things from the churches. How is your faith (in 
Jesus)? How do you express that faith in your love towards one another? (cf. Gal 
5:6 πίστις δι᾽ ἀγάπης ἐνεργουμένη - PISTIS DI' AGAPHS ENERGOUMENH).

IMO, this practice of Paul is enough to show that the intention in Phm 1:5 is 
that PISTIS is directed to Jesus - PROS TON KURION IHSOUN - and love is directed 
to people -  EIS PANTAS TOUS hAGIOUS.
Paul, of course, is very familiar with Hebrew chiasms, and the letter to 
Philemon is not a casual, hurriedly written letter, but a fine piece of 
rhetoric, so I don't have a problem with the chiasm here - although I do not 
subscribe to all examples of chiasms that commentaries have suggested.

Iver Larsen




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