Phoebe, a Host of Christian Travelers: The Meaning of Prostátis in Romans 16:2
Phoebe, a Host of Christian Travelers The Meaning of Προστάτις in Romans 16:2
In Rom 16:2, Paul refers to Phoebe in Cenchreae as "a patron [προστάτις] of many and of myself." After considering the various proposals regarding the nature of Phoebe’s "patronage" toward Paul, I advance a hypothesis mentioned by Origen and some modern commentators in passing—th...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Scholar's Press
2024
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| In: |
Journal of Biblical literature
Year: 2024, Volume: 143, Issue: 2, Pages: 323-337 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Epigraphy
/ Phöbe, Biblical person
/ Paul Apostle
/ Bible. Römerbrief 16,2
/ Patronage
/ Patronage
/ patronus (Latin)
B Greek language / Noun / prostatis |
| RelBib Classification: | HC New Testament KAB Church history 30-500; early Christianity ZA Social sciences |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | In Rom 16:2, Paul refers to Phoebe in Cenchreae as "a patron [προστάτις] of many and of myself." After considering the various proposals regarding the nature of Phoebe’s "patronage" toward Paul, I advance a hypothesis mentioned by Origen and some modern commentators in passing—that Phoebe was a προστάτις in that she provided hospitality services, such as accommodation and advocacy, to Paul and other Christian travelers. To support this interpretation, I bring to bear two types of evidence: epigraphic data regarding προστάτις and Paul’s sociorhetorical purposes in Rom 16:2. Epigraphic evidence establishes that hospitality was a common aspect of being a προστάτης, as the term commonly defined πρόξɛνοι ("public friend-hosts"). In terms of rhetoric, Paul refers to Phoebe as a προστάτις in his commendation of her to the recipients in Rome (Rom 16:1-2), indicating that Phoebe’s past hospitality as a προστάτις makes her deserving of the Romans’ future hospitality. |
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| ISSN: | 1934-3876 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of Biblical literature
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.15699/jbl.1432.2024.8 |