THE NOBLE AND GOOD HEART: Καλοκὰγαθία IN LUKE’S PARABLE OF THE SOWER

John B. Weaver

Among the gospel accounts of the Parable of the Sower, Luke’s nar- rative is unique in its description of a “noble and good heart” (καρδία καλὴ καὶ ἀγαθή) wherein the seeds of God’s word are planted and grow (Luke 8:15). It is widely recognized in the commentary tradition that the phrase καλὸς καὶ ἀγαθός was a conventional expression used in Greco-Roman culture to designate those of high status, particularly high moral status.1 Despite these passing references in commentaries on Luke, and the faint echo of the ancient topos in modern translations (e.g., “honest and good heart” in the KJV and “noble and good heart” in the NIV), investigation of the interpretive signifi cance of this ancient

1 This observation is standard and unelaborated in commentaries, e.g., François Bovon, Luke 1: A Commentary on the Gospel of Luke 1:1–9:50 (Hermeneia; Minneapolis: Fortress, 2002), 311: “In order to make comprehensible the special character of Christian existence, Luke uses the Greek concept of ideal existence, καλοκὰγαθία (‘noble goodness’).” Similarly, Hans Klein, Das Lukasevangelium (Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2006), 308; Luke Timothy Johnson, The Gospel of Luke (SP 3; Collegeville, Minn.: Liturgical, 1991), 133; Joseph Fitzmyer, The Gospel according to Luke I–IX (AB 28; Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1981), 714; Frederick Danker, Jesus and the New Age (St. Louis: Clayton, 1972), 177; Birger Gerhardsson, “The Parable of the Sower and Its Interpretation,” NTS 14 (1968): 184; Jacques DuPont, “La Parabole du Semeur,” FoiVie 66 (1967): 20; W. Grundmann, “καλός,” TDNT 3:540–542. A noteworthy exception to this tradition of interpretation is the critique by I. Howard Marshall (“Tradition and Theology in Luke,” TynBul 20 [1969]: 56–75), who fi nds it “doubtful” that Luke made use of this Hellenistic topos. Marshall supports his conclusion with the observa- tion that the phrase καλὸς καὶ ἀγαθός had “already penetrated Hellenistic Judaism with no trace of its characteristic Classical Greek meaning” (73). As we shall see, how- ever, Hellenistic authors like Philo and the writer of 4 Maccabees display awareness and adoption of Greek philosophical traditions regarding καλὸς καὶ ἀγαθός. In this light, Luke’s description of the “noble and good heart” is in accord with Marshall’s acknowledgment that “Luke has to some extent ‘Hellenized’ the Gospel tradition” (74). Modern recognition of this Hellenistic infl uence extends back to the annotations of Theodore Beza, who notes the similarity of Luke 8:15 to “a Hellenic way of speak- ing found in Greek philosophy and popular parlance.” Beza also equates καλὸς καὶ ἀγαθός with the more common compound forms of the phrase, καλὸς κἀγαθός and καλοκἀγαθός [Theodore Bèze, ΤΗΣ ΚΑΙΝΗΣ ∆ΙΑΘΗΚΗΣ (Basileae: Impensis Nocolai Barbirii & Thomae Courteau, 1560), 210].

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tradition remains a desideratum in Lukan studies.2 This essay undertakes to explore this topic, and is dedicated to my Doktorvater in celebration of his contributions to NT Studies, and in appreciation for his role in fostering my own academic study of Luke-Acts.

1. The “Noble and Good” in Antiquity

Previous studies of the phrase καλὸς καὶ ἀγαθός and its Greek cog- nates—καλὸς κἀγαθός and καλοκἀγαθία—have focused on the usage of these locutions in the literature of Classical Greece.3 The general consensus of these studies is that καλὸς καὶ ἀγαθός and its cognates originally signifi ed the outstanding quality or “nobility” of two groups in : (1) individuals of aristocratic status, and (2) individuals of morally excellent character.4 Although the socio-political signifi cance

2 Satisfactory translation of καλός is often diffi cult, and especially so in the con- ventional phrase καλὸς καὶ ἀγαθός. The present study translates καλός as “noble.” The phrase καλὸς καὶ ἀγαθός and its crasis form (καλὸς κἀγαθός) are translated as “noble and good,” while the compound form (καλοκἀγαθός) is rendered as “noble” or “nobility.” All three forms of the topos might be translated as “noble,” but the present approach accommodates the traditional two-word English translation of καλὸς καὶ ἀγαθός in Luke 8. For support of this approach, see , Eudemian (trans. Michael Woods; Oxford: Clarendon, 1992), 173. The alternate translation of the Greek phrase in the KJV and NRSV (“honest and good”) stands within a tradition extending back to Cicero, who translates καλός and ἀγαθός as honestum and bonum, respectively (e.g., Fin. 3.29). Honestum here does not primarily mean “free from deception,” but rather “morally excellent and praiseworthy.” The use of honestum for καλὸς is bypassed in the Latin Vulgate (“in corde bono et optimo”), but is revived in Erasmus’ 1516 Latin translation of the Greek NT (“in corde honesto & bono”). This revival of the classical Latin is adopted and defended by Theodore Beza, whose infl uence is seen in the “honest and good heart” of the Geneva Bible (1588) and King James Bible (1611). 3 M. Meier, “Kaloskagathia,” New Pauly 7:10–11; Félix Bourriot, Kalos Kagathos— Kalokagathia: D’Un Terme de Propagande de sophistes à une notion sociale et philosophique (2 vols; Hildesheim, N.Y.: Georg Olms, 1995); K. J. Dover, Greek Popular Morality (Indianapolis: Hackett, 1974), 41–45; Hermann Wankel, Kalos kai Agathos (Ph.D. diss., Julius- Maximilians Universität zu Würzburg, 1961; repr., New York: Arno, 1979); Walter Donlan, “The Origin of Καλὸς κἀγαθός,” AJP 94 (1973): 365–74; Julius Jüthner, “Kalokagathia,” Charisteria: Alois Rzach zum Actzigsten Geburtstag (Reichenberg: Verlag von Gebrüder Stiepel, 1930), 99–119. The equivalence of the phrases καλὸς καὶ ἀγαθός, καλὸς κἀγαθός, and καλοκἀγαθία is asserted by Douglas Cairns, “Kalokagathia,” Classical Review 47.1 (1997): 76, and is evidenced in numerous passages where the cognates are used interchangeably, e.g., , Gor. 470E; , Mem. 2.1.28; 3.9.4–5; Oec. 6.13–17. 4 See, for example, the assessment by Meier (“Kaloskagathia,” New Pauly 7:10–11): “Kaloskagathia became in the 4th cent. a social status symbol for rich, respected citizens, who supported the polis with demonstrative generosity. At the same time, under the infl uence of , kalokagathia also became an ethical category.” The twofold (social

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