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View / Download 1.3 Mb Copyright by Joshua Seokhyun Yoon 2016 ABSTRACT In Luke’s two volumes, Luke is not interested only in Gentiles and those with high social status but also in the marginalized and those who are outsiders. This dissertation seeks to read Luke’s concern for outsiders and the theme of the inclusion of outsiders in the new kingdom of God in Luke’s narrative of the Ethiopian eunuch’s conversion in Acts 8:26-40. This paper examines the Ethiopian eunuch’s complex identity from the perspectives of the Greco-Roman world, Old Testament (LXX) allusions to the Elijah-Elisha narratives, and Luke’s interpretation of the Isaianic quotation of the Suffering Servant in Acts 8:32-33 (cf. Isaiah 53:7-8). This study pays close attention to the correlations between the theme of outsiders and three key characters in Acts 8:26-40: the Ethiopian eunuch, Philip, and the Suffering Servant. First, Luke depicts the Ethiopian eunuch as the consummate outsider—geographically, morally, socially, ethnically, and in terms of gender—and indicates that the eunuch represents other marginalized outsiders. The eunuch shows no one can prevent outsiders like him from inclusion in the kingdom of God. Second, Luke portrays Philip as a prophet, specifically a prophet like Elijah and Elisha. Philip emulates Elijah and Elisha by reaching out to the outsider (in this instance, the Ethiopian eunuch). Third, Luke presents the Isaianic Suffering Servant as a religious and social outsider and identifies the character with Jesus and the Ethiopian eunuch. The indescribable descendants of the Suffering Servant signify a universally inclusive messianic community and fulfill the outsiders’ inclusion within the people of God as Isaiah prophesied (Isaiah 56:3-8). This thesis finally suggests ways to read the story of the Ethiopian eunuch today and concludes that it is imperative to include those outsiders among us within the community of Jesus’s followers. iv CONTENTS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ...................................................................................................... VII ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................ XI CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1 A History of Reading Acts 8:26-40 ............................................................................................. 7 The Ethiopian Eunuch, Philip, and the Suffering Servant ......................................................... 12 CHAPTER 2: THE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH: A REPRESENTATIVE OUTSIDER ................... 14 The Representative Outsider ..................................................................................................... 15 Geographical Categories............................................................................................................ 15 Morality ..................................................................................................................................... 19 Ethnicity .................................................................................................................................... 22 Social Status .............................................................................................................................. 27 Gender Categories ..................................................................................................................... 32 Summary: The Inclusion of the Representative Outsider .......................................................... 34 CHAPTER 3: PHILIP: THE “PROPHET” TO THE OUTSIDER ............................................... 38 Jesus, Elijah, and Elisha in Luke 4:25-27 .................................................................................. 42 Jesus, Elijah, and Elisha in Luke 7:1-23 .................................................................................... 46 Jesus and Elisha (Luke 7:1-10) .................................................................................................. 47 Jesus and Elijah (Luke 7:11-17) ................................................................................................ 50 Philip, Elijah, and Elisha in Acts 8:26-40 .................................................................................. 52 Philip and Elijah (Acts 8:26-40) ................................................................................................ 52 Philip and Elisha (Acts 8:26-40) ............................................................................................... 56 Summary: Why is Philip Like Both Elijah and Elisha? ............................................................ 59 CHAPTER 4: JESUS: THE ISAIANIC SUFFERING SERVANT .............................................. 61 v Isaiah 53:7-8 in Acts 8: Jesus as the Suffering Messiah ............................................................ 63 The Suffering Servant as a Representative Outsider ................................................................. 67 The Suffering Servant and Jesus ............................................................................................... 67 The Suffering Servant and the Ethiopian Eunuch ..................................................................... 72 The Inclusion of Outsiders in the Suffering Servant Passage ................................................... 74 The Isaianic Promise of Inclusion of the Outsiders ................................................................... 79 Summary: The Outsider and the Inclusion of Outsiders in Isaiah ............................................. 82 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................... 83 BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................................... 87 vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AB The Anchor Bible Aeth. Ethiopian Story Ant. Antiquities of the Jews ANTC Abingdon New Testament Commentaries AugCNT Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament Bapt. Homily on Baptism BECNT Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament BETL Bibliotheca Ephemeridum Theologicarum Lovaniensium BHT Beiträge zur Historischen Theologie Bib Biblica BTB Biblical Theology Bulletin Cal. Life of Caligula CBQ The Catholic Biblical Quaterly CCSS Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture Comm. Isa. Commentary on Isaiah CTSR Chicago Theological Seminary Register CurTM Currents in Theology and Mission Demon. Demonax Epist. The Letters of St. Jerome. EurH Reihe Europäische Hochschulschriften Reihe ExpBC The Expositor’s Bible Commentary vii ExpΤ Expository Τimes Geogr. The Geography of Strabo Haer. Against the Heresies. Hom. on the Gospels Homilies on the Gospels. Hom. Matt. Homilies on the Gospel of Saint Matthew Hom. Phil. Homilies on Philippians Hist. Histories Hist. eccl. Ecclesiastical History HTR Harvard Theological Review HTS Harvard Theological Studies IBT Interpreting Biblical Texts ICC International Critical Commentary on the Holy Scriptures Il. Illiad Int Interpretation IVPNTC IVP New Testament Commentary Series JBL Journal of Biblical Literature JETS Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society JITC Journal of the Interdenominational Theological Center JRL Journal of Religious Leadership JSNT Journal for the Study of the New Testament JSNTSup Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement Series JSS Journal of Semitic Studies JTI Journal of Theological Interpretation viii J.W. Jewish War KEK Kritisch-Exegetischer Kommentar über das Neue Testament LCL Loeb Classical Library LNTS Library of New Testament Studies LXX Septuagint Mor. Moralia NAC New American Commentary Nat. Natural History NCBCNT New Collegeville Bible Commentary, New Testament Neot Neotestamentica NIB New Interpreter’s Bible NICNT The New International Commentary on the New Testament NIVAC New International Version Application Commentary NovT Novum Testamentum NovTSup Supplements to Novum Testamentum NRSV New Revised Standard Version NTIC New Testament in Context Commentaries NTS New Testament Studies OBT Overtures to Biblical Theology Od. Odyssey PBTMon Paternoster Biblical Monographs PCNT Paideia Commentaries on the New Testament Philopatr. Philopatris ix PilNTC The Pillar New Testament Commentary ProcC Proclamation Commentaries RevExp Review & Expositor Sat. Juvenal Satires SBLAB Society of Biblical Literature Academia Biblica SBLDS Society of Biblical Literature Dissertation Series SBT Studies in Biblical Theology SemeiaSt Semeia Studies SHBC Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary SNTA Studiorum Novi Testamenti Auxilia SNTS Society for New Testament Studies SNTSMS Society for New Testament Studies: Monograph Series SNTU Studienzum Neuen Testament und seiner Umwelt Somn. On Dreams SP Sacra Pagina Series Spect. Apology: De spectaculis TBT The Bible Today TDNT Theological Dictionary of the New Testament Vit. Ant. The Life of Saint Antony Vit. Apoll. The Life of Apollonius of Tyana WTJ Wesleyan Theological Journal WUNT Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungenzum Neuen Testament ZECNT Zondervan Exegetical Commentary Series on the New Testament x ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to give my deepest thanks first to my wife, Heewoon Eum, and my children, Joy Sarang Yoon and Joshua Youngkwang Yoon, for their unfailing support, great perseverance, and continuous encouragement throughout my years of study and writing this thesis. This accomplishment would not have been possible without them. I must express my very
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