Page 1 of 7 Original Research The comforted comforter: The meaning of παρακαλέω or παράκλησις terminology in 2 Corinthians Author: In the Pauline homologoumena, παρακαλέω or παράκλησις terminology is used almost two and a 1,2 Reimund Bieringer half times (in 2 Corinthians even six and a half times) as frequently as in the remainder of the Affiliations: New Testament. In the first part of this article, a survey of the use of παρακαλέω or παράκλησις 1Department of Biblical Studies, Katholieke in the undisputed letters and its three major meanings was given: to request strongly, to Universiteit Leuven, exhort and to encourage or comfort. In the second part of the article, the LXX background Belgium of the unprecedented use of παρακαλέω or παράκλησις in 2 Corinthians 1:3–7 and 7:4.5–13, 2Faculty of Theology, where God is the subject, was discussed. The conclusion was that when writing 2 Corinthians University of Pretoria, 1:3–7 and 7:4.5–13 Paul made use of the prophet Isaiah’s Book of Comfort and in his use of South Africa παρακαλέω or παράκλησις allows himself to be influenced by the way the LXX translator uses Note: .נחם Prof. Dr Reimund Bieringer παρακαλέω to translate participates in the research project ‘Gender Studies’, directed by Prof. Dr Yolanda Dreyer, Introduction Department of Practical In the field of Pauline ethics, παρακαλέω or παράκλησις terminology is well known. Next to Theology of the Faculty of Theology at the University parenesis (Bjerkelund 1967; Hahn 1981; Kamlah 1964; Nieder 1956; Popkes 1996; Reinmuth 1985; of Pretoria, South Africa. Schrage1961; Wolbert 1981), ‘paraklēsis’ has been used as a technical term to describe aspects of The research for this the Pauline imperative of salvation (Schlink 1956; Grabner-Haider 1968; Lewicki 2004). According study was conducted in the context of the to Otto Schmitz, in common Greek usage παρακαλέω has four meanings (Schmitz 1968:775): research project ‘New • to call to Perspectives on Paul and the Jews’ which was made • to beseech possible by a grant from • to exhort the Research Foundation • to comfort. Flanders (FWO). The author expresses his gratitude to In studies on Pauline ethics, the term ‘paraklēsis’ refers to παρακαλέω in the third meaning, the FWO and also to Mr ‘to exhort’. In this article, the focus was on the fourth meaning, ‘to comfort’. In recent ethical Andrey Romanov for the technical assistance with discussion, comfort or consolation was discovered as an important ethical theme. In what follows, the finalising of this article. this question will be investigated in the letters of Paul, with special attention to 2 Corinthians. Correspondence to: Firstly, an overview of the usage of παρακαλέω or παράκλησις and of the semantic field of comfort Reimund Bieringer in the letters of Paul and in 2 Corinthians in particular will be given. In a second step, the LXX email: background Paul may have been indebted to will be studied, especially Deutero-Isaiah and Trito- reimund.bieringer@theo. kuleuven.be Isaiah, and the implications for 2 Corinthians will be investigated. Postal address: Katholieke Universiteit παρακαλέω or παράκλησις and other words of the semantic Leuven, St-Michielsstraat 4/3101, B-3000 Belgium field of comfort Dates: In the New Testament there are 109 occurrences of the verb παρακαλέω and 29 of the noun Received: 04 Oct. 2010 Accepted: 14 Oct. 2010 παράκλησις. The Pauline homologoumena contain 40 occurrences of the verb and 18 of the noun. Published: 07 June 2011 This terminology thus occurs once per 1000 words in the New Testament and 2.4 times per 1000 How to cite this article: words in the homologoumena. According to BDAG, παρακαλέω is used in the following meanings Bieringer, R., 2011, ‘The in the New Testament (BDAG, s.v.:764–765): comforted comforter: The meaning of παρακαλέω or • to ask to come, to call to one’s side παράκλησις terminology • to urge strongly, to appeal to, to exhort, to encourage in 2 Corinthians’, HTS • to make a strong request, to implore Teologiese Studies/ Theological Studies 67(1), • to instill someone with courage or cheer, to comfort Art. #969, 7 pages. DOI: • to treat someone in an inviting or congenial manner. 10.4102/hts.v67i1.969 The same dictionary lists three meanings for παράκλησις (BDAG, s.v.:766): • © 2011. The Authors. encouragement, exhortation Licensee: OpenJournals • strong request, appeal Publishing. This work • lifting of another’s spirits, comfort, consolation. is licensed under the Creative Commons In 1 Thessalonians Paul uses παρακαλέω eight times and παράκλησις once. In 1 Thessalonians 2:3 Attribution License. παράκλησις is used in the context of λαλῆσαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ θεοῦ in 1 Thessalonians http://www.hts.org.za DOI: 10.4102/hts.v67i1.969 Page 2 of 7 Original Research 2:2 and λαλοῦμεν, οὐχ ὡς ἀνθρώποις ἀρέσκοντες ἀλλὰ θεῷ τῷ meaning of this Greek terminology cannot be partitioned δοκιμάζοντι τὰς καρδίας ἡμῶν in 1 Thessalonians 2:4. Here in the same way as in English or other modern European παράκλησις obviously refers to the exhortation that is part of languages. The other words from the same semantic domain the gospel that Paul preaches. The content of this ‘paraklēsis’ (στηρίζω and οἰκοδομέω) suggest constitutive dimensions of is spelled out concretely by Paul in four contexts of 1 what Paul means when he uses παρακαλέω. According to Thessalonians where he uses παρακαλέω. In 1 Thessalonians Furnish (1984): 2:12 Paul exhorts them to ‘lead a life worthy of God, who ‘Comfort’ … must not be confused with the more subjective calls you into his own kingdom and glory’. This exhortation notions of sympathy or pity. The meaning is, rather, to ‘comfort’ is marked as particularly important by the fact that Paul in the strict sense, i.e., in the sense of the Latin confortare, to uses three more or less synonymous verbs (παρακαλέω, strengthen much, to encourage. παραμυθέομαι and μαρτυρέω in the meaning ‘to insist’) as (Furnish 1984:109) an introduction. In 1 Thessalonians 4:1, where the actual In 1 Thessalonians the only two Pauline occurrences of parenetic (or paracletic) part of the letter begins, Paul exhorts παραμυθέομαι, another verb that belongs to the semantic his addresses ‘that, as you learned from us how you ought to domain of ‘Encouragement, Consolation’ was also met (Louw live and to please God (as, in fact, you are doing), you should & Nida 1988, 1989:25. 153). In 1 Thessalonians 2:12 and 5:14 do so more and more’. Here the meaning of παρακαλοῦμεν is it is in the context used in the meaning ‘to encourage’. No clarified in the parallel ἐρωτῶμεν and in the noun παραγγελία other terminology of the same semantic domain is used in 1 in 1 Thessalonians 4:2. The content of the ‘paraklēsis’ is Thessalonians. spelled out in 1 Thessalonians 4:3–6. In 1 Thessalonians 4:10 This analysis of Paul’s use of παρακαλέω or παράκλησις in 1 Paul exhorts the Thessalonians concerning φιλαδελφία and Thessalonians has brought to light the meanings ‘to exhort adds a list of exhortations in infinitive constructions: or urge’ and ‘to encourage or comfort’. According to Stählin To aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work (1968:779), ‘theoretically distinction is made between with your hands, as we directed you, so that you may behave consolation and admonition, as in the division, traced back to [περιπατῆτε] properly toward outsiders and be dependent on no Posidonius and given by Seneca (Ep., 95, 65), into praeceptio, one. suasio, consolatio and exhortatio’. On the basis of this analysis (1 Th 4:10) of the letters of Paul, it seems that this distinction is more In 1 Thessalonians 5:14 Paul adds yet another exhortation than theoretical. It is striking that most of the time when Paul consisting of four imperatives (νουθετεῖτε τοὺς ἀτάκτους, uses παρακαλέω in this letter, he uses it in parallel with other παραμυθεῖσθε τοὺς ὀλιγοψύχους, ἀντέχεσθε τῶν ἀσθενῶν, verbs which help clarify the meaning: παραμυθέομαι and μακροθυμεῖτε πρὸς πάντας) and introduced by παρακαλοῦμεν. μαρτυρέω in 1 Thessalonians 2:12; στηρίζω in 3:2; ἐρωτάω in In the first three exhortations (1 Th 2:12; 4:1 [bis]; 4:12) Paul 4:1 and οἰκοδομέω in 5:11. When Paul speaks of ‘to encourage uses the verb περιπατέω to refer to the way of life that he or comfort’, he gives preference to παρακαλέω. exhorts them to lead. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul uses παρακαλέω only twice, namely in Philippians 4:2 at the beginning of a series When Paul uses παρακαλέω in 1 Thessalonians 3:2 together of exhortations. He exhorts Euodia and Syntyche ‘to be of the with στηρίζω to express the purpose of Timothy’s mission same mind in the Lord’. The noun occurs in Philippians 2:1 to Thessalonica, he speaks about encouragement or comfort with a series of nouns of the same semantic domain: εἴ τις οὖν for the sake of their faith (ὑπὲρ τῆς πίστεως ὑμῶν) and adds: παράκλησις ἐν Χριστῷ, εἴ τι παραμύθιον ἀγάπης, εἴ τις κοινωνία ‘so that no one would be shaken by these persecutions’. In 1 πνεύματος, εἴ τις σπλάγχνα καὶ οἰκτιρμοί. Here παραμύθιον, Thessalonians 3:7 Paul acknowledges that reciprocally he was σπλάγχνα and οἰκτιρμοί all illustrate that παράκλησις is used in encouraged or comforted ἐπὶ πάσῃ τῇ ἀνάγκῃ καὶ θλίψει ἡμῶν the meaning ‘encouragement or consolation’. Confirmation through the faith of the Thessalonians, of which Timothy is also found in πληρώσατέ μου τὴν χαρὰν.1 The joy that Paul had brought good news (3:6). The only two remaining uses refers to here is the joy of the consolation that he refers to of παρακαλέω are very similar in meaning.