John 15.14 and the PhIL- Lexeme in Light of Numismatic Evidence: Friendship or Obedience?
Commentators regularly note the alleged tension in John 15 between ‘friendship’ and ‘obedience’. This article employs numismatic inscriptional evidence to explore the ΦΙΛ- lexeme and more carefully denote the semantic domains of relevant terminology. This analysis confirms that no such tension exist...
Main Author: | |
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Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
Journals Online & Print: | |
Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Published: |
Cambridge Univ. Press
[2018]
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In: |
New Testament studies
Year: 2018, Volume: 64, Issue: 1, Pages: 33-43 |
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Bible. Johannesevangelium 15,14
/ Greek language
/ Noun
/ Philos
/ Friendship
/ Obedience
/ Roman Empire
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IxTheo Classification: | CB Christian life; spirituality CH Christianity and Society HC New Testament |
Further subjects: | B
Roman coins
B Friendship B Lexicography B friend of Caesar B John 15.14 B Numismatics |
Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
Summary: | Commentators regularly note the alleged tension in John 15 between ‘friendship’ and ‘obedience’. This article employs numismatic inscriptional evidence to explore the ΦΙΛ- lexeme and more carefully denote the semantic domains of relevant terminology. This analysis confirms that no such tension exists within the socio-political context in which the Gospel was written. The inclusion of specific political terminology on Roman coins (for example, ΦΙΛΙΑ; ΦΙΛΟΚΑΙΣΑΡ; ΦΙΛΟΚΛΑΥΔΙΟΣ; ΦΙΛΟΡΩΜΑΙΟΣ; ΦΙΛΟΣΕΒΑΣΤΩΝ) was one way in which elite concepts of political friendship, evidenced in Cicero and Seneca, were communicated to the masses. In light of the numismatic evidence, the ΦΙΛ- lexeme can refer not only to the emotional bond of friendship, but also the dimension of obligation. |
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ISSN: | 1469-8145 |
Contains: | Enthalten in: New Testament studies
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Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1017/S0028688517000285 |