Kerk en Theologie - Current Issue

In some churches today everyone is invited to the Holy Communion yet in other churches just a few select take a seat at the Table. Through a social-scientific and ritual-theoretic analysis of 1 Corinthians 11, this article first demonstrates that the social hierarchies present in the Corinthian church determine the character of participation in the Corinthian Communion practice. Interrogated through queer theory, this article then argues that Paul challenges these standards by introducing Holy Communion as a transformative place dissolving social hierarchies. Finally, I posit that this queer understanding might call for a reassessment of the invitation and purpose of Communion practices of churches today.

Modern Bible translations are expected to be gender-sensitive while simultaneously respecting the patriarchal nature of the Biblical texts. Navigating this delicate balance is challenging, as illustrated by the case of 1 Thessalonians 4:6: how should the Greek term ἀδελφοί be translated here? On linguistic and exegetical grounds it is correct to generally translate this word as ‘brothers and sisters’. However, in 1 Thessalonians 4:6, the translation ‘brothers’ is to be preferred. The focus is on the relationship between two men. Similar to the Old Testament and the Hellenistic-Roman context, the woman is considered to be part of the man’s possessions, and adultery is primarily seen as a violation of the rights that a man exercises over his wife.

The traditional view in Paul’s letter to Filemon that Onesimus was a fugitivus, a runaway-slave, was gradually abandoned in the twentieth century. Instead, many scholars contend that Onesimus went to Paul as amicus domini, a friend of the master, to ask him to intercede on Onesimus’ behalf. However, there are some problems with this view. This article shows that the traditional view remains plausible, building on the letter itself and the Graeco-Roman context.