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Alius Paulus: Paul's Promise to Send Timothy at Philippians 2.19–24

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 September 2008

PAUL A. HOLLOWAY
PAUL A. HOLLOWAY
Affiliation:
Department of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland, UK
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Abstract

Interpreters of Paul's letter to the Philippians continue to struggle to understand the place of Paul's promise to send Timothy (Phil 2.19–24) in the overall rhetoric of the letter. However, if one reads Philippians as a letter of consolation the problems associated with this text can be solved. In particular, it becomes evident that the imprisoned and possibly soon-to-be-executed Paul offers Timothy to his anxious readers as his replacement, as another Paul or alius Paulus, according to the topos ‘consolation by means of a replacement’ for which there are many pertinent ancient parallels. This reading also explains why Paul describes Timothy as his ‘child’ (τεκνον) in the gospel ministry – children were often seen as replacements for dead parents – and why he insists that Timothy is ‘of like soul/mind’ (ισοψυχον) to himself.

Keywords

consolationPhilippiansTimothyPaulreplacement
Type
Articles
Information
New Testament Studies , Volume 54 , Issue 4 , October 2008 , pp. 542 - 556
Copyright
2008 Cambridge University Press

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