Re: secular quotations in Paul

Edgar Krentz (ekrentz@lstc.edu)
Mon, 7 Apr 1997 10:55:53 -0600

>This is not strictly speaking a B-Greek question, so feel free to reply
>to me off list.
>
>In Paul's speech at Athens as recorded in Acts, the apostle is portrayed as
>expressly quoting one (if not two) "secular" sources. Is there anywhere
>within the Pauline corpus anything similar. That is, does Paul expressly
>quote (and not just allude to), say, Seneca or any other "pagan"
>author? If so, where and whom?
>
>Thans in advance,
>
>Jeffrey Gibson
>jgibson@acfsysv.roosevelt.edu

There are a couple of possibilities:

1 Cor 15:33 contains an u ncredited citation of Menander's _Thais_ (a
famous hetaira). Titus 1:12 has a citation (also uncredited) of Epimenides
_de oraculis_.

Also fascinating is the wonderful line in dactyllic hexamenter that opens
up James 1:17. Is it a citation of an otherwise unknown poetic line? nescio
et dubito; sed possibile est. = "I don't know and doubt it; but it is
possible.

Edgar Krentz, New Testament
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
1100 EAST 55TH STREET
CHICAGO, IL 60615
Tel: [773] 256-0752; (H) [773] 947-8105

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