John Granger Cook, «1 Cor 9,5: The Women of the Apostles», Vol. 89 (2008) 352-368
The women of the apostles in 1 Cor 9,5 have posed a riddle in the history of interpretation. With few exceptions commentators over the last one hundred years have identified them as wives and dismissed the text in a few lines. Recent research on the role of women in early Christian mission has brought a fresh assessment, concluding that the women were missionary assistants to the apostles. This essay develops an extended argument to solidify the thesis using the history of interpretation, the nature of missionary partnerships in the Pauline epistles, semantics, some important parallels from the Greco-Roman world, and the nature of ancient households.
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others. The education of a convert to Cynic philosophy proceeded in
this fashion. Hipparchia (III B.C.E.) “fell in love with the teachings and
life of Crates†(h[ra tou' Kravthto" kai; tw'n lovgwn kai; tou' bivou) (58).
She refutes the moral philosophy of an atheist who then mocks her by
quoting a famous tragedian and by asking if she is the one who has left
shuttles and loom. An epigram from the Greek Anthology describes her
as one who did not want the “works of deep-robed womenâ€. Instead,
“My wallet is my staff’s traveling companion, and the double cloak
that goes with them, the cover for my bed on the ground†(59). She must
have done some “mission†traveling herself (60). Centuries later (II-III
C.E.) in Mysia there is an inscription that mentions a philosopher
named Magnilla, the daughter of a philosopher and wife of a
philosopher (Mavg≥ni≥lla[n filov]/sofon Mavgn[ou] / filosovfou
qu[ga]/tera, Mhnio[u filo]/s[of]ou gu[naika]) (61). Surely she learned
v v ≥v ≥ '
from her father and possibly from her husband, or possibly she taught
him. These intimate relationships and the learning and teaching
environment that they could imply for certain women call for a
reevaluation of Clement’s tradition.
X. Clement, Ancient Households, and the Mission to Women
Carolyn Osiek and David Balch, in an illuminating discussion of
Clement’s treatment of 1 Cor 9,5 (the apostles taking wives with them
as sisters), argue that his view of the structure of a household does not
reflect the situation of Asia Minor and Greece in Paul’s own day but
(58) Cf Diog. Laert. 6.96-8 and M. R. LEFKOWITZ and M. B. FANT, Women’s
Life in Greece & Rome. A Source Book in Translation (Baltimore 21992) § 217.
Crates tries to discourage marriage by showing her his old body, but she insists.
(59) Anth. Graec. 7.413 oujla;" de; skivpwni sunevmporo" a{ te sunw/do;" /divplax
kai; koivta" blh'ma camailecevo". Trans. from LEFKOWITZ – FANT, Women’s Life, §
218. On Hipparchia see J.M. GARCIA GONZALEZ and P. P. FUENTES GONZALEZ,
“Hipparchia (H 138)â€, Dictionnaire des philosophes antiques (ed. R. GOULET)
(Paris 2000) III, 742-750.
(60) Two other pagan couples taught, but were not “missionariesâ€: Hypatia
(IV-V C.E.) and Isidorus in Alexandria (Suidas, Lexicon Y § 166 [644,1-647,5
ADLER — the Suda believes she remained a virgin]), and Sosipatra (IV C.E.) and
Eustathius in Asia (Eunapius, Vita Soph. 6.6.5-9.15 [28,4-35,24 GIANGRANDE]).
Sosipatra had three children.
(61) IMT (IK Miletupolis) LApollon/Milet § 2365 in the PHI CD ROM #7
Greek Documentary Texts (Packard Humanities Institute 1991-1996). Cf
http://epigraphy. packhum.org/inscriptions/. For bibliography and a translation
see LEFKOWITZ – FANT, Women’s Life § 221.
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