117 Burn or Boast? A Text Critical Analysis of 1 Cor 13:3 καυθ σομαι. I shall concentrate on relevant historical, semantic and grammatical matters that favour a decision either way. Arguments in favour of καυθ σομαι 01. Many scholars seem to think that καυθ σομαι is evocative of mar- tyrdom specially at the time of Antiochus Epiphanus [175-64 BCE] (2 Mac 7)16. It is true that the OT knew of martyrdom (Dn 3:19f; 2 Mac 7:5; 4 Mac 6:26; 7:12; Jos. Ant. 17:167; Dio Chrysostom 7[8]:16). Among Sto- ics there was great admiration for the practice of self-immolation as an act of supreme love and heroism. This is said to be influenced by Indian Gymnosophists (Cicero, Tusc. 2:2; Strabo 15; Philo, Omn. Prob. Lib. 96; Plutarch, Vita Alex. 69:6-8)17. For Stanley and Lightfoot, in 1 Cor 13:3 Paul had in mind the tomb of the Indian Zarmano-chegas from Bargosa who immolated himself on fire on whose tomb in Athens there was a boastful inscription probably seen by Paul (Plutarch, Vita Alexandri 69; Strabo 15.1.73; Dio Cassius, Roman History LIV, 9)18. Stanley and Light- foot suggest also the self-burning of the Christian charlatan Proteus Pere- grinus as recorded by Lucian of Samosata (De Morte Peregrini 21-25) as 16 H. Lietzmann, An die Korinther 1-2 (Handbuch zum Neuen Testament 9; Tübingen 1923) 65; J. Sickenberger, Die Briefe des heiligen Paulus an die Korinther und Römer (Die Heilige Schrift des Neuen Testaments 9; Bonn 1932) 61-62; H.-D. Wendland, Die Briefe an die Korinther: übersetzt und erklärt (Das Neue Testament Deutsch 7; Göttingen 1934) 68-69; J. Weiss, Der erste Korintherbrief (Kritisch-exegetischer Kommentar über das Neue Testament; Göttingen 1970 [Neudruck der vollig neu bearbeitet 1910]) 314-15; F.J. Dölger in Antieke und Christentum I (1929) takes it as a voluntary self-offering (Diodorus Siculus 17, 107, 1-6) 254-70. Schmidt prefers to leave the choice open between the possibilities. cf. K. L. Schmidt, art., Kai,w, TWNT 3 (Stuttgart 1938) 466-69; cf. also N. Macnicol, “India in the New Testament”, Expository Times 55 (1943- 44) 50-52; all above references are as quoted by W. Bauer, W.F. Arndt & F. W. Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, orig. tit. Griechisch-Deutsches Wörterbuch zu den Schriften des Neuen Testaments und der Übrigen urchristlichen Literatur (Chicago / London 21969) 396. Among others who favour the same view are; E.B. Allo, Saint Paul: Première Épître aux Corinthiens (Études Bibliques; Paris 1934) 345; C.C. Caragounis, “To Boast or to be Burned? The Crux of 1 Cor 13:3”, SEÅ 60 (1995) 115-27; Elliot, “In Favour of Kauthēsomai”, 297-98; R. Kieffer, “‘Afin que Je Sois Brûlé’ ou bien ‘Afin que J’en Tire Or- gueil’? (1 Cor. xiii.3)”, NTS 22 (1975) 95-97; J.G. Sigountos, “The Genre of 1 Corinthians 13”, NTS 40 (1994) 2, 246-60. However, Héring opines that this period of time was still too early to think of martyrdom; cf. Héring, La Première Épitre de Saint-Paul aux Corinthiens, 117. 17 Allo, Saint Paul: Premiè Épître Aux Corinthiens, 345; Conzelmann, 1 Corinthians, 222; cf also R. Fick, “Der indische Weise Kalanos und sein Flamentod”, NGG (1938) 1-32. 18 The inscription reads, “Zarmano-Chegas, an Indian from Bargosa, according to the traditional customs of Indians, made himself immortal, and lies here”, as quoted by A. Plummer & A.T. Robertson, First Corinthians, 292.