118 Claude Perera another possible allusion19. However, if Paul wanted to make allusions to self-sacrifice by fire, it is more likely that he would have thought of related instances in the OT such as Dn 3:25; 1 Mac 2:59; 2 Mac 7, rather than the above referred cases of suicide in the Hellenistic milieu20. Dn 3:28 and Theod 95 which read κα παρ δωκεν τ σ ματα α τ ν ε ς μπυρισμ ν να μ λατρε σωσι … (“And they yielded their bodies to burning so as not to serve…”) are said to have some resemblance to Josephus’ Jewish War VII, 7:7 which goes as πυρ τ σ μα παραδ ντες (“yielding up the body to fire”)21. This reading could serve as the highest model of sacrificial love of which Paul is speaking in 1 Cor 13:1-13. In the case of self-glory (i.e. boasting taken pejoratively), there is no need to declare it worthless, since it is already not something commendable. Therefore, it cannot perhaps be a reference to boasting, but to martyrdom. However, further down we shall see that historical facts prevent us from adopting an interpretation having to do with martyrdom. 02. Preuschen proposes an alternative explanation in support of καυθ σομαι and says that it is a reference to the marking of a slave by branding with red hot iron so that selling oneself to slavery one could give that price to feed others as found in 1 Clement 55:222. In this text Clement says, “We know of many among us who have delivered [παραδεδωκ τας] themselves to bondage in order to ransom others; many have sold them- selves into slavery and used the price paid for them to feed [ ψ μισαν] others.” It is objectionable if this is to be taken as a reference to brand- ing of slaves by fire. In the above text the two verbs used in 1 Cor 13:3 i.e. παραδιδ νται and ψωμ ζειν occur shortly after Clement refers to 1 Corinthians and the commandment of love (1 Clement 47:1-3; 49). There it is surprising that he has left out καυθ σομαι while using the two other verbs viz. παραδ δωμι and ψωμ ζω found in 1 Cor 13:3. Had he known 19 A.P. Stanley, Epistles of St. Paul to the Corinthians: with Critical Notes and Disserta- tions (London 418882) 231; J.B. Lightfoot, Saint Paul’s Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon (London: 1904) 394; H.D. Betz, Apostel Paulus und die sokratische Tradition: eine exegetische Untersuchung zu seiner “Apologie” 2 Korinther 10-13, BZHT 45 (Tübin- gen 1972) 10-13, 122. 20 Barrett, First Corinthians, 302-03. 21 Plummer & Robertson, First Corinthians, 291. 22 E. Preuschen, “‘Und ließe meinen Leib brennen’, 1 Kor 13,3”, ZNW 16 (1915) 127- 38; cf. Also J.B. Lightfoot and J.R. Harmer, The Apostolic Fathers: Revised Greek Texts with Introductions and English Translations ed. M.W. Holmes (London 1891; repr., Grand Rapids, MI 1984) 58;. Collins disagrees with this position. Cf. Collins, First Corinthians, 476-77; it could refer to another method of giving to the poor. Cf. Murray. J. Harris, Slave of Christ: a New Testament metaphor for total devotion to Christ (New Studies in Biblical Theology 8; Leicester 1999) 115.