READING LUKE-ACTS IN ITS MEDITERRANEAN MILIEU SUPPLEMENTS TO NOVUM TESTAMENTUM EDITORIAL BOARD C.K. BARRETT, Durham- P. BORGEN, Trondheim J.K. ELLIOTT, Leeds- H.J. DEJONGE, Leiden A.J. MALHERBE, NewHaven M.J.J. MENKEN, Utrecht- J. SMITSIBINGA, Amsterdam Executive Editors M.M. MITCHELL, Chicago& D.P. MOESSNER, Dubuque VOLUME CVII READING LUKE-ACTS IN ITS MEDITERRANEAN MILIEU by CHARLES H. TALBERT BRILL LEIDEN •BOSTON 2003 This book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Talbert, Charles H. Reading Luke-Acts in the Mediterranean milieu / by Charles H. Talbert. p. cm. -- (Supplements to Novum Testamentum, ISSN 0167-9732 ; v. 107) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 90-04-12964-2 (hb : alk. paper) 1. Bible. N.T. Luke--Criticism, interpretation, etc. 2. Bible. N.T. Acts--Criticism, interpretation, etc. I. Title. II. Series. BS2589.T345 2003 226.4’06--dc21 2002033037 ISSN 0167-9732 ISBN 90 04 12964 2 © Copyright 2003 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Brill provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910 Danvers, MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. printed in the netherlands To DonnaOrsutoandthe LayCenter and The PontificalBiblicalInstitute inRome This page intentionally left blank TABLEOF CONTENTS Preface ................................................................ ix Acknowledgements ................................................... xi 1.On ReadingLuke andActs...................................... 1 2.SuccessioninLuke-Acts andinthe LukanMilieu.............. 19 3.ReadingAune’sReadingofTalbert ............................. 57 4.PropheciesofFutureGreatness:TheContributionsof Greco-RomanBiographiestoanUnderstandingof Luke1:5–4:1.................................................... 65 5. Jesus’BirthinLukeandthe Natureof ReligiousLanguage.... 79 6.The Wayof theLukanJesus:DimensionsofLukan Spirituality ..................................................... 91 7.MartyrdominLuke-Acts andtheLukanSocialEthic.......... 105 8.The PlaceoftheResurrectioninthe TheologyofLuke........ 121 9.ConversionintheActsof theApostles:AncientAuditors’ Perceptions..................................................... 135 10.Acts 20:7–12asEarlyChristianApologetic...................... 149 11.Once Again:The GentileMissioninLuke-Acts................ 161 12.The Theology ofSeaStormsinLuke-Acts...................... 175 13.WhatisMeantBy theHistoricityofActs? ...................... 197 Bibliography .......................................................... 219 IndexofModernAuthors............................................ 233 IndexofSubjects ..................................................... 237 IndexoAncientSources ............................................. 239 This page intentionally left blank PREFACE The essays published herein reflect a selection of my work on Luke- Acts done since the late 1970’s as I was gaining clarity about my method: reading as a participant in the authorial audience. They orig- inally appeared as scattered items, often in out of the way places like Festschriften.Beingpulledtogetherbetweentwocoversallowsthemtobe seenasacoherentreadingofthe Lukanwritings. That these essays appear in print in this form is because of the ser- vices of a number of people. This volume appears in the Novum Testa- mentumSupplementSeriesduetoitsgraciousacceptancebytheeditors, David Moessner and Margaret Mitchell. It appears at all because of thepainstakingcopy-editingofmygraduateassistant,MichaelW.Mar- tin, who has transformed a variety of editorial styles into one, follow- ing The SBL Handbook of Style, edited by Patrick H. Alexander and oth- ers (Peabody, Mass.: Henrickson Publishers, 1999). It is to that Hand- book that the reader is referred for abbreviations used in this book. This study was supported in part by funds from the Baylor University ResearchCommitteethatunderwroteMr.Martin’sexpensesduringthe summer 2002. The generous permission given by the original publish- ers to use these essays in a new form is gratefully recognized in the Acknowledgments. As always, any productive work on my part would not havebeen possible without the stimulatingand supportive relation- ship over the years with my wife, Dr. Betty W. Talbert. To these loved onesandfriends Isay,thankyou. CharlesH.Talbert