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Intersections of Authority and Structure

5/18/2022

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5/18/22
Scholarly Reflections

Draper, Jonathan A. "Social Ambiguity and the Production of Text: Prophets, Teachers, Bishops, and Deacons and the Development of the Jesus Tradition in the Community of the Didache." in Jefford, Clayton (editor). The Didache in Context: essays on its text, history, and transmission. Leiden: Brill, 1995, 284-312.

Draper observes the warning of Didache 16.3-4 speaks of deceivers coming from within the community. The concern is surprising because one would expect those within the community to be safe and dedicated (Draper 1995, 285). Yet the enemy seems to be ever present.

The phenomenon Draper analyzes corresponds to a hich could be described for a witch-believing society (Draper 1995, 283). As described by Mary Douglas, characteristics such as the level of formal structure, which she calls "grid," and the degree or exclusivity in the community, which she calls "group," may be used to profile communities (Draper 1995, 86). Draper sees the Didache community as having a high level of group identity but a relatively low level of structural grid (Draper 1995, 286-287). Draper sees a very strong set of group boundaries, as the distinction between members of the community and outsiders is made plain. This is particularly the case when the Two Ways are cosnidered as the instructional requirement for each community member (Draper 1995, 286). Draper illustrates numerous ways in which the gorup identity is of great importance.

In Douglas' model which Draper is utilizing the roles within the community are less well defined, resulting in what we would see as a weak "grid" (Draper 1995, 290). Various types of leaders are mentioned, but their roles are not described well. Draper describes the leadership, beginning with the bishops and deacons, who come from within the community (Draper 1995, 291). Of note to Draper is that the bishops and deacons are tested by the community and are volunteers, without any means of remuneration (Draper 1995, 292). Draper suggests this would indicate the bishops and deacons serve as patrons in the cultural schema. The prophets and teachers, in contrast, ask for and receive money. They are assumed to have the Holy Spirit, so are not tested, as are the bishops and deacons (Draper 1995, 293). While apostles, also from outside the community, are to be received freely, they visit with a number of limitations (Draper 1995, 294). The true apostle is always assumed to be on his way somewhere, so he will not stay in a community very long.

Draper observes that the prophetic office is one in which the prophet would be evaluated frequently and rigoously. It was expected that at any time it was possible that the prophet would become a deceiver (Draper 1995, 296). Further, the roles of all these ministers are poorly defined. We have little information about an expected role of the prophet (Draper 1995, 299).

Finally, Draper observes that teachers are sometimes grouped with apostles and sometimes with prophets. Their specific role is not clear, though they are accepted as special messengers from God (Draper 1995, 301).

As he returns to the original suggestion, that the Didache community fits Douglas' description of a "witch-believing" society, Draper cosniders what this identity may imply (Draper 1995, 303). When there is conflict, as Draper assumes to have been the case, those members of the community who can be portrayed as dissident receive the blame for the conflict (Draper 1995, 303). Draper considers it quite possible that the division was between the prophetic and priestly leaders in the commnity. Evaluating the message of a prophet was a difficult matter, especially as the prophet's main characteristic was to have the τρόπος τοῦ κυρίου, the "character of the Lord," which is only vaguely defined (Draper 1995, 305-306).

Draper suggests that the true prophets may have served as keepers of the authentic Jesus traditions which were not included in canonical writings. Thus, their authority would be high but it would not be practical to test them (Draper 1995, 308-309). The community depicted in the Didache would have been substantial, if multiple prophets could be expected to want to stay there and receive support. It is largely Torah observant. This suggests Antioch to Draper (Draper 1995, 310). The prophets may have been displaced in one way or another, resulting in their migration. Draper suggests this could be explained by a date for the Didache subsequent to the fall of Jerusalem (Draper 1995, 311). 

​
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Two Different Uses of the Same Ideas

10/30/2020

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Draper, Jonathan A. "Barnabas and the Riddle of the Didache Revisited." Journal for the Study of the New Testament 58:1995, 89-113.


Draper considers that the discovery of different Two Ways material has recently moved scholars to consider the Didache and the Epistle of Barnabas to depend on some third source, rather than one depending on the other (Draper 1995, 89). He asks whether the two documents use this source in such different ways for some neutral reason or due to a different position regarding Judaism.

One possible key to this discussion is that Barnabas may have a different understanding of paraenesis, or exhortative teaching (Draper 1995, 90). Draper identifies some of the characteristics of paraenetic teaching as similar to some of the compositional patterns found in Barnabas, particularly by the lack of cohesiveness in the flow of ideas. It seems clear that the scholarly community recognizes that paraenetic works tend to jump from one idea to another (Draper 1995, 91).Some scholars consider this to be a function of the setting. Marginalized groups tend to engage in paraenetic works. They also typically show signs of conflict in their writing (Draper 1995, 92). 

It is worth asking whether there was substantial redaction involved in Barnabas. A study of possible sources, such as we find in Wengst, does not normally cosnider the redactional process involved in putting the sources together (Draper 1995, 93). This can lead to a lack of serious concern with the relationship of a document such as Barnabas to theological underpinnings.

Draper considers the Two Ways passage in Barnabas 17.1-18.1 in some detail. The transition into the material is elaborate. It tries to explain the entirety of the section, as if attempting to establish a relationship with the rest of the document (Draper 1995, 94). The issue of gnosis in the Two Ways is also significant. Critics do not agree whether the meaning is the same as used elsewhere in Barnabas or whether it has different connotations here, a clearer sign of borrowing (Draper 1995, 95).

Draper ultimately considers the Two Ways as a matter of catechetical teaching in Barnabas. The Didache also uses the material as an introduction to the Christian life. (Draper 1995, 96). The binary of life and death forms the key to understanding it in the Didache. However, Draper questions why in Barnabas the material is at the end of the text. This would not indicate it as a foundational starting point, but as a matter of "secondary socialization" (Draper 1995, 97). For this reason, Draper questions whether it would be used for catechesis so much as for some sort of exhortation and development of character qualities. This suggests to Draper that in Barnabas the material is used to confront opposition, rather as an introductory teaching (Draper 1995, 99).

Draper next turns his attention to the idea of irony in classical rhetoric. It is possible that the use of the Two Ways in Barnabas could be intended as irony (Draper 1995, 99). Draper reviews some Plato and Quintilian as examples of classical definitions of irony. The issue is disjunction between what someone says and what is known to be true (Draper 1995, 100). Draper finds this to be a common situation in Barnabas. God does things for his people, they are aware of him, and their lives have no relationship to what God has done (Draper 1995, 101). This leads some, including Wengst, to consider whether Barnabas may be written to address Jewish Christians who think they are living in a way consistent with Torah but know nothing of it (Draper 1995, 103).

Moving to chapter 1 of Barnabas, the superscript may also be an exmaple of irony. Draper observes that the name of Barnabas is present on all manuscripts and that it is known to Clement of Alexandria, however, it is highly unlikely that the apostolic Barnabas was ever considered to be the author (Draper 1995, 103). This would be another use of irony. The greeting, further, indicates the form of a letter, though Draper doesn't consider that Barnabas was ever considered a personal letter (Draper 1995, 104). This, again, is irony at work. The greeting implies the author has changed in his understanding, though there is no evidence to suggest that is so (Draper 1995, 105). Chapter 1.6-8 speaks of three dogmas. Draper, admitting this is a difficult passage, finds that the three positive dogmas argue "against the idea of justification by works of law" (Draper 1995, 108). Once again, there are suggestions that the author is not authoritative, but there is an understanding he is the authority, a use of irony.

The end of the Two Ways material in Barnabas has a relatively smooth conclusion, guiding the reader to walk in the Two Ways, though it is clear that the reader is to walk in the way of life (Draper 1995, 109). The readers of Barnabas are to govern themselves carefully and also be governed by Torah and the guidance in Barnabas. Again, Draper finds this to be a use of irony (Draper 1995, 110). 

Draper shifts between considering the work polemical and ironic. In reality, the two categories go hand in hand. Irony will be used to point out the distinction between a real situation and what is ideal, thus creating a polemic. in Baranabas the polemic seems to be directed to persuading people to livel ives which are consistent with the teachings of the Epistle (Draper 1995, 111). 

​
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