Bonos por Pagar (Continuación)

“Luke-Acts is persuasive literature” (Du Plessis 2006: ad loc.). Evoking emotions was an important characteristic in delivering a speech in ancient times (Shiell 2004: 62). Thus, Rapp (2010: ad loc.) suggests that the orator has to arouse emotions, because these have the power to modify judgements: to a judge who is in a friendly mood, the person whom he is about to judge does not seem to do wrong or only in a small way; to an angry judge, the same person will seem to do the opposite (Aristotle Rhetoric II.1, 1378a1ff.). Therefore, Paul uses the classic Greek rhetorical discourse that included three basic emotional phases. Shiell (2004: 62-76) identifies, among others, the emotions of surprise, anger, acclamation or adoration, reproach, grief, insistence, and aversion that were common in ancient speeches. The consideration of emotions is important for Acts 17:16-34, since there certainly were strong emotions present. Some commentators claim that Luke’s use of Παρωξύνετο gives an indication of the emotional energy that gave rise to the agora and Areopagus discourse (Barrett 1998: 827). Paul felt strong emotions when he saw the idolatry in Athens; his speech thus generated emotions. Some scoffed at his message, while others probably expressed more serious emotions, stating that they want to hear Paul again. As strong emotions can only be produced in the listeners, if the orator himself is inwardly seized by the same emotions, he must master the arousal of these emotions in his own soul like a professional actor (Lausberg 1998: 117). Is this what Paul did? This is not completely true, although the structure of his speech certainly expresses the possible phases. It is likely that he held back and controlled his emotion of anger, as was expected from someone addressing a Stoic audience. The phases of accomplishing these emotions are ethos, logos and pathos. These serve as persuasive techniques in the discourse (Du Plessis 2006: ad loc.), and allude to the orator’s usual appeal on the surface emotions of the hearers. He would, for instance, make them laugh at the beginning of the discourse to establish authority over, or rapport with them (Witherington 2008: ad loc.).

 Ethos

The orator ensured that he impressed the audience sufficiently, in order to establish some common ground that would open them up emotionally for what he was about to say (Lausberg 1998: 114). This is where ethos comes in. The orator would attempt to

persuade his audience that he is credible and trustworthy (Witherington 2008: ad loc.) and that he possesses moral character (Kennedy 1963: 91). The persuasion is accomplished by character whenever the speech is held in such a way as to render the speaker worthy of credence. If the speaker appears to be credible, the audience will form the second-order opinion that propositions put forward by the credible speaker are true or acceptable. Thus, the orator must arouse emotions, because the latter have the power to modify judgements (Rapp 2010: ad loc.). As such, the orator also shows his emotional commitment to the subject presented to the audience (Rapp 2010: ad loc.). He wins their sympathy and goodwill by creating a lasting emotional state (Lausberg 1998: 114). This can be done by means of moving statements and using humour (Lausberg 1998: 115). This probably forms part of what Paul wanted to achieve when he complimented the Athenians on being religious.3

 Logos

According to Witherington (2008: ad loc.), “logos refers to the real meat of the discourse, its emotion-charged arguments”. In Acts 17, it is obvious that Paul attempts to present his message as respectable theology by using thorough logical flow and argument (Du Plessis 2006: ad loc.). This was often the most undeveloped, but the most important part of the speech, according to some ancient philosophers (Kennedy 1963: 96). This is definitely the case with Paul in verses 24-29. There are, in general, three levels of reasoning: scientific demonstration, dialectic (the art of discussion by means of question and answer), and rhetoric (Kennedy 1963: 96). Whether Paul’s statements can be ‘scientific’ in the modern sense of the word is probably not the case. However, it cannot be denied that verses 24-29 form the core of Paul’s argument in Acts 17: they are highly intellectual and philosophical and can, therefore, serve as logos.

 Pathos

When the discourse is nearing its end, the orator needs to appeal to the listeners’ deeper emotions such as love, joy, hate or pity, in order to create pathos (Witherington 2008: ad loc.). Like ethos, pathos is also an element of drama and oratory and is usually the most clearly developed element in the peroratio (Kennedy 1963: 93). The presentation of physical evidence, graphic pictures (such as a street ballad), or the use of the intellectual-linguistic method, namely the emotive portrayal of circumstances, was often meant to shock the listeners and truly arouse pathos (Lausberg 1998: 117). When considering verses 30-31, it may well be that Paul is appealing to the pathos of his hearers. He may have shocked them when he announced that a person, who will be raised from the dead, will judge the world. The Greeks

3

This is the reason why no detailed exegesis is discussed, in this instance. I shall address this in Chapter 7. For a more detailed discussion of this possibility, see the detailed exploration of Acts 17:22 in Chapter 7.

were not prepared to consider this theological and philosophical possibility (Aeschylus Eumenides L 647-8).4

As a rule, emotions do not form the main part of a speech, although fierce emotions are detected in the narrative framework of Paul’s speech in Acts 17. This appeal to the emotions serves mainly to persuade the readers to identify with the Jesus story (Du Plessis 2006: ad loc.).

Witherington (1998a) states that the general pattern followed by Paul in Acts 17 synchronizes almost completely with the basic Greek rhetorical pattern of ethos, logos and pathos, by appealing to the will of the listeners to repent on the basis that God has appointed a day on which He will judge all people. “The speech in general follows the basic rhetorical pattern of first establishing ethos, then offering logos, finally concluding with pathos and in this case an indirect appeal” (Witherington 1998a: 518).