Alphacrucis University College
Acting the Slave: Reinterpreting Paul’s Metaphorical Slavery in Light of Ancient Theatre (1 Cor. 9.19–23)
A frequent metaphor that Paul uses to describe both his ministry and the Christian life in general is that of a slave. One example of this is found in 1 Cor. 9.19–23. In this passage, Paul describes himself as a slave who is at the same time, somewhat paradoxically, free. He says that he has intentionally made himself a slave to all so as to win as many as possible. Scholars who examine this passage often assume that Paul is describing a more generic slave, such as the type found in many ancient households. Others, however, have attempted to identify the slave with a specific figure in ancient society. These proposals are illuminating in that they cause us to look more closely at Paul’s metaphor. They make the convincing case that there is more to Paul’s ‘slave’ than meets the eye. However, attempts to identify the figure are either too vague in their interpretation or insufficient in explaining the full behaviour that Paul describes. Overall, they fail to locate Paul’s slave within the cultural context. What these scholars have not considered, however, is the ubiquitous and universally known and understood context of the theatre. In what follows, it will be suggested that when Paul describes himself as a slave in 1 Cor. 9.19–23, what he has in mind is an actor.