Values of the expression παρρησια and specific instances of its use in John Chrysostom's homilies on the Acts of the Apostles
Abstract
The article consists of two parts. In the first one, it surveys usage of the word παρρησια and its verbal derivatives from the beginning in the late 5th century BC to the New Testament times.
It deals with the political function of the expression in the Athenian democracy, with its subsequent shift to the private sphere and its value in the Hellenistic philosophy, and finally, with its satiric dimension. Then, it indicates some modification of its usage in the Septuagint and other works of Hellenistic Judaism and examines the meanings of the word in individual works of the New Testament.
In the second part, the article illustrates how John Chrysostom used the expression in his 55 homilies on the Acts of the Apostles. It concentrates on the instances where the commentator exploited the classical meaning of the word, which refers to the frankness of public speech as well as to the use of frank speech in admonishing ethical discourse.
These occurrences exemplify the influence of Chrysostom's secular rhetorical education to his exegetical perspective.