Towards Friendship-Shaped Communities: A Practical Theology of Friendship

4 Friendship and Second Testament Writings

This chapter explores themes of relationality, friendship, and community in the Second Testament. Implications inherent within the genealogies of Matthew and Luke’s gospels are considered, along with texts within these gospels that encourage creative resistance to oppression, and that model open friendship and hospitality. In the Johannine writings, themes of love and friendship include accompaniment, laying down one’s life, revelation within friendship, and plain speech (the Fourth Gospel), and thinking critically about political and economic culture (Revelation). The Pauline epistles depict reconciliation as the restoration of friendship.

The Second Testament documents were written during an age of deep social divisions between the ruling classes, both Roman and Jewish, and “the majority peasant population who produce the agrarian resources upon which ancient Middle Eastern societies were based.”¹ Rome exerted control over Judea/Israel in 63 bce, under the leadership of general Pompey. This was an era of Roman imperialist expansion during which Jerusalem was weakened by civil strife.² The following decades were characterized by conflicts among factions competing for Rome’s favor.³ By 37 bce, Herod emerged as Rome’s client-king.⁴ His death in 4 bce led to “an unstable succession.”⁵ Judea/Israel and Samaria were added to the province of Syria and were predominantly ruled by Roman governors until war broke out in 66 ce. Roman rule was ...