Sample Mini-Review – “Paul’s Farewell” by Lambrecht

Note: This mini-review was created as a sample for a blog post entitled: Writing a Mini-Review: A Critical Task in PhD Research

“Paul’s Farewell Address at Miletus (Acts 20, 17-38)

Summary

In his study, Lambrecht analyzes the relationship between the use of Pauline tradition and Lucan redaction and the function of the discourse in Acts and Lucan theology.

Lambrecht concludes that Luke uses Pauline tradition and “universal Christian proclamations” to construct his speech.  In addition, Luke’s purpose for the speech is to exhort and encourage leaders of his own day as well as to demonstrate continuity between his own time and that of Paul’s.

Introduction

Lambrecht’s study focuses on three main areas: the structure of the Miletus Speech, the relation between the use of Pauline tradition and Lucan redaction, and the function of the discourse within Acts and Lucan theology.

Lambrecht begins his study with an analysis of the literary context of the Miletus Speech. It occurs during Paul’s journey from Ephesus to Jerusalem (Acts 20:1-21:17) and given the detailed itinerary and the dark forebodings, both in the speech and in the travel narrative, it represents for Lambrecht “Paul’s final journey to Jerusalem.”

Lambrecht reviews several important studies related to the Miletus Speech including those by Dibelius, [1] Klein, [2] Dupont, [3] Schürmann, [4] Michel[5] and Knoch.[6]

From Lambrecht’s perspective, all of these studies suggest that Luke is more interested in his own (Luke’s) time than in Paul’s.  Lambrecht’s early observation of the speech is that Luke wishes to show the continuity of his own epoch with that of Paul and the apostles.

The Structure of the Miletus Speech

Though Lambrecht agrees that the structure of the speech is hard to define, the division must, in his view, take at least four factors into account:

1. Six small literary units which can be discerned based on their content
2. The various repetitions within the speech
3. The time references in the speech (between present and future)
4. The transition between who is the primary focus (either Paul or the elders).

This analysis yields the following structure for Lambrecht:

• Self defence and announcement (18b-27)
• Previous conduct (apology) 18b-21 (a)
• Announcement of departure and future suffering (22-25) (b)
• Previous conduct (apology) 26-27 (a)

• Exhortations and farewell (28-35)
• Warning and Pauline example (28-31) (a)
• Farewell (32) (b)
• Warning (help for the weak) and Pauline example (33-35) (a)

According to Lambrecht, the structure demonstrates Luke’s paraenetic (teaching) purpose for the speech:  Paul’s apologetic is not meant as a self-defense but rather it is to serve as an example of ministry for the future leaders.

Relation between tradition and redaction

In dealing with the question of how much of the speech is based on sources vs. Lucan redactions Lambrecht analyzes five factors:

1. Paulinisms and traditions about Paul
2. The kerygmatic content of the speech, which parallels other speeches in Acts and according to Lambrecht stresses Paul’s ecclesial orthodoxy
3. The use of the Septuagint language
4. Lucan language style and ideas including the similarity of the Miletus Speech to Jesus’ farewell discourse in Luke 22
5. Luke’s use of the Marcan gospel.

While rejecting Keck’s theory that the Miletus Speech is dependent on Mark’s apocalypse (Mark 13), Lambrecht concludes that the speech is thoroughly Lucan. Thus, it must be interpreted in “light of Luke’s conceptions and theology.”

Place and Function of the Discourse in Acts and in Luke’s theology

Lambrecht concludes with a study of the place and function of the Miletus Speech within Acts and within Luke’s overall purpose. Lambrecht analyzes four aspects in this respect:

1. The Miletus Speech is the central event in the travel narrative to Jerusalem, given the space and attention dedicated to it relative to the other details.
2. The Ephesian elders allow Luke to focus on the whole of the Ephesian theatre and on the representative role that this important city plays as the center of Asia
3. Because the speech is wholly Lucan, it is Luke who wishes to mark the end of a major phase in Paul’s life and the end of a whole period of church history
4. Luke’s Paul is more concerned with the situation in Luke’s own day, which includes a vigilance against spiritual threats from within and without and a concern for the care of the poor and needy.