Misplaced Pages

Rhoda (biblical figure): Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editNext edit →Content deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 17:44, 25 April 2018 editGråbergs Gråa Sång (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers57,516 editsmNo edit summary← Previous edit Revision as of 19:41, 25 April 2018 edit undoStAnselm (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, File movers, New page reviewers, Pending changes reviewers160,584 edits we can certainly incorporate the Chambers materialNext edit →
Line 3: Line 3:


Peter had walked out of a prison chained to, and guarded by, Roman soldiers and confined behind secure walls; yet, was unable to get past a gate because a servant girl was too excited to open it for him. ] suggests that it is "difficult not to smile when reading this little anecdote,"<ref>], ''Acts'' (Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2005), 148.</ref> while ] says that the scene is "full of vivid humour."<ref>], ''Commentary on the Book of the Acts'' (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964), 251.</ref> ] surmised that Rhoda recognized Peter's voice because she had "often heard him preach and converse family".<ref>Gill, J. ''Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible'', (http://biblehub.com/commentaries/gill/acts/12.htm) accessed 31 August 2015</ref> However, theologians Donald Fay Robinson and Warren M. Smaltz have suggested that the incident involving Rhoda really represents an idealized account of the death of St. Peter, which may have occurred in a Jerusalem prison in 44 AD.<ref>Robinson, D. F., 'Where and When did Peter die?', ''Journal of Biblical Literature'' Vol 64 (1945), supported by Smaltz, W. M., Did Peter die in Jerusalem?, ''Journal of Biblical Literature'' Vol. 71, No. 4 (Dec., 1952), pp. 211-216 accessed 31 August 2015</ref> Peter had walked out of a prison chained to, and guarded by, Roman soldiers and confined behind secure walls; yet, was unable to get past a gate because a servant girl was too excited to open it for him. ] suggests that it is "difficult not to smile when reading this little anecdote,"<ref>], ''Acts'' (Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2005), 148.</ref> while ] says that the scene is "full of vivid humour."<ref>], ''Commentary on the Book of the Acts'' (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964), 251.</ref> ] surmised that Rhoda recognized Peter's voice because she had "often heard him preach and converse family".<ref>Gill, J. ''Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible'', (http://biblehub.com/commentaries/gill/acts/12.htm) accessed 31 August 2015</ref> However, theologians Donald Fay Robinson and Warren M. Smaltz have suggested that the incident involving Rhoda really represents an idealized account of the death of St. Peter, which may have occurred in a Jerusalem prison in 44 AD.<ref>Robinson, D. F., 'Where and When did Peter die?', ''Journal of Biblical Literature'' Vol 64 (1945), supported by Smaltz, W. M., Did Peter die in Jerusalem?, ''Journal of Biblical Literature'' Vol. 71, No. 4 (Dec., 1952), pp. 211-216 accessed 31 August 2015</ref>

Writing from a ] perspective, Kathy Chambers argues that the narrative demonstrates "how Christian adaptations of comedic tropes challenged the dominant cultural construction of status and gender, of ecclesial authority, slaves, and women."<ref>{{cite book|last1=Chambers|first1=Kathy|editor1-last=Levine|editor1-first=Amy-Jill|editor1-link=Amy-Jill Levine|title=A Feminist Companion to the Acts of the Apostles|date=2004|publisher=]|chapter='Knock, knock--Who's there?' Acts 12.6-17 as a comedy of errors|page=89}}</ref> Chambers connects this story to the fulfilment in ] of the prophecy of ] that women and slaves would prophesy. Although "Rhoda lacked the necessary authority to have her message taken seriously because of her status of both woman and slave,"<ref>Chambers, "Knock, knock," p. 94.</ref> she had enough courage and faith to keep insisting that it was Peter.


==See also== ==See also==

Revision as of 19:41, 25 April 2018

Peter Returns by Johann Christoph Weigel, 1695. Rhoda is in the upper left of the woodcut.

Rhoda (Gk ˁΡόδη) is a woman mentioned once in the New Testament. She appears only in Acts 12:12–15. Rhoda (whose name means "Rose") was a girl (Template:Lang-gr) living in the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark. Many biblical translations state that she was a 'maid' or 'servant girl'. After Peter was miraculously released from prison, he went to the house and knocked on the door. Rhoda came to answer it, and when she heard Peter's voice she was so overjoyed that she rushed to tell the others, and forgot to open the door for him. She told the group of Christians who were praying that Peter was there. They did not believe her at first, and told her she was "out of her mind". When she kept insisting that it was Peter, they said, "It is his angel." Yet Peter kept on knocking, and eventually they opened the door for him.

Peter had walked out of a prison chained to, and guarded by, Roman soldiers and confined behind secure walls; yet, was unable to get past a gate because a servant girl was too excited to open it for him. Jaroslav Pelikan suggests that it is "difficult not to smile when reading this little anecdote," while F. F. Bruce says that the scene is "full of vivid humour." John Gill surmised that Rhoda recognized Peter's voice because she had "often heard him preach and converse family". However, theologians Donald Fay Robinson and Warren M. Smaltz have suggested that the incident involving Rhoda really represents an idealized account of the death of St. Peter, which may have occurred in a Jerusalem prison in 44 AD.

Writing from a feminist perspective, Kathy Chambers argues that the narrative demonstrates "how Christian adaptations of comedic tropes challenged the dominant cultural construction of status and gender, of ecclesial authority, slaves, and women." Chambers connects this story to the fulfilment in Acts 2 of the prophecy of Joel 2 that women and slaves would prophesy. Although "Rhoda lacked the necessary authority to have her message taken seriously because of her status of both woman and slave," she had enough courage and faith to keep insisting that it was Peter.

See also

References

  1. Joseph Henry Thayer, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, RHODA.
  2. Jaroslav Pelikan, Acts (Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2005), 148.
  3. F. F. Bruce, Commentary on the Book of the Acts (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964), 251.
  4. Gill, J. Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible, (http://biblehub.com/commentaries/gill/acts/12.htm) accessed 31 August 2015
  5. Robinson, D. F., 'Where and When did Peter die?', Journal of Biblical Literature Vol 64 (1945), supported by Smaltz, W. M., Did Peter die in Jerusalem?, Journal of Biblical Literature Vol. 71, No. 4 (Dec., 1952), pp. 211-216 accessed 31 August 2015
  6. Chambers, Kathy (2004). "'Knock, knock--Who's there?' Acts 12.6-17 as a comedy of errors". In Levine, Amy-Jill (ed.). A Feminist Companion to the Acts of the Apostles. T&T Clark. p. 89.
  7. Chambers, "Knock, knock," p. 94.
New Testament people
Jesus Christ
Gospels
Individuals
Multiple
Groups
Apostles
Acts
Romans and
Herod's family
Gospels
Acts
Epistles
Revelation
Categories: