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The
Agon Topos
Prof.
Russell B. Sisson
Quintilian distinguishes analytic topoi from cumulative topoi. Analytic topoi are what a speaker or writer uses to develop a proof or a line of thought; cumulative topoi are used to embellish themes in arguments. Hellenistic moralists who draw analogies between the moral life and an athletic contest (agon) develop a topos that can be used both ways. In 1 Cor. 9:24-27, Paul uses the agon topos in both ways at the same time. Paul’s comparison of himself to a runner and a boxer who strives not only to win a prize, but also to avoid disqualification from the yet unfinished contest, has parallels in Hellenistic moralists. The meaning of the analogy is also informed by popular beliefs about the social role of athletes in the Greco-Roman world—an aspect of the topos seldom discussed in scholarly biblical interpretation, but commented upon by ancient writers (e.g., Philostratus and Philo). A consideration of the full range of metaphorical meaning illustrates how Paul develops the agon topos in manner that gives cohesion to the argument it concludes—an argument that I argue is a defense of apostolic authority--while embellishing the description of apostolic toil and hardship that precedes it.
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