Texts in Conversation
Philippians teaches believers to care about others’ interests, not just their own. Hierocles, a second-century Stoic philosopher, teaches a similar ethic of giving to others in relationships.
Share:
2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Philippians 2:4
New Testament
3 Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. 4 Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well. 5 You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had,
Hierocles On Relatives
How One Should Behave toward One's Relatives
Classical
Next to this is that which contains the common people, then that which comprehends those of the same tribe, afterwards that which contains the citizens; and then two other circles follow, one being the circle of those that dwell in the vicinity of the city, and the other, of those of the same province. But the outermost and greatest circle, and which comprehends all the other circles, is that of the whole human race. These things being thus considered, it is the province of him who strives to conduct him self properly in each of these connections to collect, in a certain respect, the circles, as it were, to one centre, and always to endeavor earnestly to transfer himself from the comprehending circles to the several particulars which they comprehend. It pertains, therefore, to the man who is a lover of kindred [to conduct himself in a becoming manner] towards his parents and brothers; also, according to the same analogy, towards the more elderly of his relatives of both sexes, such as grandfathers, uncles and aunts; towards those of the same age with himself, as his cousins; and towards his juniors, as the children of his cousins. Hence we have summarily shown how we ought to conduct ourselves towards our kindred, having before taught how we should act towards ourselves, our parents, and brothers; and besides these, towards our wife and children.
Date: c. 120 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Search:
Notes and References
... Similarly, Hierocles in the second century CE discusses the concentric circles by which people should understand their relationships with each other. The person stands at the center. The second circle contains one’s parents, siblings, wife, and children. The circles continue outward to encompass various kinship relations, fellow citizens, and finally the entire human race. The goal is to try to draw the outermost circles inward in order to reduce the distance of one’s relationship to each person. But again, the most basic relationship includes all humanity. The Stoics, and in particular Cicero and Seneca, taught people to develop the rational capacity and to live virtuously by basing specific rules upon the foundational principle of unity. The Stoic concept of oikeiôsis connected the Stoic concern to live according to nature or virtue and the obligation to take care of one’s fellow human beings by making the person’s identity as part of universal humanity the starting point for social ethics ...
Lee, Michelle V.
Paul, the Stoics, and the Body of Christ
(pp. 67-69) Cambridge University Press, 2006
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
Your Feedback:
Leave a Comment
Anonymous comments are welcome. All comments are subject to moderation.