Folia Theologica et Canonica 6. 28/20 (2017)
SACRA THEOLOGIA - László Perendy, The application of the term ’brother/sister’ in early Christianity
42 LÁSZLÓ PERENDY in your own native city?” Sabina replied: “What is my native city? I am the sister of Pionius (èycò ntovtou áóeÁtpri eipt).”25 So the word ‘sister’ (meaning a member of family of Christians) is used by Sabina when asked about her native city, i.e. which community she belongs to by physical birth. Using this word she expresses her conviction that in baptism she was reborn spiritually, and now she belongs to a new community, which is the Church. This Martyrdom contains lengthy speeches by Pionius, who is a leading figure of the community of martyrs. He delivered them to non-Christians and his fellow Christians in prison. Herbert Musurillo characterizes them in the following way: ‘Theses speeches are written in a moving style which probably reflects the homiletic genre of the period, full of scriptural quotations, and occasionally ironic in references to pagans or Jews.’26 In one of them can we find the word àôeÀcpôç for the fourth time - this time in plural - when Pionius encourages his Christian brothers not to be misled by those who had worshipped the pagan gods: ‘And if you are unable to maintain this against them, tell them: However it may be, we are stronger than you, who committed fornication and worshipped idols without being forced to. Do not yield to them in despair, my brethren (áSeÁtpot), but cleave to Christ by repentance; for he is merciful in receiving you back as his children.’27 You will note that here not the Heavenly Father, but Christ appears as the father of Christians. Summing up what has been said, in this Martyrdom we can observe that the words àSeÀxpôç, áSeÁcpfj, and áSeÁcpoí are used in the instances when the Christians want to emphasize that through baptism they became members of a new family. They apply this phrase even when they talk about the lapsi, i.e. the Christians who have offered pagan sacrifices. However, when they confess their faith and their adherence to Christ, they use the unequivocal expression: ‘We are Christians.’ (Kptcmocvoi èapev.) With this ‘speech act’ in fact they commit something which was regarded as a crime in Roman law: crimen laesae majestatis (injuring majesty), i.e. high treason. Cyprian, the bishop of Carthage wrote his letters in the middle of the third century. At the beginning of them he often names the addressee or addressees as his brothers, who are mostly the leaders of various Christian communities. Let us see some of them. Letter 2: ‘Cyprian sends greetings to his brother Eucratius. My dearest brother, out of the love which you bear me and the respect in which we hold each other (...).’ 25 Musurillo, H. (text, transi.), The Acts of the Christian Martyrs, 159-160. 26 Musurillo, H. (text, transi.), The Acts of the Christian Martyrs, xxviii. 27 Musurillo, H. (text, transi.), The Acts of the Christian Martyrs, 155 and 157.
