206 christina m. kreinecker
(for example παρακαλῶ in rom 16:17). furthermore, the sequence of
the request-verbs is a-typical in comparison to undisputed paulines. In
the undisputed epistles, ἐρωτῶ is never the first request in a letter or a
sequence (1 Thess 4:1 is a combination of request-formulas and has to be
treated separately). It is particularly noteworthy that the usage of ἐρωτῶ in
the undisputed epistles is in perfect harmony with the variety and range
of usage known from documentary papyri, while 2 Thessalonians differs
from both in terms of content and form.
The Verb παρακαλῶ as a Request Formula
at the end of the third chapter of 2 Thessalonians, which deals with the
situation in the community, we find the combination παραγγέλλομεν
καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν. second Thessalonians 3:12 reads: τοῖς δὲ τοιούτοις
παραγγέλλομεν καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν ἐν κυρίῳ Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ, ἵνα μετὰ ἡσυχίας
ἐργαζόμενοι τὸν ἑαυτῶν ἄρτον ἐσθίωσιν (“now such persons we command
and exhort in the lord Jesus christ to do their work quietly and to earn
their own living”). Therefore, παρακαλῶ is the second word for intro-
ducing requests that is used in 2 Thessalonians. The author addresses
those who “are living in idleness [.. .] not doing any work”—2 Thess 3:11:
περιπατοῦντας ἐν ὑμῖν ἀτάκτως μηδὲν ἐργαζομένους. The request deals with
a question concerning life and community itself, namely work and (earn-
ing a) living.
Requests with παρακαλῶ in Documentary Papyri
In documentary papyri, requests taking the form παρακαλῶ appear fre-
quently and in all kinds of documents. In official writings, παρακαλῶ intro-
duces the content of a request in petitions but it is also found in letters
of recommendation and all kinds of private documents. The high number
of occurrences and the widespread use in a variety of documents pre-
served on papyrus make it obvious that παρακαλῶ is “the common papy-
rus request formula,”23 for which no examples need to be given in this
article. There is only one feature that is worth mentioning in the context
23 stanley k. stowers, Letter Writing in Greco-Roman Antiquity (lec 5; philadelphia:
westminster John knox, 1986), 24. cf. arzt-grabner, Philemon, 193–94; p. arzt-grabner
in peter arzt-grabner, ruth e. kritzer, amphilochios papathomas, and franz winter,
- Korinther (pknT 2; göttingen: Vandenhoeck & ruprecht, 2006), 58–59; Bjerkelund,
Parakalô, 34–58. further examples from private letters are o.krok. I 93.2–3 (ca. 108–115 ce)
and p.louvre II 104.13, 15 (II ce). The phrase καλῶς ἂν ποιήσαις (“you would do well”)