Friendship in the New Testament: Comparative Critical Reading

Intertextual readings are common to Biblical interpretation. Usually, literature contemporary to the Biblical times is used to interpret the Scripture. Post-colonial readings of the text brought forth the importance of reading the Scripture in comparison with the indigenous literature. This provides fascinating opportunities to use this principle to read the Scripture in comparison with any literature. Therefore, comparative critical reading is an interpretative method which consciously compares another literature with the Scripture so that the uniqueness and similarities of the Scripture are highlighted. While Biblical interpretations have used ancient literature to interpret the Scripture, and while post-colonial readings have used post-colonial literature to interpret the Scripture, comparative critical reading provides room for any literature to be used to interpret the Scripture. Any literature, ancient or modern could be used by the choice of the interpreter so that a portion of the Scripture could be interpreted in light of the content of that literature. This would provide fascinating kaleidoscopic readings of the Scripture.

First, the interpreter must choose a theme. For this project, we have chosen Friendship as the theme with which we will do the comparative analyses. After this, the interpreter must choose a Bible passage. A book from the Bible or a passage from the New Testament could be chosen. In addition, the interpreter must also choose another literature, ancient or modern which deals with Friendship theme broadly so that the Scripture could be compared with. Then these two literature will be compared and analyzed by the interpreter to bring out the uniqueness and similarities of these literature. This could be an analysis of the characters of the Bible with the characters displaying friendship in other literature or this could be an analysis of the theme of Friendship in the literature broadly. Plutarch's HOW ONE MAY DISCERN A FLATTERER FROM A FRIEND describes who a friend is? Comparing this with Markan portrayal of Peter as the friend of Jesus will give interesting interpretation. Plutarch defines a friend as the one who stays with him in his need, while he defines a flatterer as the one who deserts that friend in his need (Adul. amic. ii). In this light Peter seems to be portrayed as a flatterer who denied Jesus when he was in need. In addition, the same Markan portrayal of Peter as the friend of Jesus could be compared and analyzed in light of Thiruvalluvar's THIRUKKURAL. Thiruvalluvar, the ancient Tamil poet writes about 40 Kurals on Friendship. In these, he describes who a friend is. Thiruvalluvar says, “There is a benefit even in misfortune, for it is the rod with which a man can measure the loyalty of friends” (796). Even in the light of Thirukkural Peter seems to lack the essential qualities to be the friend of Jesus. This way other literature could be used to interpret the Scripture.

In one sense the literature used to be compared with the Scripture becomes the lens by which the interpreter sees the Scripture. In another sense, that literature becomes the foil with which the Scripture is compared to bring out certain characteristic features of the Scripture. Therefore, comparative critical reading provides venue to read the Scripture in light of another literature so that certain characteristic features of the Scripture could be brought to light.