| In most cultures in human history, friendship has played a crucial role as a mechanism of strengthening the solidarity among the members of various societies, by binding them together with affectionate and friendly bonds. Greco-Roman philosophers also developed various notions and conventions of friendship, applicable to practical life through family ties, social clubs, business guilds, political parties, philosophical schools, and religious groups. The important mottos of Greco-Roman friendship were 'Friends have one mind,' 'Friends have all things in common,' 'Friendship is equality,' and 'A friend is another I,' aiming at harmony and unity among relatives, friends, or members of a social group.;One can note that Greco-Roman friendship influenced letter writing among the contemporaries in terms of requests, especially, in the case of philosophical/religious exhortations. That is, the emphasis on friendship in a letter functioned as an effective method to provide persuasive instructions, based on the degree of relationship that existed between a writer and the reader(s).;Most NT scholars acknowledge the adaptive use of the various notions and conventions of Greco-Roman friendship in New Testament writings, especially, in the Pauline letters. This study suggests that Paul employed the various notions and conventions of Greco-Roman friendship in his letter to the Galatians, in the process of developing his theological arguments and exhortations for the purpose of enhancing community maintenance. Paul pursued harmony and unity among the members of the Galatian communities by emphasizing self-sacrificial christology and ecclesiology with the concept of familia dei.;In sum, though the friendship motif is not the primary motif in Galatians, it plays a complementary, but very significant role in consolidating his communities as well as in enhancing the effectiveness of persuasion by underscoring the friendly relationship between the Galatians and him. This research study also opens a new direction with which to deal with the matter of unity between the theological section and ethical section in this letter, from the perspective of Paul's concern for solidifying his communities through the employment of the friendship motif. |
