In Eusebius’ Commentary on Luke 6,
where we find a rare Christian instance of the use of the word αρπαγμος outside
of an explicit quotation of Phil 2:6, Peter αρπαγμον τον
δια σταυρου
θανατον εποιειτο
δια τας
σωτηριους ελπιδα. That is,
Peter “considered death by means of the cross harpagmos on account of
the hope of salvation.” Because Peter’s reckoning in regard to his death by
means of the cross is an interpretative evaluation of a future event, it is unlikely
to be something already in his possession which he decides to exploit. There is
no contextual reason to think that Peter discerns that (his future) death will
be something of which to take advantage. At the time of reckoning, Peter is
looking forward to the fact that he is destined for a salvation (σωτηρια) (that will be given to him as a gift). He is
not looking forward to his own act of somehow taking advantage of death.
Whatever exactly the word αρπαγμος means here, it does not naturally mean that
Peter viewed crucifixion as “not a horror to be shunned, but an advantage to
be seized.” Indeed, . . . because the word αρπαγμον is the complement corresponding to the direct
object τον δια σταυρου
θανατον, the word αρπαγμος has
likely been chosen because Peter is thinking of a particular process,
rather than an object or abstract thing. The precise form of words also suggests
that αρπαγμος denotes a king of “snatching.” The phrase δια τας
σωτηριους ελπιδας can be
taken as an interpretative gloss on the word αρπαγμον. Rather than adopt the position of an
unwilling and passive victim, Peter takes the initiative in a hopeful
reckoning (εποιειτο δια . . .ελπιδας) that his
willingness to die by crucifixion is in fact an active snatching, through
which he would receive salvation.
It might be that “salvation” is the
implied object of the grasping to which αρπαγμος
refers. However, it is more likely
that αρπαγμος is chosen here because of its marital or erotic
connotations. Peter viewed death by crucifixion as a divine abduction, by which
his Savior took him to himself . . . Peter’s murderers string him up on a
cross. But, in truth, from Peter’s own perspective, Christ will lift him up—in a
way subversively echoing the abduction of Ganymede—to the heavens.
Unfortunately, the line about Peter’s crucifixion appears in a series of
accounts of apostolic martyrdoms with no further comment or context to help
interpret what Eusebius means by Peter’s view of his death. However, given the common
ancient associations of death and marriage, . . . Peter deemed his death the
moment at which he was taken to be with Christ in heaven, like a bride abducted
by a groom. (Crispin Fletcher-Louis, The Divine Heartset: Paul’s Philippians
Christ Hymn, Metaphysical Affections, and Civic Virtues [Eugene, Oreg.:
Pickwick Publications, 2023], 390-91)