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  • From: Richard Fellows <rfellows AT intergate.bc.ca>
  • To: "Corpus-paul" <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Opponents in 1&2 Corinthians
  • Date: Thu, 24 Jun 1999 19:32:40 -0700



Frank Hughes wrote:
>In general, those of us who want to partition 1 Corinthians as well as 2
Corinthians see the >same Corinthian opponents reflected in all segments of
the correspondence.

Frank, could you elaborate on your reasons for seeing a single group of
opponents in the Corinthian correspondence? At what stage in the sequence
did they arrive in Corinth, and when did they leave? Also, what was the
identity of the opponents, according to your reconstruction?

Meanwhile, I would like to pick up a question that you asked:

>(and how did this reconciliation take place, by the way?)

This is not a trivial question, and in my opinion it presents a problem for
the conventional interpretations of 2 Corinthians. Nearly all interpreters
agree that there was a reconciliation between Paul and the Corinthians
after the sending of 2 Cor 10-13. This is the case whether you identify it
as the tearful letter, or place it after 2 Cor 1-9. The suddeness of the
reconciliation seems surprising. 1 Cor addresses most of the issues of 2
Cor 10-13. Why, then, did 2 Cor 10-13 bring about a reconciliation, where
1 Cor and visits by Timothy and Paul himself had failed? The problem is
particularly accute if you equate 2 Cor 10-13 with the tearful letter, and
place it between 1 Cor and 2 Cor 1-9, for in 2 Cor 7:15 we read that they
RECEIVED Titus with fear and trembling. The reconciliation seems to have
taken place even before the arrival of Titus! Was Titus able to resolve
the situation even before he arrived? He must have been a man of
extraordinary skill!

In my opinion the problem is best resolved by placing events in the
following order: Paul's interim visit, the visit of the opponents to
Corinth, the writing of 2 Cor 10-13, the sending of 1 Cor, and the arrival
of 2 Cor 10-13.

Richard Fellows
Vancouver
rfellows AT intergate.bc.ca





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