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corpus-paul - Re: corpus-paul digest: June 20, 2001

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Subject: Corpus-Paul

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  • From: Richard Fellows <rfellows AT intergate.ca>
  • To: "Corpus-paul" <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: corpus-paul digest: June 20, 2001
  • Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2001 22:33:23 -0700


Jonathan Boyd wrote:
>> I think that Paul's "success" in Ephesus must surely be measured
>> in his impact on the whole region of Asia Minor. Acts 19:9b-10
>> says: "He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in
>> the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that all
>> the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the
>> word of the Lord" (NIV).

Jeffrey Gibson replied:
>The question I (and I think many others on this List) would have here is: How
>trustworthy is this data? Luke has his own agenda regarding Paul's
"success" and
>frequently it doesn't square up very well with what can be gleaned in this
regard from
>Paul's letters.

Could you elaborate on what you see as Luke's agenda regarding Paul's
success? Please also explain why you see an inconsistency between Acts and
Paul's letters on this issue. Jonathan found evidence in Acts for Paul's
success in the province of Asia. Are you suggesting that Luke had a
tendency to exaggerate Paul's successes? If so, why?

>And seems highly unlikely that Paul was heard by **every** inhabitant
>of the province of Asia!

Actually, Jeffrey, the text does not say that every inhabitant of the
province of Asia heard Paul. It says that they all heard the word of God as
a result of Paul's debating in the hall of Tyrannus for two years. There is
no suggestion that the entire population of Asia visited the lecture hall
(that would be absurd). No, the implication is rather that some who had
heard Paul's teaching in the hall of Tyrannus carried the message
throughout the province.

>In any case, all this speaks of is who **heard** him. It says nothing
about how many of
>those who heard accepted what he had to say.

I agree. Reports of the debates could have been spread throughout the
province by those who did not accept Paul's message. The text does not say
that it was from believers that the people heard the word of God. It could
have been indirectly by report from the unsympathetic and the uncommitted.

Richard Fellows





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