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  • From: "Mark D. Nanos" <nanosmd AT comcast.net>
  • To: Corpus-paul <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Dating 1 Thessalonians
  • Date: Thu, 18 Apr 2002 08:19:47 -0500


on 4/17/02 11:18 AM, Edgar Krentz at ekrentz AT earthlink.net wrote:

> Areas to think about are (1) Greek style; (2) lack of references to
> the OT; (3) the lack of major Pauline theological motifs that occur
> in every later letter. (4) data in the book of Acts that persuade
> many.
>
> What are the problems with that dating? (1) Must Paul use the OT and
> all his theological motifs? (2) Some material in Acts seems
> inaccurate (primarily the three Sabbaths).
>
> I would be interested in reading Mark Nanos's and other's
> reservations about the early date. [It is about 18 plus or minus
> years after Paul's call as apostle.

I do not have any strong arguments for dating 1 Thess at this point, nor any
investment in when it was written, just questions of an historiographical
nature. I do not see how the above comments lead to a conclusion on dating.

1. What about Greek style? This can be the result of a) a different
secretary; b) a different level of reader/hearer; c) changes in the
competence of the author. Etc.

2. Would not lack of Tanak references compared to other letters argue for
later (if any sequence is implied at all), since Paul would begin from that
which he was familiar (for himself and his audiences), and later be creating
and learning new ways to express himself as a part of a subgroup developing
its own symbolic world, authorities, language, etc.?

3. I do not quite understand "the lack of major Pauline theological motifs
that occur in every later letter." Theological motifs arise when Paul seeks
to explain "the why" of something. These would be different depending upon
the topics at issue. Perhaps the topics discussed in the other extant
letters were not yet problematic, or perhaps they were already clarified
prior to this letter, or perhaps they are just not essential to the exigence
at the moment in Thessalonika provoking "this" (relatively brief) letter.
Why assume that things would be the same in different places among different
people at different times? Yes, Luke harmonizes to tell a story, as would be
expected of a narrative, but that should not change the fact that every
letter should be investigated according to its own implied rhetorical
situation.

4. I am unaware of any references in Acts to Paul writing letters, and do
not understand from the sequence in Acts that his career in Thess was early
compared to places in Syria and Asia Minor, but the opposite.

Please explain the historical reasons for believing that these points or
some others either suggest or confirm an early dating, or even any grounds
for dating at all relative to Paul's other extant correspondence.

Regards,
Mark

--
Mark D. Nanos, Ph.D.
313 NE Landings Dr.
Lee's Summit, MO 64064
USA
nanosmd AT comcast.net





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