Corpus-Paul

[Edgar Krentz <ekrentz AT lstc.edu>]

Frank Glenn wrote:
>
>Loathe as I am to offer this in the presence of my betters, FWIW I'd like to
>propose that, using Juergen Becker's basic list as a starting place, that we
>consider Colossians as (1) Pauline and (2) the first extant letter we have.
>Do the CP participants feel it possible that Paul's "intellectual" history
>as a Christian began not in Qumran (Pace) but in Damascus with a very high
>(cosmic) level of both Christology and Soteriology (dying-rising savior
>mystery, anyone?) from whence it moved toward its terminus in Romans?  I
>think Romans 12:1-2 is the "bedrock" still there after its early
>identification in Colossians 1:25-27.
>Frank

May I suggest that this discussion would progress better if people would
begin to carry on an exegetical discussion on this list.

For example, what might suggest in the text of Colossians and the history
of the first century that it is Paul's first letter? Before one might take
that as a starting point, one would need to argue somewhat cogently that 1
Thessalonians comes after Colossians theologically.

And one would need to locate it somehow in the biographical data of
Galatians, 2 Corinthians, and Philippians.

In that way we get beyond suggestions to a true exegetical debate.



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Edgar Krentz
Professor of New Testament Emeritus
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
1100 E. 55th Street
Chicago, IL 60615  USA
773-256-0752
e-mail: ekrentz AT lstc.edu (Office)
        emkrentz AT mcs.com (Home)
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