Corpus-Paul

["John C. Hurd" <John.Hurd AT Squam.org>]

A comment on Mark Nanos' contribution:
    That post (and others?) use Paul's reference to "fourteen years" in
Gal. 2:1 to argue that Paul confined his missionary work to Syria and
Cilicia during this period and did not reach Europe until after the
conference of Gal. 2:1-10.
    However, if one thinks through the argument that Paul is making in
Gal. 1:11--2:21, it seems clear (to some at least) that his focus is on
demonstrating his independence from Jerusalem christianity.  Every
sentence serves this end.  In this context one cannot expect that Paul
would provide the Galatians with an account of what he was doing when he
was west of Cilicia.  On the contrary, such a travelogue would dilute
his argument.  The area next west of Cilicia is Galatia.  Paul does not
need to tell the Galatians that he visited them, and that he was not in
touch with Jerusalem when he passed beyond them to the west.  (For more
detail, see Origin of 1 Corinthians, pp. 19-22, citing John Knox and a
number of other scholars).
    The theory of Paul's fourteen "silent years" rests on an argument
from silence, which in this instance, given the rhetorical intention of
the text, is exceedingly weak.  Thus the door is wide open for an early
date for 1 Thessalonians.
    Cheers!
--      John Hurd
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::  John C. Hurd                Internet: John.Hurd AT Squam.org
::  Professor Emeritus of New Testament
::  Trinity College in the University of Toronto