Corpus-Paul

[Richard Fellows <rfellows AT intergate.bc.ca>]

Dear all,

In his e-mail of 1st April Christopher Hutson said that both Timothy and
Titus were sent to handle a 'ticklish situation' in Corinth.  This is just
one of many 'coincidences' in the data that we have concerning 'Titus' and
'Timothy'.  Both names belonged to a gentile fellow-worker of Paul.  Both
names belonged to an early convert, and both were connected to the
circumcision issue in Galatia.  Of course, these may be no more than
coincidences, but it raises the possibility that 'Titus' is merely an
informal name used for Timothy.  

This would explain why 'Titus' he never appears in Acts or in the opening
formulae of the letters, but is only mentioned in letters to the two
communities with whom he, Titus-Timothy, was probably most familiar
(Galatia and Corinth).

Returning to the 'ticklish situation(s)' in Corinth, let us consider the
possibility that the future mission of Timothy to Corinth that we read
about in 1 Cor 4:17, 16:10 was one and the same as the past mission of
'Titus' in 2 Cor.  This would then give us the following sequence of
events, or something very similar.

After returning to Ephesus (Acts 19.1) Paul made a brief, sorrowful visit
to Corinth (2 Cor 2.1, 12.14, 13.1).  In response he wrote a letter (1 Cor
5.9), now lost.  He then heard that some at Corinth were questioning his
authority (1 Cor 4.18-19, 2 Cor 2.3; 7.11).  He wrote a (tearful) letter (2
Cor 10-13; 2 Cor 1.13, 2.3-4, 9, 7.8,12) to re-assert his authority and
sent it with Titus-Timothy.  At the time of writing he was hopeful that the
letter would have the desired effect (2 Cor 1.15, 2.3, 7.14,16, 13.10) and
he wrote that he intended to visit them soon after the arrival of the
letter (2 Cor 12.14, 12.20-13.2, 2.3).  His intention at that time was to
visit Corinth in the spring, on his way to Macedonia, and then to return to
Corinth (2 Cor 1.15-16, Phil 2.24).  Titus-Timothy travelled with Erastus
via Macedonia (Acts 19.22, Phil 2.19).  Paul learned from Stephanas etc. (1
Cor 16.17) that Titus-Timothy had not yet arrived in Corinth (1 Cor 16.10).
 Titus-Timothy's delay may have been due to his work in starting the
collection in Macedonia (2 Cor 8.6).  Paul therefore cancelled his plan to
visit Corinth at that time because a visit before the tearful letter had
done its work would have been sorrowful (2 Cor 12.20-21; 1 Cor 4.21; 2 Cor
1.23; 2.3), and he wrote 1 Corinthians in lieu of a visit, explaining his
intention to travel to Macedonia first (1 Cor 16.5-7).  He sent word (via
Stephanas, for example) to Titus-Timothy to meet him as soon as possible
and he gave him his schedule.  Paul stuck to this schedule, proceeding to
Macedonia to meet him the sooner and to find out what had happened to him
(2 Cor 2.12-13).  Titus-Timothy's visit to Corinth was successful, but the
believers decided that since Paul could not come to Corinth at that time,
they would discipline an offender on his behalf (2 Cor 2.5-10, 7.7-13).  As
a result of Titus-Timothy's delay, he went directly to Macedonia and met
Paul there (2 Cor 1.1; 7.5-6, Acts 19.22).  Paul then wrote 2 Cor 1-9,
which was carried to Corinth by Titus-Timothy (2 Cor 8.17).  After the
winter (1 Cor 16.6; Acts 20.3), Titus-Timothy (Rom 16.21) travelled with
Paul to Judea (Acts 20.4).

Now, in my article, which Jeffrey Gibson has kindly put on the web at at:

http://www.ameritech.net/users/jgibson000/WasTT8w.html

, I have argued that this sequence offers many advantages compared to those
that are possible when  'Titus' is seen as an individual in his own right.
Commentators have had to hypothesise many events which are eliminated in
the sequence given above.  In short, the assumption that 'Titus' and
'Timothy' were TWO people has produced a double vision that has led to all
kinds of duplications.

I would be very interested to hear your thoughts on the Titus-Timothy
question.  Don't be shy!

Richard Fellows
Vancouver