Corpus-Paul

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

Steve Nelson wrote:

>Perhaps Jim would be so kind as to provide some compelling reasons for 
>doubting their Pauline authorship?

Steve, last week my 'Titus was Timothy' article was put on the web.  The
evidence that it contains is direct evidence for the pseudonymity of the
pastorals, for it is highly unlikely that Paul would write that Titus had
gone to Dalmatia (2 Tim 4:10) in a letter to Titus himself!  In short, the
fact that 'Titus' never existed as a separate individual provides the most
compelling  reason to doubt the Pauline authorship of the pastorals.

>Were he to do so, I would gladly respond.

Steve, I hope your promise to respond extends to the arguments that I have
presented, since no-one else has attempted a rebuttal, or engaged with the
arguments in any way at all!  Indeed, there is a strange silence from
certain quarters.  Come on, all you Corinthians and Galatians experts! We
know who you are! ;-)

Christopher Hutson wrote:
>So arguments for authenticity must rely on very tenuous assumptions
>that Paul got out of prison and conducted further evangelism "in the
>west" after Acts ends.

Hutson made some good points.

On Clement's statement, I tend to see it as a mistaken inference from Rom
15:28.  In the same way, 1 Tim 1:3 might be a mistaken extension of 1 Cor
16.  Similarly, if the author thought Timothy had been timid (2 Tim 1:7) he
might have got that idea from misreading 1 Cor 16:10.  Any more candidates
for such mistakes?

Richard Fellows
Vancouver
rfellows AT intergate.bc.ca