Corpus-Paul

["Frank W. Hughes" <fwhughes AT sunbeach.net>]

> I know that the Corinthian correspondence is usually
> read to support the
> notion that Paul was self-supportive and refused financial help from
> the
> Corinthians et al. Is it at all possible to read it differently, namely,
> that this is rhetoric used to shame the Corinthians for not supporting
> him
> [cf 1 Cor 4:14]?
I believe that a lot should be made of the relationships of patron and
client.  Given the factionalism in the Corinthian church, which may
well have had socio-economic roots, Paul would have been foolish to become
the client of patrons in the Corinthian church.  I read his refusal
to accept money from the Corinthian church as being primarily because he
was smart enough to stay independent of the rich folk in that congregation. 
I am also influenced by proposals to explain Paul's material about women
wearing veils by way of his wanting to bracket the obvious rich/poor differences
when rich women wore precious metals and jewels in their hair and poor
women did not.

It is hard to know what to make of Paul's complaints in 1 Cor 4:11 except to note that at the end of book 1 of De inventio the 19 year old Cicero tells his readers of 16 ways to use the topic of suffering.  Evidently this was a part of Greek rhetorical tradition.

I think Paul is trying to shame the Corinthians into resuming their giving to his collection for the relief of the Jerusalem church in 2 Cor 8.  He does this by using the exempla of the poor redneck Macedonians who had nothing but gave everything, and then the exemplum of Christ, who was rich but became poor.  In other words Paul argues there as follows:  if the Macedonians and Christ had no reason to give yet did give generously, what should you rich Corinthians, who have too much money jingling in your pockets, do but to complete your giving to Paul's collection?

Frank W. Hughes
Lecturer in NT Studies
Codrington College
Barbados, West Indies