Corpus-Paul

[Christopher Hutson <crhutson AT salisbury.net>]

Richard seeks clarification:

>Similarly, some of your posts, Chris, have (inadvertently, I assume)
>implied that the PE had a primary audience as well as a 'secondary
>audience'.  For example:
>
>You wrote (on 23rd April):
>>Likewise, I
>>argue that the PE have in mind a secondary audience of youthful
>>teachers/leaders in Christian communities who are being trained for
>>leadership.
>
>The difficulty, I suppose, is that clarity is the enemy of brevity.
>Perhaps we should talk about:
>
>a) The fictional audience (Titus and Timothy), assuming pseudonymity.
>b) The (only) actual audience (youthful teachers, Christian
communities, or
>whoever), assuming pseudonymity.
>c) The primary audience (Titus and Timothy), assuming Paul was the
author.
>d) The secondary audience (Christian communities), assuming Paul was
the
>author.
>


I think that pretty much describes the way I see things.  When I say
that "Paul" wrote to "Timothy" or "Titus," I am reflecting the
rhetorical situation within the letters themselves.  They are from an
"Paul," an old mentor, to "Timothy & Titus," his "young" protégés.
The rhetorical situation may or may not correspond the actual
situation of the real author and the intended readers.  If the PE are
pseudonymous, then the real author has adopted the persona of an aged
Paul in order to address reades who are, like Timothy and Titus,
youthful teachers.  But even if the letters really are from Paul, then
there is still a problem equating the intended readers with the
historical Timothy and Titus.  The problem is that the author goes out
of his way to represent Timothy and Titus as youthful and
inexperienced, which could not be said of the historical Timothy and
Titus.

You are right, Richard, that clarity is the enemy of brevity.  Thanks
for clarifying.

XPIC

------------------------------------
Christopher R. Hutson
          Hood Theological Seminary
          Salisbury, NC  28144
crhutson AT salisbury.net
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