Corpus-Paul

[Craig S de Vos <csdevos AT trinity.unimelb.edu.au>]

Perry Stepp wrote
>One of the arguments Conzlemann made for the pseudonymity of the PE was that
>their view of Christian citizenship differs from the view found in the
>accepted letters....
>Conzlemann's picture is clearly an oversimplification.  Romans 13, 1 Cor 6,
>and other passages in the undisputed Paulines draw a much more complex
>picture of Paul's understanding of Christian citizenship (not to mention the
>apparent shift in his view of the parousia).
>
>One cannot make a conclusive case for definitive differences between the PE
>and the undistputed Paulines on this count.

Granted, Rom 13 appears to offer a less radical position regarding Christian community-civic community relations (I'm reluctant to use the term "Christian citizenship" -- it's both ambiguous and unhelpful). However, it must also be seen in the context of Rom 12:14-21. 

But 1 Cor 6 is fairly hostile towards the institutions of the civic community and seeks to establish alternative (parallel ?) institutions to it within the Christian community. Furthermore, throughout 1 Cor (at least as I read it) Paul is attempting to strengthen the boundaries between the Christian and civic communities. If we consider the implications of Paul's instructions regarding attendance at temple banquets and other meals (1 Cor 8 & 10) he seems to be, at least implicitly, calling for Christians and especially elite Christians (despite the recent arguments of Justin Meggitt) to forgo some of their rights and privileges as citizens. The call to renounce one's rights as a citizen may well be found in 1 Thess 4:11-12 and, as I read them, in the language of POLITEUESQE (1:27)/POLITEUMA (3:20) in Philippians (not to mention the language of the Philippians 'hymn'). 

Having done considerable research recently on Christian-civic community relationships I would argue that Paul generally has a sectarian tendency, seeking to strengthen the boundaries between the two communities and to encourage his converts (sometimes subtly, sometimes not so subtly) to renounce, or at least forgo, their rights as citizens of the "earthly" civic-community. 

In support of Conzelmann, the PE (not to mention the household codes of Eph and Col) do seem to have a different overall tone. If we were to explore the reasons for this difference in tone (leaving aside the question of authorship for now) we would have to say that there was probably a different context and a different set of circumstances. In the PE (and Eph & Col) it would seem that the Christian communities thought it necessary and desirable to fit in with their Graeco-Roman neighbours and live as "good citizens" of their particular civic communities. We would then have to ask what has happened to the expectation of an imminent parousia, and so on. If, as has traditionally been argued, this suggests a considerable lag in time then, although it is not conclusive proof of pseudonymity, it is certainly suggestive.

Craig



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Dr. Craig S. de Vos			       
Bromby Lecturer in New Testament	        
Trinity College Theological School	        
Royal Parade			        
Parkville VIC 3052			        
Australia				        
(O) +61 3 9349-0129  (F) +61 3 9349-0460   
csdevos AT trinity.unimelb.edu.au

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