Corpus-Paul

["Michael Thompson" <mbt2 AT cam.ac.uk>]

--On Fri, May 14, 1999 10:45 pm -0400 "Stephen C. Carlson"
<scarlson AT mindspring.com> wrote: 

> What about the possibility that Paul himself edited and joined
> separate letters to create 2 Cor. when when creating a core
> collection of his letters?  If I can recall correctly, I believe
> Trobisch suggested this possibility (at least of Paul's being
> the first to collect his letters).

That's possible, but is it really likely? I see at least two problems: 
1. Why put the bits in such a confusing order? If we say Paul did so in
order to make a more orderly and coherent rhetorical flow, that immediately
undercuts the main reason for disassembling 2Cor in the first place. 
2. From what Paul says about the painful letter in 2Cor, I'm not sure he
would really want others to know exactly what he said anyway. He came close
to regretting sending it, and I'm sure they didn't enjoy receiving it!

If Paul did not send the letter as it stands, it seems far more likely that
whoever compiled 2Cor in its current form was not very familiar with the
Corinthian situation and correspondence. The Corinthian leadership certainly
would have known and remembered the order in which the letters came to them.

Mike Thompson


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