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corpus-paul - Re: Neil Elliot, "Liberating Paul"

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  • From: "Jon Peter" <jnp AT home.com>
  • To: "Corpus Paulinum" <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Neil Elliot, "Liberating Paul"
  • Date: Tue, 6 Jul 1999 11:42:28 -0700


Jeffrey asked:

>
> First, When according to your view is Romans written? I ask this because
it is
> important in establishing or disconfirming what is otherwise a hidden
assumption in
> your view, namely, that Christians not only *were* in some sort of trouble
with the
> Roman authorities, but were also known by Paul to be in this trouble, such
that he
> felt or anticipated that some form of defence was necessary/and or
desirable.
>

I don't have the faintest idea on dating, but I think this letter sounds
mature and occurs fairly late in Paul's life.

As for my assumptions about Christians being in trouble, thus necessitating
Paul's disinformation effort---

I think Paul and other Christians were generally in trouble and under
suspicion. This was the nature of their religion from day one. They were
surreptitious lawbreakers. They were a source of violent controversy within
Judaism. Roman Jews were persecuted under Claudius in the 40s. Quite
probably (in my view) this civil disturbance was caused by "Chrestus" =
Jesus-preaching. These events and facts would have provided Paul and other
Christians with reason to portray themselves in a favorable light as
respectful of authority. Hence, the dating issue doesn't seem so crucial to
me. But I think you raise a worthwhile point: The need for Paul to present
a good image on paper would be especially acute during a crackdown.

>
> Second, why would *Roman* authorities accept anything *Paul* said as
having any kind
> of legitimacy, let alone the kind that would exculpate Christians from
real or
> potential legal suspicion?
>

You may be right here, but I think a strong public statement from Paul would
be potentially powerful evidence of Christian "innocence." This would be
especially so, if Jews in Rome were viewed as agitators -- which seems quite
plausible. Judea was unstable at best, and a known hotbed of revolution.
Jews and Jewish-Christians in Rome would naturally have been spied upon and
infiltrated. Nero went ballistic with paranoia over them


Had not Paul done enough in Roman
> colonies/jurisdictions--and if Tom Wright and Neil Elliott are correct in
their views
> about Paul's Gospel as anti-imperial and one who, as herald of King
Jesus,
> challenged imperial pretentions--rendered himself long before the writing
of Romans as
> someone who was rather politically suspect?
>

All the more reason for Paul to start manufacturing a false and exculpatory
paper-trail. Again, picture the scene in Rome: Spies are listening /
watching from the pews or eavesdropping through open windows while Paul's
letters are read aloud. And this public reading is very, very
unequivocal.... "Obey authority, they're divinely inspiredÂ…" Wow, that has
impact. That is what the spies overhear, without any hint or indication to
suggest the contrary.

Ironically, Paul fooled not only Romans but, in later generations (and
unwittingly), virtually all Christians too.


> Third, do you have any evidence that any other text in Romans is
> "pseudo-remonstration"? Can it be said that it really is a strategy he
adopts in
> Romans?
>

I have studied and written about only 1Corinthians and Romans in this light,
so far. I also find the all-important precedent and role-model for such a
deceptive literary practice to be embedded in the HB! Hebrew puns and
allegories and pseudo-remonstrations were all coordinated and aimed at
scamming the Dariuses' ecclesiastical agents.

And I also see this same pattern in the Gospels. The evidence of this is, to
me, overwhelming. Paul's need to conform to this scriptural archetype is
all-important to him and to the Gospel writers -- perhaps even more so than
the practical need to disinform the authorities year-to-year. But we're
probably way off-topic now.

Best regards,

Jon





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