Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

corpus-paul - hard evidence for early opening to Gentiles

corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Corpus-Paul

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Jeffrey B. Gibson" <jgibson000 AT mailhost.chi.ameritech.net>
  • To: Corpus Paulinum <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: hard evidence for early opening to Gentiles
  • Date: Thu, 23 Mar 2000 09:05:56 -0600


Recently on Synoptic-L a Loisyite posted the following claim:

> ... I don't think it is realistic to see post-Easter Jesus movement
> as
> opening to the Gentiles very early. To the contrary, I don't believe
> that
> this opening took place until 100 or thereabouts.

I responded (perhaps rather flippantly) by first noting that

> ... I'm sure that the Gentile Christians in Thessalonika, Philippi,
> Galatia,
> Corinth, Ephesus, and Rome to whom Paul writes (and among whom he
> worked)
> before 60 and whom Clement of Rome (writing about 96), Ignatius and
> Polycarp
> and Barnabas (writing not long after), and other early fathers each
> assume to
> have been members of, and a significant force within, the Jesus
> movement for
> some time before them, would be very surprised to hear this.

and then by making a claim that there was pesky (i.e., not subject to
interpolation theories) **archaeological** evidence that indicates the
existence of Gentile Christianity and/ or a strong Gentile component
within the Jesus movement in the last three decades of the first cent in
almost all of the major cities, let alone the backwaters
(like Syria/Palestine), of the Roman empire.

But it has been drawn to my attention that with respect to this last
point I may have overstated my case. May I ask then for answers to two
questions?

First, what if any archaeological evidence **is** there that indicates
the existence of Gentile Christianity and/ or a strong Gentile
component within the Jesus movement in the last three decades of the
first cent in almost all of the major cities, let alone the backwaters
(like Syria/Palestine), of the Roman empire?

Second, what, if any, other evidence could one possible point to in
support of my argument against the claims of the Loisyite?

Thanks,

Jeffrey
--
Jeffrey B. Gibson
7423 N. Sheridan Road #2A
Chicago, Illinois 60626
e-mail jgibson000 AT ameritech.net






Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page