Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

corpus-paul - Re: Pauline and Jesus Movements <LYR86769-47687-2000.04.03-13.25.49--ekrentz#lstc.edu@franklin.oit.unc.edu>

corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Corpus-Paul

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "David C. Hindley" <DHindley AT compuserve.com>
  • To: corpus-paul
  • Subject: Re: Pauline and Jesus Movements <LYR86769-47687-2000.04.03-13.25.49--ekrentz#lstc.edu AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2000 10:17:59


Edgar Krentz wrote in response to Dave Hindley:

>>Another way of accounting for the difference is by a form of tradition
criticism. The references to KHFAS in Galatians 2 may be drawn from a
Palestinian source about the meeting, while the PETROS references may come
from an Antioch source. I recall reading this explanation years ago, but
cannot recall where. And with my library in Chicago and my body in
Berkeley, CA, I cannot track it down.<<

Edgar,

J. R. Michaels in his article "Peter" in _Dictionary of Paul and his
Letters_ (InterVaristy, 1993) suggests that the use of the name Peter in
2:7-8 reflects accomodation to the actual wording of an agreement drawn up
in Jerusalem. Otherwise, he uses Cephas under the misapprehension that this
was Simon Peter's actual name.

There are two problems that I see with that solution:

1) The direct equation of the name Cephas with the name Peter actually
occurs only in Jn 1:42, and then as a parenthetical gloss. Elsewhere in
John, and the Gospels and Acts, this individual is identified as "Peter" or
"Simon called Peter" (some 155 times, 33 of those instances in John
alone).

2) It presumes that Simon is known by the Greek name Peter in Palestine,
where Aramaic was the common language, and that the Aramaic name Cephas was
the common name for this same man among those who lived in the Greek
speaking world.

Yes, before anyone feels obligated to say anything, I conceed that
Hellenism influenced Palestine for centuries before Paul's time, and
Aramaic was likly the common language among the agrarian and some members
of the urban population in Syria (for sure) and parts of Asia Minor (less
sure).

Still, I would expect Greek (nick)names to be used more commonly among
Greek speakers, and Aramaic (nick)names to be used more commonly among
Aramaic speakers. Under Michaels' solution, the (nick)names used in Gal 1-2
relate to *both* the regions where they are supposed to have been used in
exactly the opposite manner.

On the other hand, if Gal 2:7-8 are part if an interpolation, then we would
have Paul, who goes by a Greek name in the Greek world, recalling a dealing
he had with a Palestinian who went by an Aramaic name. This is the more
natural expectation, IMO.

If you can remember any more about the proposal you recall reading, let me
know. That would be a solution that would assume a more natural use of
names.

Regards,

Dave Hindley
Cleveland, Ohio, USA




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page