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  • From: Robert A Bayer <robertbayer AT juno.com>
  • To: corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re: The symbolism of '14 years'
  • Date: Fri, 30 Mar 2001 18:32:02 -0500

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<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>As I consider Richard's response to my previous message I wonder=20
if&nbsp;our different views of this subject are due to different =
understandings=20
of&nbsp; <FONT>apokalupseos (forgive me if my transliteration is=20
incorrect).&nbsp; The translations I am familiar with are consistent in=20
translating apokalupseos as "revelation".&nbsp; The NRSV adds the =
indefinite=20
article and the KJV adds the definite article.&nbsp; I prefer to leave it=20
without an article.&nbsp; It seems that some equate this revelation with a=
=20
single one time event, usually Paul's pre conversion vision.&nbsp; I do=20
not&nbsp;understand how the radical comprehensive Gospel which Paul =
preached=20
could be the product of a single vision.&nbsp; I understand Jesus Christ's=
=20
revelation to Paul to be something he received continually.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>(I respond more specifically below.)</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>On Fri, 30 Mar 2001 11:41:07 -0800 Richard Fellows &lt;<A=20
href=3D"mailto:rfellows AT intergate.ca";>rfellows AT intergate.ca</A>&gt;=20
writes:<BR>&gt; Robert A Bayer wrote:<BR>&gt; &gt;Not much happened?&nbsp; =
Paul=20
went from being a Pharisee and persecutor <BR>&gt; &gt;of&nbsp;Christians =
to=20
preaching a Gospel so radical that was untraceable in <BR>&gt; &gt;the =
Hebrew=20
scriptures.&nbsp; ISTM when we consider all the issues Paul had <BR>&gt; &=
gt;to=20
work&nbsp;through in order to comprehend the revelation of Jesus Christ and=
=20
<BR>&gt;&gt; make sense of the Gospel, even as he dealt with doubts within =
and=20
<BR>&gt; &gt;fightings&nbsp;without, that the fourteen years he spent (=
largely=20
in seclusion) <BR>&gt;&gt; must&nbsp;have been&nbsp; a very busy time of=20
thought, prayer, and contemplation.&nbsp; <BR>&gt; <BR>&gt; <BR>&gt; and =
Brian=20
made a similar point about the 14 years being a time of <BR>&gt;=20
preparation.<BR>&gt; <BR>&gt; This may be partly right, but if Paul was =
thinking=20
things through <BR>&gt; for 14&nbsp; years, why did he not go to Jerusalem =
more=20
often to confer with the <BR>&gt; apostles?</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>I wonder how often a typical Jew living in Syria, or Arabia, or Asia =
Minor=20
would have gone up to Jerusalem?&nbsp; Is it&nbsp;possible that Paul =
visited=20
Jerusalem more often but did not confer with the leaders of the church?&=
nbsp;=20
Was Paul, before Barnabas brought him to Antioch, active as part of a =
community=20
or a relative loner?.&nbsp;&nbsp;If we believe the book of Acts he was =
known to=20
other Christians because Barnabas sought him out.&nbsp;However, Paul was =
moving=20
towards&nbsp;views that were beyond the vision of those in Christ before=20
him.&nbsp; Perhaps he did not want to communicate these things until he was=
sure=20
he understood them himself.&nbsp; My impression is that Paul was content to=
=20
remain in the background until he was brought to the fore by Barnabas.&nbsp=
;=20
Perhaps, he understood how radical the revelation he was receiving was and =
he=20
preferred to avoid the conflict it would bring until he was convinced, by=20
Barnabas, to become more active.&nbsp; I also feel that Paul's =
understanding=20
continued to develop throughout his life and that he perceived this as the=
=20
result of Christ's continuing revelation to him.</DIV>
<DIV><BR>&gt; <BR>&gt; I see the following possible solutions to the =
problem of=20
the 14 <BR>&gt; relatively&nbsp; inactive years:</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>From my view there is no problem because these years were not=20
inactive.&nbsp; They were years full of spiritual and intellectual=20
activity.&nbsp;&nbsp;(From the view of my parents intellectual pursuits are=
=20
inactivity, but that is not how I see it.)</DIV>
<DIV><BR>&gt; <BR>&gt; 1. The 14 years were not 14 years at all. If it is=20
symbolic of <BR>&gt; Jacob's&nbsp;experience, as I suggested it might be, =
then=20
the actual time span <BR>&gt; may have&nbsp; been only 6 or 7 years. This =
would=20
be an appropriate length of time <BR>&gt; for the&nbsp; evangelization of =
Syria=20
and Cilicia.<BR>&gt; <BR>&gt; 2. The initial revelation was not the only=20
revelation, and it was a <BR>&gt; later&nbsp; revelation which prompted the=
=20
missionary phase in Paul's life. It <BR>&gt; may be&nbsp; that Paul's =
gospel of=20
non-circumcision of gentiles was given to him <BR>&gt; by some&nbsp; later=
=20
revelation - perhaps the revelation of Gal 2.1.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>As I wrote, I think our differing understandings of what the =
revelation of=20
Jesus Christ was is at the root of all other differences we may have on =
this=20
subject.</DIV>
<DIV><BR>&gt; <BR>&gt; 3. Before Paul could embark on missionary journeys =
he=20
needed the<BR>&gt; endorsement of the Jerusalem apostles (see Gal 2.2), and=
this=20
<BR>&gt; required that&nbsp; he first win their trust, which was difficult,=
=20
given his persecuting <BR>&gt; past.&nbsp;&nbsp; Only after his probation =
period=20
of '14 years' could he go to <BR>&gt; Jerusalem to&nbsp; get their approval=
, and=20
only then could he really start to <BR>&gt; evangelize.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>It seems to me that Paul's Gospel was more controversial than Paul's=20
past.</DIV>
<DIV><BR>&gt; <BR>&gt; 4. His great missionary journeys may have been =
delayed by=20
a <BR>&gt; practical&nbsp; consideration such as family commitments, lack =
of=20
funds, or an <BR>&gt; illness. Or&nbsp; maybe he just couldn't find a =
traveling=20
partner who shared his <BR>&gt; vision.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Many things may happen during 14 years but as I recall&nbsp;from&nbsp;=
the=20
book of Acts Paul began his journeys because he was commissioned by the =
Church=20
in Antioch under the prompting of the holy spirit.<BR>&gt; </DIV>
<DIV>Bob</DIV></BODY></HTML>



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