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corpus-paul - Re: Paul's persecution of the Church

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  • From: RSBrenchley AT aol.com
  • To: corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re: Paul's persecution of the Church
  • Date: Mon, 3 Jun 2002 03:46:07 EDT


> If these savior Christ and anti-law statements in the
> Pauline letters are bracketed off, the remaining language of
> conciliation and cooperation is quite coherent and even
> follows normal lines of logical or rhetorical thinking
> (although mostly reaching rhetorical and not so much logical
> conclusions). It has no need for either a Jewish messiah or
> even a savior Christ.
>
> The savior Christ and anti-law statements, however, are
> short and sharp, as if they are commenting and "explaining"
> (read 're-interpreting") the conciliatory statements in the
> Pauline letters. If this is so, then Paul's movement of
> Gentile god-fearers and the ex-messianic Gentile associates
> or converts movement must have crossed in some way, and the
> Pauline letters as they have been handed down thus become an
> attempt at synthesis.
>
> What we have then, is a much more complex interaction
> between the parties that ultimately synthesized into the
> Christianity we know from the 2nd century onwards. The
> records of this Christianity are not nearly so
> straightforward as we tend to think of them. I think we do
> ourselves a disservice by taking them so literally.
>
> Respectfully,
>
> Dave Hindley
> Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Are you saying that the anti-Law statements are later interpolations? If
so, is there any textual evidence of this?

On the other hand, if, say, Gal 5:1-6 is all original, who would have
been arguing for justification by the Law? Could it have been over-zealous
proselytes claiming some sort of 'benefit' from circumcision as such, much as
fundamentalists today sometimes claim the 'spiritual benefits' of believers'
baptism or whatever their favourite practice is, insisting that those who
don't do it are not 'proper' Christians?

Regards,

Robert Brenchley
RSBrenchley AT aol.com
Birmingham UK




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