Corpus-Paul

["Kym Smith" <khs AT picknowl.com.au>]

All,

I am not sure that this will cause any discussion, but an interesting side
to the life of Paul is his relationship with Barnabas. it would seem that
for some considerable time, Paul (Saul) was subordinate to Barnabas. I may
be making too much of the evidence but it was Barnabas who brought Paul
(then Saul) to the apostles (Acts 9:27) and it was he who fetched him for
the ministry in Antioch (Acts 11:25f). here, on each occasion where they
are mentioned together in Acts, Barnabas is mentioned first. The list of
teachers headed by Barnabas in Antioch places Saul at the end (Acts 13:1).
Even in Acts 13 where the Spirit calls for the two to be set aside for the
work to which he was calling them, it was Barnabas who was mentioned
before Saul (Acts 13:2).

It seems a change in their relationship came about in their first
missionary journey. The two, with Mark in tow, worked together, but at
Paphos, on Cyprus, when Saul challenged the magician (Acts 13:6-12), it
would seem that he became the leader. Perhaps it was that act that brought
about the change. Perhaps that act was the climax of a process of role
reversal which, now that they were away from Antioch,  the two were freer
to make. For now, as the two left Cyprus, we no longer have a Saul, but
Paul. Nor was it Barnabas and Saul but ‘Paul and his company ’ that sailed
to Perga (Acts 13:13). In Acts 13:33,46&50 it is ‘Paul and Barnabas’
while, in v.45, in was what was spoken by Paul that was contradicted. In
14:12 Paul is identified as the chief speaker.

This continued to be the case such that Paul could write in Gal 2:1 that
he took Barnabaas with him to Jerusalem.

Just a thought for comment.

Kym Smith
Adelaide
South Australia
khs AT picknowl.com.au