Corpus-Paul

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

Dear Richard,

I returned and read your posts of May 1 and August 13. I would agree that
a change of name from something like ‘quivering’ to ‘steady’ would be
appropriate, but I still do not find it sufficiently compelling. It’s a
nice idea, but not proof.

Your suggestion that Paul had Titus circumcised after the ‘pillars’ at
Jerusalem did not compel him to be (Gal 2:3), and that Luke fudges the
story to make it appear that Paul just met him – under the name of Timothy
– not only does not make sense but seriously slurs either Paul or Luke, if
not both. For one who is concerned to provide an accurate account (Lk
1:1-4), I don’t believe that we are entitled to say that the significant
details Luke gives about Timothy’s background (Acts 16:1-3) are a
fabrication. I find the record as given compelling. The same cannot be
said of your reconstruction.

You also state that the Corinthian correspondence proves that Timothy and
Titus were the same person. Again, I think this is not the case.

A reasonable reconstruction of events – and one supported by Acts – is
that, from Ephesus, Paul had sent Timothy and Erastus ahead of him to
Macedonia (Acts 19:21-22). Probably from Ephesus also, he sent Titus
directly to Corinth (2 Cor 7:13-8:7, esp. 7:13-15 & 8:6; 12:18). Titus was to
ensure that the collection for the saints in Jerusalem (2 Cor 8; Rom
15:26) had begun and would be ready when Paul, travelling via Macedonia,
came to them.

Having done that work, Titus was to join up with Paul again, possibly to
travel with him to Macedonia. Considering the timing of Titus’ leaving for
Corinth and Paul’s delayed departure for Macedonia (Acts 19:22), it is
probable that they agreed to meet in Troas (2 Cor 2:12-13). Not finding
Titus at Troas, however, Paul’s move from there to Macedonia probably
indicates that Titus was to travel via land, possible urging the other
churches of Achaia to prepare their contributions also. (It is likely,
therefore, that Timothy and Erastus were doing the same in Macedonia).

When Paul rejoined Timothy in Macedonia the believers there were suffering
significant persecution (2 Cor 7:5; 8:1-2) but, for Paul, the affliction
was lightened by the arrival of Titus and his news of the obedience of the
church in Corinth (2 Cor 7:6f). Paul then sent Titus back to Corinth with
this letter (i.e. 2 Corinthians – 8:16-24, esp. 17-18,22-24).

Not only is this a most reasonable reconstruction given the data
available, other questions must be answered if you are to maintain your
position.
(1)     Why does Paul use both names, Timothy and Titus, in the same letter
(Timothy -2 Cor 1:1, 19; Titus – as above)?
(2)     If Titus was the name by which he was best known to the Corinthians –
which seems reasonable by the number of times Paul speaks of Titus rather
than Timothy – why does he not sent the letter to that church from himself
and ‘Titus’, using, instead, ‘Timothy’ (1:1)?
(3)     When Paul speaks in the first person plural, who is the other person/s
who make up the *us*, *we*?
7:5 – ‘But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted *us* by the coming of
Titus’.
7:13 – And besides *our* own comfort *we* rejoiced still more at the joy
of Titus…
8:6  - ‘Accordingly *we* have urged Titus…’
The text shows that it is not Titus. It could be all of the believers in
Macedonia, but most reasonably it is the *we* who sent the letter, Paul
and Timothy. (RSV has ‘Timothy our brother’, which makes Timothy
additional to the *our* whose brother he is; the Greek simply has
‘Paul…and Timothy the brother’).
(4)     Not in the Corinthian correspondence, but a question all the same, is
why do we have Two letters to Timothy and one to Titus, the last covering
much the same ground as the first – if the two were one and the same
person? Now I know the obvious answer to that is that Paul did not write
the pastorals. Besides that fact that I am conservative enough to think
that Paul wrote all three (contexts for which I have provided in ‘Redating
the Revelation and…’), the likelihood of anyone early enough to write one
or all three of them not knowing that Timothy and Titus were the same
person – if he was – is minimal.

Sincerely,

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