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  • From: "Kym Smith" <KSmith AT standrews.sa.edu.au>
  • To: <corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Corpus-Paul] Re: Origin of the Roman Church
  • Date: Tue, 6 May 2003 14:16:24 +0930

Dear Frank and others,

I will put my neck out here.

I have written a speculative reconstruction of Peter's life and ministry
(and, consequently, his interaction with Paul) which provides an answer to
this. Is it the correct answer? Others may have to decide. Perhaps we can
never be sure. If anyone is interested I am prepared (off list) to email as
an attachment the whole piece. A brief outline of some of it is as follows.

- The Roman Catholics have a tradition that Peter had a ministry in Rome that
spanned 25 years. If he died there in 64, as per some traditions, then he
must have gone there first around CE39. I see no reason why this could not be
so. Peter's ministry there was restricted to the Jewish population.
- Peter had returned to Jerusalem and was there in 44 when James was killed.
- After his release from prison, Rome was the 'another place' to which Peter
returned (Acts 12:17).
- Peter returned to Jerusalem again in 48. It was primarily Peter's preaching
that was stirring the Jews in Rome and which brought about the expulsion of
the Jews from that city.
- Peter was is Jerusalem for the Council there in early 49.
- Unable to return to Rome, Peter sought a new field and (probably after
discussions with Paul in Jerusalem) went to northern Asia Minor (the regions
of Pontus as addressed in 1 Peter). After the Jerusalem council and after
[humbly] receiving Paul's correction (Gal 2:11f), Peter's mission in Pontus
was not restricted to the Jews.
- When Augustus died in October 55, Peter returned to Rome (early 56) and
began a new phase in his mission there, reaching out also to the non-Jewish
population.
- A number of Paul's co-workers joined Peter in this new phase - including
Aquila and Priscilla (who had come from Rome and had probably been part of
Peter's earlier work there).
- The inclusion of Gentiles in the Church at Rome caused new tensions. In 57
Peter (probably on a pastoral trip to Pontus and/or Jerusalem) visited Paul
in Corinth and requested his help; Paul being long experienced with the
Jew/Gentile issues. The result was that Paul wrote Romans, the letter
concluding with his greetings to many who had worked with him and who had
gone to help in the mission (also) to Gentiles there. They had either been
sent by Paul or had gone with his blessing.

As I said, it is speculative, but it fits the details as we have them from 1.
Tradition, 2. Galatians, 3. Romans, 4. 1 Peter and 5. Acts.

I will be away on and off for the next two weeks so responding to the
(expected) flack may be delayed.

Sincerely,

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








  • [Corpus-Paul] Re: Origin of the Roman Church, Kym Smith, 05/06/2003

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