Corpus-Paul

[Loren Rosson <rossoiii AT yahoo.com>]

Chris, Ed, Jeff, Kent --

Thanks to you all for a good discussion.

My sympathies lie with Chris, and I believe that
interpolations should always be last-resort ideas. I'm
especially suspicious of those which seem to have
modern sensibilities in view.

I Cor 14:34-35 is comparable to I Thess 2:14-16, which
I also think is part of Paul's original letter. It may
serve as a useful parallel to our Corinthians passage.
Consider:

(1) I Thess 2:14-16 doesn't contradict Rom 9-11 once
one allows for different rhetorical tactic and
audiences. Paul actually does speak of God's wrath
against the Judeans in Rom 9:22 (though admittedly not
in places like Rom 2:5 which target Gentiles). In the
same way I Cor 14:34-35 doesn't "contradict" texts
like Gal 3:28 -- anymore than I Cor 12:13 does so in
omitting the men/women part of the Galatians triad --
on account of gender issues going on in the Corinthian
church.

(2) Like many apocalyptic thinkers, Paul loves
offensive hyperbole. More to the point, he's in tune
with reality despite his "real" beliefs. The product
of an agonistic and honor-shame culture, who received
from the Judeans "the forty lashes minus one" (II Cor
11:24), is most certainly capable of the statements of
I Thess 2:14-16. Paul knows what's shameful (I Cor
14:35) and is capable of subordinating theoretical
equality (Gal 3) to the realities of the present age.

(3) All mss contain it I Thess 2:14-16, as in the case
of I Cor 14:34-35.  

Whenever dealing with religious figures (especially
apocalyptic thinkers), we should bear in mind that
there is hope in contradiction. Or, if that sounds
lame, then we should accept that there is no need for
people like Paul and Jesus to have been consistent
about everything. (So Dale Allison reminds us over and
over again.) Just because Paul's arguments about
"Jews" and women were later misused doesn't mean we
should erase these traditions from their original
source. By all means let's advocate reinterpretation
-- but not revisionism.

=====
Loren Rosson III
Nashua NH
rossoiii AT yahoo.com

"In the natural sciences a person is remembered for his best idea; in the 
social sciences he is remembered for his worst."


                
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