Term
| Importance in ancient world |
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Definition
1. Not very important in ancient world - latecomer to Jerusalem, never major figure
- didn't bring Gospels to Antioch, although had some standing, fell out with Syrian church
- never went to Alexandria
- Didn't found Roman church |
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Term
| Universally liked/respected? |
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Definition
No - controversial figure.
- held in contempt by Corinthians ("presence is weak", "speech is contemptible"), fell out with them
- more impressive "super apostles" (1 Cor) |
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Term
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Definition
- Status grew
- became folk hero in Gentile churches (Acts)
- How reliable is Acts as a record? Roman citizen? etc.
- characteristic of Christian identity (hagiographic narrative: cast out/imprisoned/miracles/martyred). Prototypical martyr, relics etc.
2 Peter (probably not authentic) ~ C2: "Our brother Paul", "alongside the rest of the scriptures" - HELD AS SCRIPTURE
Claims to ownership/interpretation - issues/contradictions (Acts of Paul and Thetler - no marriage/sex, Pastorals - pro marriage/sex) - loading of agendas onto letters (preservations and pseudopigraphy) |
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Term
| Sources for the historical Paul |
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Definition
- letters
- Acts
(issues with both) |
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Term
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Definition
- 13
- Authenticity issues |
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Term
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Definition
- Marcion's canon - collection of letters, excluded Pastorals
- Pseudonymous academic tradition
- Historical context
- style
- content
- motivation |
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Term
| Criteria for detecting pseudopigraphy |
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Definition
- historical context - circumcision of males, church hierarchy not begun to be formulated
- Style - Computer stylometric texts - phrasing, use of connectives
- Content - do they say the same things in the same way as the authentic texts? |
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Term
| Issues with criteria for detecting pseudopigraphy |
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Definition
- dictation (accounts for stylistic variations)
- What if Paul's theology changed? |
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Term
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Definition
- 7 'undisputed' Pauline: Romans, 1 Cor, 2 Cor (possible amalgamation), Phil, Gal, 1 Thess, Phyl
- 6 'undisputed' pseudopigraphal: Pastorals
- 2 disputed: 2 Thess, Col |
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Term
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Definition
- 1 Thess earliest
- Romans latest |
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Term
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Definition
- Oral tradition
- no gospels
- situational, practical
- never describes Jesus as a teacher
- not disciple-based
- why doesn't he explicitly speak of Jesus' teachings? Authority? Not a disciple. |
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Term
| Contents of Paul's letters |
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Definition
- Formative in shaping Western thought
- Directly addressing problems faced by the early church WITHIN HISTORICAL CONTEXT
- Only Romans is general, but it may be specific (were the issues being discussed in Rome at the time?)
- can infer context and tone
- Polemical style makes it difficult to read (exaggeration? Over-polarisation?) |
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Term
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Definition
Cirumcision (Gal 5.2-12): works vs. Grace, Genesis 15 (grace alone) vs. Gen 17 (works). If Jesus is the Jewish Messiah, do you have to join the Jews?
Paul's relationship with the church (1 Cor 1.10-17) - names of members, fallen out with church- claims of exploitation (money) re. collecting for Jerusalem church. Decisions involving authority - is Paul the Messiah/baptising in whose name? Paul's performing baptisms. What can we infer from what the Corinthians said? What did the different groups stand for? |
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Term
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Definition
- Fragmented - no real systematic exegesis. Incomplete collection of letters
- about specific issues. Changes of mind? Romans v. 1 Thess
- Rhetorical, context specific
- Focus on death and resurrection of Christ, but no gospel: betrayal, crucifixion, raised, teachings on divorce and support for those preaching the gospel
- Doesn't refer specifically to teachings |
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Term
| Why doesn't he mention Christ's teachings? |
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Definition
- oral tradition?
- Gospels retrojected onto Jesus
- Didn't know Jesus- desire to reduce dependency
- Portrayed as teacher only after Paul (Paul calls him 'Lord', not teacher)
- didn't consider it important? Emphasis on death/res. Philippians Hymn (25:11) - Christ as obedient human who is crucified- emphasising crucifixion (not just death). |
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Term
| What does the resurrection mean? |
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Definition
- change from evil to good age
- new age has already begun - Gift of the Spirit as events at a BEGINNING. downpayment on things to come
- 2nd coming soon
- fulfillment of prophecy
- re-reading of scriptures in light of this
- Continuation of Jewish tradition (god's grace)
- Olive tree (natural jewish branches, grafted gentile ones) - expansion of covenant
- redemption of sinful world |
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Term
| 3 influential readings of Romans |
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Definition
- Martin Luther: Justification by faith alone - the righteousness of God is the righteousness he gives us
- Albert Schweizer: Participation and union with Christ
- The New Perspective on Paul: attacking ethnocentrism (focusing on the Jewish Law aspect) |
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Term
| Did he write the Pastorals? Johnson |
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Definition
- Arbitrary grouping leads to generalised verdict. Imprecise -> inaccurate on some counts
- accepted by early church
- Biographical details not in acts could just have been omitted
- Writing can be fitted into Paul's life between imprisonments
- Stylistic changes - geographical variation, different audiences, Paul's changing style/ability
- church structure may not be anachronistic, just taken from synagogue
- communities develop leadership structures naturally - necessary for survival |
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Term
| Did he write the Pastorals? Ehrman |
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Definition
- Terminology changes - "faith" - Roman times = trust, Pastorals = "the faith"
- Pastorals deal with general issues relevant to Gnosticism - marriage, asceticism with food (only arose in C2)
- Non-Pauline terms
- Clergy, Canon and Creed not in place in Pauline times (although credal statements in 1 cor 5:5.
- reference to NT as scripture - "the labourer deserves to be paid", saying of Jesus
- focus is on founding the church, rather than preparing for 2nd coming |
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