From: Stephen Carlson (ropes!scc@uu3.psi.com)
Date: Fri Sep 22 1995 - 16:05:47 EDT
Mark Penner wrote:
> A perhaps parallel, perhaps unrelated question from another amateur--
>
> Has anyone done a study of what differences can be found in the letters
> Paul wrote with others and those he wrote alone? How about those he
> wrote with X as opposed to those he wrote with Y? Just off the top of my
> head, I Corinthians (with Sosthenes) and II Corinthians (with Timothy)
> seem very different in style. Could this account for the theories I used
> to hear that "this letter is clearly not Pauline?"
Even though the openings to both those epistles suggest joint authorship
there is little to suggest that they were not primarily of Paul. In fact,
the writer's numerous references to himself in the first person singular
argue against joint authorship. Whatever differences in style there are
between 1 Cor. and 2 Cor., they have never to my knowledge caused anyone
to posit that those letters are of different authors. Even the radical
Tuebingen School under F. C. Baur (early 19th cen.) held to the idea that
Romans, 1 Cor., 2 Cor., and Galatians were genuine.
By the way, a recent scholar (whose name I'm forgetting) has argued,
quite persuasively, that these four were published in Paul's lifetime
as a literary collection. He treats the *collection* of Paul's letters
as belonging to a well-attested, classical genre, e.g., Cicero's letters,
and Pliny's letters.
There are observable differences in style between the Pastorals and the
first four epistles. Common explanations, besides pseudepigraphy, have
included: (1) they were written at a different point Paul's life
(height of his career vs. late in life); cf. the changes in Picasso's
style over time; (2) they were written to different audiences (personal
v. congregational); (3) varying reliance on his secretary (amanuensis);
and (4) more developed conception of the Church. Attempts to connect
1 Peter, with Silvanus/Silas being the amanuensis, to 1,2 Thessalonians
have remained to my mind unpersuasive.
Stephen Carlson
-- Stephen Carlson : Poetry speaks of aspirations, : ICL, Inc. scc@reston.icl.com : and songs chant the words. : 11490 Commerce Park Dr. (703) 648-3330 : Shujing 2:35 : Reston, VA 22091 USA
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