Paul, the Pastoral Epistles, and the Early Church (Library of Pauline Studies) , livre ebook

© 2008 by James W. Aageson
Published by Baker Academic a division of Baker Publishing Group P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287 www.bakeracademic.com
Ebook edition created 2012
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
ISBN 978-1-4412-4166-5
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
“2 Timothy and Its Theology: In Search of a Theological Pattern,” Society of Biblical Literature Seminar Papers 36 (1997): 692–714. (Rearranged, modified, and included in part of chapter 2 in the book. Used with permission.)
“The Pastoral Epistles, Apostolic Authority, and the Development of the Pauline Scriptures,” in The Pauline Canon (ed. Stanley E. Porter; vol. 1, Pauline Studies; Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2004), 5–26. (Rearranged, modified, and included in part of chapter 4 in the book. Used with permission.)
With deep respect and appreciation, I dedicate this book to very important teachers in my life.
Paul J. Achtemeier
Terence E. Fretheim
Anthony E. Harvey
Philip A. Nordquist
Daniel J. Simundson
David L. Tiede
Geza Vermes
T ABLE OF C ONTENTS
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
1 Paul, the Pastoral Epistles, and the Pauline Legacy
Introduction
The Pastorals and Paul’s Legacy
Scholarship: Paul and the Pastorals
The Pastorals and Pauline Authorship
Paul and the Early Church
The Pastorals and the Acts of Paul Debate
Paul the Person, Paul the Personage
The Pastorals and the Questions of Genre and Audience
History, Epistolary Text, and Context
The Argument and Approach
Text and Theology
Comparison of Patterns
Canon and Early Church
Argument and Contribution
2 The Pastoral Epistles and Their Theological Patterns
1 Timothy
From the Greco-Roman Household to the Household of God
The Household of God
God, Godliness, and Salvation
Truth, Sound Teaching, and Faith
Qualities and Instructions Appropriate for Members of the Household of God
Divine Order and Conformity in Faith
2 Timothy
The Pattern of Faith
The Word of Truth
The Gifts and Power of God
The Pattern of Behavior
A Theological Conclusion
Titus
God, Godliness, and Salvation in Christ
Truth, Sound Teaching, and Faith
Qualities and Instructions Appropriate for Members of the Household
A Theological Conclusion
3 The Pastoral Epistles and Paul: A Comparison of Patterns
The Pastoral Epistles: Patterns in Comparison
Images of God and Christ in Comparison
Godliness in the Household of God
Truth, Knowledge, and Faith in Comparison
The Opponents and Their Opposition
1 Timothy, Titus, and the Qualifications for Leadership
Conclusion
The Pastoral Epistles and Paul
Introduction
Philippians and the Pastorals
Galatians and the Pastorals
First Corinthians and the Pastorals
A Conceptual Conclusion on the Question of Authorship
4 Apostolic Authority, Images of Paul, and the Development of the Pauline Scriptures
Paul, Authority, and Scripture in the Pastorals
Introduction
The Image and Authority of Paul in the Pastorals
Scripture and the Beginnings of a Pauline Canon
For Teaching, Reproof, Correction, and Training
Paul and Images of Paul in Acts
Images of Paul: An Overview
Paul the Convert
Paul the Preacher
Paul’s Farewell Discourse
Paul in the Pastorals and Acts: A Comparative Summary
Paul and His Theology in the Deutero-Pauline Epistles
Paul, Servant and Apostle in Colossians and Ephesians
The Cosmic Christ and the Church in Colossians and Ephesians
Paul the Sufferer in Colossians and Ephesians
Paul and 2 Thessalonians
The Deutero-Paulines and the Pastoral Epistles
5 Paul, the Pastoral Epistles, and the Postapostolic Church
Introduction
Paul and the Apostolic Fathers
Ignatius of Antioch
Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna
Clement of Rome: 1 Clement
Conclusion
6 Paul, the Pastoral Epistles, and the Early Church: Irenaeus, Tertullian, Clement, Origen, and Other Early Figures
Introduction
East Meets West: Irenaeus
Introduction
One God, One Christ, and a Unified History
The Unity of the Church and the Canon of Truth
Irenaeus and the Pastorals
Important Figures in Rome: Justin Martyr and Hippolytus
Justin Martyr
Hippolytus
The North African Connection: Tertullian
Introduction
The Paradox of the Pastorals, the Regula Fidei , and the Church
Tertullian and the Pastorals
The Next Generation in North Africa: Cyprian
From Alexandria to Caesarea: Clement and Origen
Clement of Alexandria
Origen
Conclusion
Location and Legacy
Ecclesiology and Opposition
Function and Formation
7 Paul, the Pastoral Epistles, and the Acts of Paul (and Thecla)
Introduction
Conflicting Traditions or Extending the Tradition
The Acts of Paul and Pauline Patterns in the Pastoral Epistles
Conclusion
8 Summary and Conclusion
Bibliography
Index of Modern Authors
Index of Subjects
Index of Ancient Sources
Notes
A CKNOWLEDGMENTS
E VERY AUTHOR of a scholarly book is indebted to a great many people, and that is especially true in my case. To all who have contributed to the body of literature on this topic, I deeply appreciate your effort, your insights, and your arguments. May this book be worthy of your contributions. To my colleagues at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, thank you for reading, critiquing, and assisting me with various sections of the manuscript. May this book be a credit to our collective work as a department. To my colleagues from other institutions who have heard my presentations and responded with questions and comments, thank you for stimulating my thinking and where necessary refocusing my arguments. But above all, this project has depended on the love and dedication of my wife, Julie, and our family. Thank you for your unwavering encouragement.
A BBREVIATIONS
G ENERAL C.E. Common Era gk. frg. Greek fragments SBL Society of Biblical Literature
B IBLE T EXTS AND V ERSIONS NRSV New Revised Standard Version NT New Testament OT Old Testament
A POSTOLIC F ATHERS 1 Clem. 1 Clement Ign. Eph . Ignatius, To the Ephesians Ign. Magn . Ignatius, To the Magnesians Ign. Phld . Ignatius, To the Philadelphians Ign. Pol . Ignatius, To Polycarp Ign. Rom . Ignatius, To the Romans Ign. Smyrn . Ignatius, To the Smyrnaeans Ign. Trall . Ignatius, To the Trallians Pol. Phil . Polycarp, To the Philippians
N EW T ESTAMENT A POCRYPHA Acts Paul Acts of Paul
P ATRISTIC L ITERATURE Clement of Alexandria Paed . Paedagogus Protrept . Protrepticus Strom . Stromata Cyprian Dom . or . De dominica oratione Eleem . De opere et eleemosynis Fort . Ad Fortunatum Hab . virg . De habitu virginum [ Idol .] Quod idola dii non sint Laps . De lapsis Mort . De mortalitate Pat . De bono patientiae Test . Ad Quirinum testimonia adversus Judaeos Unit . eccl . De catholicae ecclesiae unitate Eusebius Hist . eccl . Historia ecclesiastica Virg . De virginibus velandis Irenaus Haer . Adversus haereses Origen Cels . Contra Celsum Princ . De principiis Tertullian Bapt . De baptismo Carn . Chr . De carne Christi Praescr . De praescriptione haereticorum Prax . Adversus Praxean Pud . De pudicitia Res . De reurrectione carnis
S ECONDARY S OURCES ABD Anchor Bible Dictionary ABR Australian Biblical Review AnBib Analecta biblica AThR Anglican Theological Review BBET Beiträge zur biblischen Exegese und Theologie BDAG Bauer, W., F. W. Danker, W. F. Arndt, and F. W. Gingrich. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature . 3d ed. Chicago, 2000 BHT Beiträge zur historischen Theologie CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly HBT Horizons in Biblical Theology JBL Journal of Biblical Literature JECS Journal of Early Christian Studies JETS Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society JSNT Journal for the Study of the New Testament JSNTSup Journal for the Study of the New Testament: Supplement Series NovTSup Supplements to Novum Testamentum NTS New Testament Studies PRSt Perspectives in Religious Studies PTS Patristische Texte und Studien SBLDS Society of Biblical Literature Dissertation Series SBLMS Society of Biblical Literature Monograph Series SBLSymS Society of Biblical Literature Symposium Series SecCent Second Century SJT Scottish Journal of Theology SNTMS Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series StPatr Studia Patristica Them Themelios TynBul Tyndale Bulletin VC Vigiliae christianae
1
P AUL, THE P ASTORAL E PISTLES, AND THE P AULINE L EGACY
I NTRODUCTION
P AUL’S INFLUENCE on the history of Christian life and theology is as profound as it is pervasive. A brief survey of almost twenty centuries of Christian thought and practice will confirm the enduring importance of Paul for the life of the church in the Roman and Protestant traditions of the West, as well as the Orthodox traditions of the East. Even as Christianity, at the dawn of its third millennium, has become increasingly global and traditions have come to develop and intersect in new and complex ways, Paul’s place in the story of Christianity remains deeply rooted in the church’s theology, worship, and pastoral life. In both past and present, Paul’s influence on the Christian church can hardly be overestimated.
Among the many intriguing issues generated by the historical Paul, his New Testament letters, and early church history is the question, “What happened to Paul after Paul?” Whether we think in terms of the reception of Paul’s theology, or the ongoing legacy of Paul, or early Christian reinterpretation of his letters, a number of important questions persist. What did the early church do with Paul’s memory? How did it reshape his theology? What role did his letters come to play in the life of the church? This boo