Paul’s “Corinthian gospel”

Caravaggio, Conversion of St. Paul, Rome

First paper First, some background for the first essay: The “interpretive tendencies” of Matthew and Luke. Matthew written for a Jewish-Christian audience, probably at Antioch; concern for Torah (Law). A concern for interiority, righteousness. Quite bitter toward “non-believing” Jews. Luke written for mostly gentile Christians, conceived for a broad Hellenistic audience. Strong on “social gospel” – concern for poor and maginalized of society. Emphasizes role of women in ministry of Jesus. Sees the Christian movement as a part of the Roman world; complex historical vision of things.

1 Corinthinans – fourth lecture Paul’s letters are the earliest Christian documents that survive. 1 Corinthians is another non-narrative text, not “officially” a gospel, but containing Paul’s “gospel” in an isolated, significant narrative moment. And 1 Corinthians gives us a window onto a significant, mid-1 st -century, Christian community. An apparently large, quite diverse, urban community in “Greek” (i.e., Greek-speaking) world. Corinth is on isthmus between Aegean Sea and Adriatic, an important port city. It was a Christian community founded by Paul.

Paul An “apostle,” but only after the fact – never knew Jesus during the latter’s lifetime. A Hellenized Jew, living in the diaspora (= “dispersion,” refers to Jews living outside Palestine). Born in Tarsus, in Asia Minor, Greek-speaking, though he knew some “Hebrew” (actually Aramaic). Saul his Hebrew name; Paul the Greek version. Gives us much information about himself in his Epistles. Says he initially persecuted the early Christian movement, then became part of it. Acts of the Apostles creates elements of a biography for him.

Paul and the “sociological problem” of 1 st -century Christianity Three different Christian groups in terms of culture and cultural orientation. 1) Palestinian Jews who are initial part of Jesus movement: language is Aramaic, religious understanding entirely Jewish, centered on temple in Jerusalem. 2) Hellenized Jews of diaspora who also are part of Jesus movement: language is Greek, attempt to follow the Law, but living outside Palestine makes fulfilling law difficult. Read Scriptures in Greek (“Septuagint” translation of H.S. into Greek.) 3) “Greeks”: Gentiles (= non-Jews) who have come to the movement in various ways; not circumcised, don’t know the Law. Culture is Greek, or at least non-Jewish.

Paul the “founder of Christianity”? Paul has been called the real “founder of Christianity.” He is certainly the most powerful, energetic, and influential figure in the early Christian movement. But to call him “founder” simplifies much and obscures the role of the Palestinian communities. He doesn’t see himself as foundational. Better to see him as a “second founder” of the movement among diaspora Jews and gentiles.

Paul and Jerusalem “church” Leader of Jerusalem Jesus community was James the Just (or Righteous), brother of Jesus. In Galatians we learn of Paul’s difficulties with this group, including Peter. Problem centered on circumcision. Acts of Apostles suggests a resolution of the conflict. But Paul in Galatians doesn’t indicate resolution. And thereafter Paul appears to have addressed only diaspora and gentile communities.

Paul’s conversion Acts represents it as a sudden call – light and a voice, as in Caravaggio’s painting. But Paul himself speaks of it as a process that required meditation and withdrawal (in Epistle to Galatians). And not consultation with Jerusalem disciples. His conversion represented a new understanding of Judaism, new understanding of the Law. A mystical experience, one of liberation from the Law. A new understanding that solved problems of diaspora Jews. Which profoundly disturbed the Jerusalem Jesus community.

Paul’s inferential portrait of Corinthian Community A community that was large and divided, rich/poor, high/low classes, mostly “Greeks” but some Jews, differing educational levels, taught by different disciples. Cephas and Apollos are mentioned. But Paul insists on his primary role with community (4:14) Differing religious backgrounds, experiences (“ecstatic utterance”). Differing ethical understandings, differing sexual practices: lawsuits, sexuality, marriage, virginity, slavery, circumcision, meat from the temples. Even hairstyles! (11: 4-7)

Women in Corinth From what Paul says, we can also infer that women were taking a significant part in Corinthian worship, certainly speaking in the meetings. Paul’s discomfort at this indicates some of the cultural split: he’s a Jewish teacher; the women are from gentile cultures. The passage about veiling possibly suggests practices based on Greek mystery cults He also speaks of “Cloe’s people” (1:11) at the beginning, presumably a “house church” led by Cloe, which is a woman’s name. Reading between lines, we can see that women had a significant role in Corinth.

The rhetorical organization of the letter It doesn’t proceed in a linear fashion, logically laying out its argument. Instead, it unfolds in an oral manner – see 1: – tending to develop its subject by circling around it. The great passage on love in chapter 13 comes as a kind of concluding idea rather than as a principle that would be laid out at the beginning to establish a moral position. Does this suggest Paul’s way of teaching – not laying out an organized set of beliefs, but responding to immediate needs? Only at end does he come to a narrative of his gospel: 15: 1-11

Center of Paul’s gospel His narrative at chapter 15: Christ “died for our sins in accordance [i.e., in agreement] with the scriptures.” He was buried, then “was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures.” And he appeared to a succession of people. And finally to Paul. And the consequence of this raising is that all believers will be raised, that death will come to lack reality.

What’s not in Paul’s gospel? Teachings, sayings of the historical Jesus. Paul never quotes Jesus, refers only rarely to one of his teachings. Paul never recounts miracle or healing stories. These sayings and stories must have been in circulation when Paul was writing in the 50s. But Paul seems to have little in the Jesus who lived and taught in Galilee and in Jerusalem. And even the story of his death is significant mainly in terms of the meaning that it has for Paul.

Why? Was the human, historical Jesus, for Paul, bound up with the Palestinian, Jerusalem communities? Were the sayings, teaching, healings, etc. less significant for Paul than the meaning he assigned Jesus as “Christos,” the divine saving figure? For Paul, less “Yeshua” than “Christos.” Note the contrast of Paul to Q and the “sayings” tradition. Saving event is in a sacrificial death, not in teaching.

Paul and the narrative Jesus traditions Did Paul reject, perhaps implicitly, the pericopés of teaching, healing, exorcism? And reduce the narrative of the passion to the “narrative of significance” in 1 Corinthians 15? Of course familiar narratives of the canonical gospels were still a generation away. But there must have been contemporary traditions of these narratives. But Paul takes no notice of them, of what would be expressed in the written gospels. What could this rejection mean?