1 / 6

Topic 14 Disputed Letters: The Pastorals (1 & 2 Timothy and Titus)

Topic 14 Disputed Letters: The Pastorals (1 & 2 Timothy and Titus). Authenticity – most scholars doubt authenticity. Six main problems for authenticity of Pastorals: Vocabulary/style – 306 words not found in undisputed letters; language more similar to writings of early 2 nd cent.

burian
Download Presentation

Topic 14 Disputed Letters: The Pastorals (1 & 2 Timothy and Titus)

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Topic 14 Disputed Letters: The Pastorals (1 & 2 Timothy and Titus) • Authenticity – most scholars doubt authenticity. • Six main problems for authenticity of Pastorals: • Vocabulary/style – 306 words not found in undisputed letters; language more similar to writings of early 2nd cent. • Theology differs from undisputed letters: • No emphasis on Cross, Spirit, grace vs. law, flesh vs. spirit, etc. • Practical moral piety; emphasis on “sound doctrine,” “good works;” “faith” = body of doctrine (“the faith;” creedalism). • Church order more developed than in Paul’s day – bishops, elders, deacons formally installed by laying-on of hands (institutionalization). • Supposed situation of Paul does not fit into known life of Paul. • 1 Tim. 1:3 –left Timothy in Ephesus and went to Macedonia (cf. 2 Cor. 1:1; Acts 20:1-6 – Timothy is with Paul in Macedonia). • Tit. 1:5 – left Titus on Crete (mission there otherwise unknown). • 2 Tim. 4: 9-20 – prison in Rome; one hearing went well; expects death; asks Timothy to come; sends news of events 2 years earlier to Tim. (who participated in them & is closer to them).

  2. A. Authenticity – cont. • Six main problems for authenticityof Pastorals– cont. • Gnostic false teaching may be Marcionism (early 2nd cent.): • Opponents forbid marriage and wine (1 Tim. 4:3; 5:23) – as Marcion did. • “Antitheses of the falsely so-called knowledge” (1 Tim. 6:20) – Marcion’s main writing was called “The Antitheses.” • External testimony – no early evidence of existence. • Earliest canons (Marcion; P46) did not include Pastorals. • No clear reference in Apostolic Fathers; earliest quotes come from end of 2nd cent. (Any of these problems can be explained away; their “cumulative weight” convinces most scholars of inauthenticity.) • Attempts to salvage authenticity • Amanuensis theory – Paul gave free hand to his secretary. • Fragment hypothesis (P. Harrison) – isolates 5 genuine fragments used by final author of letters.

  3. Date and place of writing • If authentic – mid-60’s – must presuppose release from Roman imprisonment; new travels; 2nd imprisonment. • If inauthentic – c. 100 (or later); probably in Asia Minor. • Occasion • Oppose Gnostic teaching of ascetic type, advocating celibacy and food restrictions (1 Tim. 1:3-7; 4:1-5; 5:23; 6:20; 2 Tim. 2:14-19; Tit. 1:10-16). • May be Marcionism or proto-Marcionism. • Marcion rejected OT god of law for Jesus’ God of grace. • Thought he was restoring pure gospel of Paul. • Created NT canon of Luke + 10 letters of Paul.

  4. Teaching of the Pastorals • Reflect period of “early catholicism” (cf. Horrell, p. 137): • Loss of imminence of Parousia – no sense of eschatological urgency; settling down for indefinite stay. • Growing creedalism – “faith” as relationship with God giving way to “the faith” as creed, sound doctrine. • Increasing institutionalization – spontaneous, charismatic leadership giving way to formal, fixed offices. • Author opposes false teaching by appealing to: • Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16; 1 Tim 4:1-5). • Apostolic tradition (2 Tim. 2:1-2). • Church order (1 Tim. 3:1-13; 5:17-19: Tit. 1:5-8): • Bishops (“overseers”) • Presbyters (“elders”) • Deacons (“servants”) (Cf. Ignatius of Antioch c. 110.)

  5. Teaching of the Pastorals – cont. • Teaching on women differs from undisputed letters. • Regulation of widows (1 Tim. 5:3-16) • Only older widows should be supported by church. • Younger widows should marry (cf. 1 Cor. 7). • Advocates modesty, silence, submissiveness; not to teach or have authority over men (1 Tim. 2:8-15; cf. 1 Cor. 14:34-35). • None of this is specifically Christian, but is common ethical teaching in both Jewish and Hellenistic writers. • Plutarch: women should be silent in public; do their talking with and through their husbands. • Rabbis: women not permitted to lead in prayers; restricted to domestic role. • Aristeas: women are weak by nature; subject to false reasoning. • Philo: women are soft; subject to being deceived as Eve was. • Pastorals tend to accommodate to prevailing culture, rather than challenge it (as Paul did) – settling down in world; avoids giving offense. (Humphries: teaching on women is “culture-specific.”) • Teaching is “situation-specific”: Opposes ascetic heresy and requirement of celibacy by putting women back in traditional domestic role.

  6. Teaching of the Pastorals – cont. • Teaching on women differs from undisputed letters. 4) Cf. Craig Keener, Paul, Women and Wives: • Not rules for all time but treating a specific problem. • Women were esp. vulnerable to false teaching because they were typically not educated (not allowed to be). • Paul proposes a short-term and a long-term solution: i. Short-term: women refrain from teaching. ii. Long-term: women become educated (progressive for that day).

More Related