PAUL'S USE OF THE SYNOPTIC JESUS TRADITION by Heinz Arnold Hiestermann Submitted in ...

377 Pages·2016·3.58 MB·English

by  Helga Hiestermann

PAUL’S USE OF THE SYNOPTIC JESUS TRADITION

by

Heinz Arnold Hiestermann

Submitted in partial fulfilment

of the requirements for the degree

Philosophiae Doctor (Ph.D)

in the Faculty of Theology

Department of New Testament Studies

University of Pretoria

Promoter: Prof. Gert J. Steyn

March 2016

© University of Pretoria
PLAGIARISM DECLARATION

1. I understand what plagiarism entails and am aware of the University’s policy

in this regard.

2. I declare that this thesis is my own, original work. Where someone else’s

work was used (whether from a printed source, the internet or any other source)

due acknowledgement was given and reference was made according to

departmental requirements.

3. I did not make use of another student’s previous work and submitted it as my

own.

4. I did not allow and will not allow anyone to copy my work with the intention of

presenting it as his or her own work.

Signature

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SUMMARY

This dissertation compares the Jesus traditions in Paul’s genuine letters to the

synoptic Jesus tradition. The aim is to identify parallels between Jesus traditions

in the Pauline letters and synoptic gospels and to determine whether the wording

of the Pauline Jesus traditions is closer to any particular synoptic gospel or Q.

The first main part of the dissertation aims to establish whether Jesus traditions

in Paul’s letters can be presupposed, as it often has been argued that Paul did

not have much knowledge about Jesus or that he was disinterested in the life and

teachings of the historical Jesus. In these discussions, the biography of the

apostle Paul is examined. Based on the places Paul had visited after his

conversion, his encounters with people close to Jesus and his initial preaching

when founding new congregations, it has to be assumed that Paul was well

informed about Jesus. The explicit references to sayings of Jesus in Paul’s letters

(1 Cor 7:10–11; 9:14; 11:23–25) confirm that Paul knew and used Jesus traditions

similar to those of the synoptic gospels.

In the second main part of the dissertation possible allusions (instances in which

Paul uses Jesus traditions without explicitly indicating it) to Jesus traditions in

Paul’s letters are investigated and compared to similar synoptic sayings of Jesus.

Allusions to Jesus traditions in 1 Thessalonians and Romans are revisited.

Special attention is paid to possible allusions in Galatians. Galatians 1:16 is

compared to Matt 16:16–17 and Paul’s rendition of the command to love the

neighbour in Gal 5:14 (cf. Rom 13:8–10) is compared to the love commandment

in the synoptic gospels.

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The study shows that all of Paul’s quotes and allusions to Jesus traditions have

parallels in Matthew, although the wording of the Pauline Jesus tradition

occasionally agrees more with Luke’s gospel than Matthew’s. Mark never shares

more verbal agreement with a Pauline sayings of Jesus than Matthew and Luke.

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KEY TERMS

Jesus and Paul

Synoptic Jesus tradition

Pauline Jesus tradition

Parallels

Explicit references

Love your neighbour

Divorce

Words of institution

1 Thessalonians 4:16–17

Love of the enemy

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CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Introduction .................................................................................................... 11

Chapter 2

Paul and the Jesus tradition. The history of the debate ............................. 23

2.1 The first stage of the Jesus–Paul debate: The continuity between Jesus and

Paul is questioned .................................................................................. 23

2.2 The second stage of the Jesus–Paul debate: The search for Jesus traditions

in Pauline literature intensifies ................................................................ 37

2.3 The third stage: The search for parallels develops into a separate part of

Pauline literature .................................................................................... 50

2.3.1 From Victor Furnish (1968) to Dale Allison (1982) .................................. 51

2.3.2 From 1984: Concerns are voiced ............................................................ 65

2.3.3 The search for parallels continues: From Wenham to Thompson ........... 67

2.3.4 Different points of view continue to be expressed ................................... 71

2.3.5 Since the turn of the millennium: The latest discussions ......................... 77

2.3.6 Unresolved issues from the debate’s history ........................................... 88

Chapter 3

Methods and assumptions ............................................................................ 91

3.1 Defining the criteria for identifying parallels ................................................ 91

3.1.1 Paul’s quoting of other sources ............................................................... 93
3.1.2 The criteria used in the search of Jesus traditions in Paul’s letters ......... 99
3.2 Methodical considerations ........................................................................ 105
3.2.1 Paul’s sources ....................................................................................... 105

3.2.2 Verbal agreement .................................................................................. 110

3.2.3 The explicit references .......................................................................... 112

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3.3 The assumptions ...................................................................................... 112
3.3.1 Quotes of the Jesus tradition in other early Christian writings ............... 112

3.3.2 The genuine Pauline letters ................................................................... 114

3.4 The limitations .......................................................................................... 115

Main Part 1: Paul’s knowledge and use of traditional material
Chapter 4
Paul’s knowledge and use of Jesus traditions .......................................... 117

4.1 Paul’s chronology ..................................................................................... 121

4.1.1 Before Paul’s conversion ....................................................................... 121

4.1.2 Damascus and surroundings ................................................................. 122

4.1.3 Paul’s visit to Peter in Jerusalem ........................................................... 132

4.1.4 Antioch .................................................................................................. 137

4.1.5 The first missionary journey ................................................................... 145

4.1.6 The second missionary journey up to Paul’s stay in Corinth ................. 147

4.2 Additional factors pointing to Paul’s knowledge of the Jesus tradition ...... 148

4.2.1 The role of Barnabas and Paul’s other co–workers ............................... 148

4.3 Paul’s initial teaching ................................................................................ 151
4.3.1 Thessalonica ......................................................................................... 153
4.3.2 Corinth ................................................................................................... 158

4.4 Communicational deliberations ................................................................ 163

4.5 Summary .................................................................................................. 165

Chapter 5

Explicit references to the Jesus tradition in Paul’s letters ....................... 168

5.1 The three explicit references in 1 Corinthians .......................................... 169

5.2 “Do not separate”: 1 Cor 7:10–11 and Mark 10:9 // Matt 19:6 .................. 169

5.2.1 The context of the prohibition of divorce ................................................ 169

5.2.2 Synoptic parallels to 1 Cor 7:10 ............................................................. 176

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5.2.3 Synoptic parallels to 1 Cor 7:11 ............................................................. 181
5.2.4 Arguments for Mark being the closest parallel ....................................... 185

5.2.5 Arguments for Matthew being the closest parallel ................................. 187

5.2.6 Conclusion ............................................................................................. 190

5.3 The right to maintenance: 1 Cor 9:14 and Matt 10:10b // Luke 10:7b ....... 193

5.3.1 The context of the saying about the right to maintenance ..................... 193

5.3.2 Arguments for Luke being the closest parallel ....................................... 197

5.3.3 Arguments for Matthew being the closest parallel ................................. 201

5.3.4 Conclusion ............................................................................................. 202

5.4 The Lord’s Supper: 1 Cor 11:23b–25 // Matt 26:26–28 // Mark 14:22–24 //

Luke 22:19–20 ..................................................................................... 205

5.4.1 The context of the words of institution ................................................... 209

5.4.2 The oldest form of the words of institution: Some considerations .......... 213
5.4.3 Arguments for Mark as oldest version ................................................... 214
5.4.4 Arguments for Paul as oldest version .................................................... 216
5.4.5 Conclusion ............................................................................................. 217

Main Part 2: Implicit references
Chapter 6

Synoptic parallels in Paul’s letter to the Romans ..................................... 221

6.1 Overcoming evil with go od: Romans 12:14–21 ........................................ 223
6.2 Nothing is unclean: Rom 14:14 and Mark 7:15; Matt 15:11 ...................... 226

Chapter 7
Synoptic parallels in Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians ................... 232

7.1 A word of the Lord in 1 Thess 4:15–17? ................................................... 232
7.1.1 The scope of the word of the Lord ......................................................... 234
7.1.2 The origin of the word of the Lord .......................................................... 235

7.2 The thief in the night: 1 Thess 5:2 and Matt 24:43–44 // Luke 12:39–40 .. 242

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7.3 The traditional material in 1 Thess 5:3 ..................................................... 246

Chapter 8
Synoptic parallels in Paul’s letter to the Galatians ................................... 249

8.1 The Gospel is not revealed by “flesh and blood”: Gal 1:16 and Matt 16:16–
17 ......................................................................................................... 250
8.1.1 The context of the letter to the Galatians ............................................... 250
8.1.2 The understanding of Galatians 1:11–12............................................... 254
8.1.3 A saying of the Lord in Galatians 1:16? ................................................. 258
8.1.4 The Synoptic parallels of Galatians 1:16 ............................................... 262

8.1.5 Possible Jewish and Hellenistic parallels .............................................. 263

8.1.6 Conclusion ............................................................................................. 264

8.2 The command to love the neighbour ........................................................ 264

8.2.1 The context of the command to love the neighbour in Gal 5:14 ............ 265

8.2.2 Possible Synoptic parallels to Galatians 5:14 ........................................ 268

8.2.3 The context of the love command in the Synoptic Gospels ................... 270

8.2.4 Possible Jewish–Hellenistic parallels to Gal 5:14, Rom 13:8-10 and

synoptic counterparts ........................................................................... 271

8.2.5 The context of the love command in Rom 13:8–10 ............................... 288

8.2.6 Possible Synoptic parallels to Rom 13:8–10 ......................................... 290

8.2.7 Possible Jewish–Hellenistic parallels to Rom 13:9 and its parallels ...... 299

8.2.8 The love commandment in James 2:8; Didache 1:2; Barnabas 19:5 .... 303

8.2.9 The command to love the enemy .......................................................... 307
8.2.10 Summary: The parallels between the Gal 5:14, Rom 13:8–10 and the
Synoptic Gospels ................................................................................. 310

Chapter 9

Conclusion .................................................................................................... 320

9.1 The authenticity of the Pauline Jesus traditions ....................................... 320

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9.2 The relationship of the Pauline Jesus tradition to its Synoptic parallels ... 322

9.3 The parallels and Q .................................................................................. 327

9.4 Closing remarks ....................................................................................... 331

Bibliography ................................................................................................. 334

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