Servants of Satan', 'False Brothers' and Other Opponents of Paul

361 Pages·19.234 MB·English

by  Jerry L. Sumney

JOURNAL FOR THE STUDY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
SUPPLEMENT SERIES
188
Executive Editor
Stanley E. Porter
Editorial Board
David Catchpole, R. Alan Culpepper, James D.G. Dunn,
Craig A. Evans, Stephen Fowl, Robert Fowler, Robert Jewett,
Elizabeth Struthers Malbon, Robert W. Wall
Sheffield Academic Press

'Servants of Satan', Talse
Brothers' and Other
Opponents of Paul
Jerry L. Sumney
Journal for the Study of the New Testament
Supplement Series 188
For
Elizabeth, Victoria and Margaret
May they and their father never need to argue
as Paul had to argue with his 'children'
Copyright © 1999 Sheffield Academic Press
Published by
Sheffield Academic Press Ltd
Mansion House
19 Kingfield Road
Sheffield SI 19AS
England
Typeset by Sheffield Academic Press
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available
from the British Library
EISBN 9781841270609
CONTENTS
Preface 9
Abbreviations 10
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION 13
The Method 20
Ranking of Types of Passage for Use in
Identifying Opponents 28
Chapter 2
QUESTIONING THE EXTENT OF PAUL'S AUTHORITY—
1 CORINTHIANS 33
Explicit Statements 34
Allusions 51
Affirmations 71
Conclusion 76
Chapter 3
POWERFUL PNEUMATIC APOSTLES AND PAUL'S WEAKNESS—
2 CORINTHIANS 79
THE LETTER OF CHAPTERS 1-7 82
Explicit Statements 82
Allusions 85
Affirmations 99
Conclusion 100
THE LETTER OF CHAPTERS 10-13 102
Explicit Statements 102
Allusions 116
Affirmations 125
Conclusion 128
Servants of Satan
A COMPARISON OF THE OPPONENTS IN THE TWO
LETTERS OF 2 CORINTHIANS 130
Chapter 4
PAUL MAKES SOME ENEMIES—GALATIANS 134
Explicit Statements 135
Allusions 141
Affirmations 152
Conclusion 156
Chapter 5
OPPONENTS EVERYWHERE—PHILIPPIANS 160
Explicit Statements 162
Allusions 176
Affirmations 180
Conclusion 186
Chapter 6
THOSE WHO 'PASS JUDGMENT'—COLOSSIANS 188
Explicit Statements 190
Allusions 202
Affirmations 207
Conclusion 211
Chapter 7
A WORRIED CHURCH—1 THESSALONIANS 214
Statements about the Situation 216
Allusions 222
Conclusion 227
Chapter 8
'THE DAY OF THE LORD IS HERE': OVERREALIZED ESCHA-
TOLOGY ARRIVES IN THESSALONICA—2 THESSALONIANS 229
Explicit Statements 231
Allusions 240
Affirmations 245
Conclusion 250
Contents
Chapter 9
THE PASTORAL EPISTLES 253
1 TIMOTHY 254
Explicit Statements 256
Allusions 268
Affirmations 274
Conclusion about the Opponents of 1 Timothy 277
2 TIMOTHY 278
Explicit Statements 279
Allusions 286
Affirmations 288
Conclusion about the Opponents of 2 Timothy 289
TITUS 290
Explicit Statements 290
Allusions 297
Affirmations 300
Conclusions about the Opponents of Titus 300
CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THE OPPONENTS OF THE
PASTORAL EPISTLES 301
Chapter 10
OF OPPONENTS AND 'OPPONENTS': A RECONSTRUCTION
OF THOSE OPPOSED IN THE PAULINE LETTERS 303
An Application of these Findings about Pauline Opponents 319
Bibliography 323
Index of References 343
Index of Authors 00

PREFACE
I was prompted to undertake this study by two things: desire to under-
stand the Pauline texts more clearly and an interest in understanding the
shape of earliest Christianity. It is my belief that the two are inter-
related. It is my hope that this work contributes to the clarification of
both; this book tries to contribute to the scholarly discussion of early
Christianity and the Pauline letters.
There are many people who need to be thanked for their contri-
butions. Thanks goes to Ferrum College for their granting me funds to
do research over several summers and a sabbatical. I also thank the
Faculty Scholars Program of the University of Kentucky, through
whom I received two James Still Fellowships (sponsored by the Mellon
Foundation and the Bingham Foundation) to work on this book. I regret
that this center of study is no longer available to scholars of the region.
C.I. Dillon, Director of Library Services at Ferrum College and a
supportive friend, read every chapter of the book and freely used his
experience in teaching composition to help me clarify the language and
keep an eye on the reading audience. He has saved subsequent readers
much pain and deserves many thanks. John Bruton, chair of the
Language and Literature Department of Ferrum College, also read
sections of this book and offered helpful comments about its style.
Diane, my wife, has constantly offered support and encouragement, and
has taken on many responsibilities that have allowed me to pursue this
interest. Thanks are also due to my daughters, to whom this book is
dedicated. They supplied a delightful break from the arguments of the
first century, even as they sometimes wondered why Dad needed to go
to work when there were no students around.