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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: seattle, wa
Posts: 9,337
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Was the Name of the Christian Apostle 'Paul' Derived From an Aramaic Term?
I have been trying to figure this out for most of my life. I just stumbled upon this explanation of the term 'Paulicians' from an Armenian scholar which seems plausible enough:
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E Ter Minasyan analysing the form of the name occurring in the Oath of Union, says that it is simply a result of misunderstanding. The link between the term Paw\ikean and the name Pawtik was no longer perceived; the feeling that it was an adjective was also lost and this led to the declension of the name on another model, ie keank', kenac'. From the form Paylikean the substantive Pay\akenut'iwn was formed, which is attested only in one place. Against the Paulicians by Yovhannes Ojnec'i. ACafyan supposed that this word, which is the parallel of Pay\akumn (blindness), was applied to the heretics because it sounded like their own name. But Aberyan, recognising that the form Pay\akenut'iwn resulted from the root Pay\ak as in Pay\akumn . also meaning "blindness" and "blindly" considered that the catolikos Yovhannes Ojnec'i was using the word to characterize the Armenian Messalians. [Vrej Nersessian, The Tondrakian Movement: religious movements in the Armenian church p. 13]
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I have always argued that 'Marcion' was derived as a backformation of an Aramaic term meaning 'those of Mark.' But I am equally suspicious that 'Paul' might similarly have been formed as a back formation of a term which means 'work.' The obvious choice in a way is the term 'Maker' poel which appears in Rashi as a name of God, but I don't think it sounds enough like the Greek Paulos.
I have had in the back of my mind the idea that the Apostle was perfected on the seventh (or eighth) day and so was called 'the perfect work' (Deuteronomy 32:4 = tamym poolo in Samaritan Aramaic) but I don't know how to get from Παυλιανοι, Παυλιανισταὶ or related forms to something in Aramaic which could have been mistaken for a group associated with a figure named Paul. Perhaps there are other suggestions?
On the specific form Παυλιανοι, it appears in the official decree of Constantine against the heretics:
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Victor Constantinus, Maximus Augustus, to the heretics.
“Understand now, by this present statute, ye Novatians, Valentinians, Marcionites, Paulians (Παυλιανοι), ye who are called Cataphrygians, and all ye who devise and support heresies by means of your private assemblies, with what a tissue of falsehood and vanity, with what destructive and venomous errors, your doctrines are inseparably interwoven; so that through you the healthy soul is stricken with disease, and the living becomes the prey of everlasting death. Ye haters and enemies of truth and life, in league with destruction! All your counsels are opposed to the truth, but familiar with deeds of baseness; full of absurdities and fictions: and by these ye frame falsehoods, oppress the innocent, and withhold the light from them that believe. Ever trespassing under the mask of godliness, ye fill all things with defilement: ye pierce the pure and guileless conscience with deadly wounds, while ye withdraw, one may almost say, the very light of day from the eyes of men. But why should I particularize, when to speak of your criminality as it deserves demands more time and leisure than I can give? For so long and unmeasured is the catalogue of your offenses, so hateful and altogether atrocious are they, that a single day would not suffice to recount them all. And, indeed, it is well to turn one’s ears and eyes from such a subject, lest by a description of each particular evil, the pure sincerity and freshness of one’s own faith be impaired. Why then do I still bear with such abounding evil; especially since this protracted clemency is the cause that some who were sound are become tainted with this pestilent disease? Why not at once strike, as it were, at the root of so great a mischief by a public manifestation of displeasure? (In Praise of Constantine 3)
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The was used into the eighteenth century with a sectarian tradition which preferred the Apostle Paul. I don't believe the term was originally associated with Paul of Samosata. It's all so murky and unclear. That the Marcionites identified themselves to be 'of Paul' is clear from a corrupt passage in the Dialogues of Adamantius:
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Meg. I shall show that there is one gospel.
Ad. From whom can you appeal from scripture itself that confirms there is only one Gospel?
Meg. Christ.
Ad. Did Christ himself write of his crucifixion and resurrection from the dead after three days?
Meg. The Apostle Paul imparted this.
Ad. Do you mean to say that Paul was in attendance at the crucifixion of Christ?
Meg. He himself wrote the Gospel.
Ad. If so I shall demonstrate that not only was he not present let alone believing, even following his persecuting, that there existed Christians?
Meg. There were no Christians?
Ad. How did Christians exist, who, not even holding the name of Christ, manage to become worthy? If indeed I speak of no Christians, but of the Marcionites.
Meg. And you have spoken of the Catholics. Thus not being Christian.
Ad. If a man enjoys his vocabulary, speak well; if truly on behalf of him by whom all the world exists, on whose account the Catholic speaks, whom in accordance to your appellation is to be seen fault? Show to me if you may any man judged by name; but I show that not only bishops are bestowed the appellation of a surname, not in the least disciples, indeed, not in the least apostles. Which great one do you dwell in the house of - Marcion or Paul?
Meg. Paul.
Ad. Listen then, if you are able to see, what Paul, who was most excellent to Marcion , anticipated (1 Cor.1:11-13): "It's been indeed announced to me, about you by those who are of Chloe that there are contentions among you , for the one to you is saying: I am of Paul, but I of Apollos, but I of Cephas. Has Christ been divided? [+ Gk, Was Paul crucified for you? or to the name of Paul were you baptized?] ".
Meg. I am being spoken a Christian; but if you cast at me the name of a man, I can of you say that you are of Socrates.
Ad. I the name of Socrates refuse and deny.
Eutr. If you strike against the power of a name, necessary it is of either of yours that call on these names, which you set before, to refuse.
Ad. I am ignorant of who Socrates is; but I confess not such of Marcion.
Meg. Marcion was my bishop (episcopus ).
Ad. Out of whom, Marcion having died, <proceeded> a great many bishops, or rather, false-bishops have they been among you. Why doesn't any of them make use of a name, but only Marcion's, who even brought about a schism in the one church?
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And again it is intimated in the Acts of Archelaus from the Marcionite center of Osroene:
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For which of us could have hoped that Paul, the persecutor and enemy of the Church, would prove its defender and guardian? Yea, and not that alone, but that he would become also its ruler, the founder and architect of the churches? Wherefore after him, and after those who were with Himself— that is, the disciples— we are not to look for the advent of any other (such), according to the Scriptures; for our Lord Jesus Christ says of this Paraclete, He shall receive of mine. Him therefore He selected as an acceptable vessel; and He sent this Paul to us in the Spirit. Into him the Spirit was poured ... Again, that it was the Paraclete Himself who was in Paul, is indicated by our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospel, when He says: If you love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray my Father, and He shall give you another Comforter. In these words He points to the Paraclete Himself, for He speaks of another Comforter. And hence we have given credit to Paul, and have hearkened to him when he says, Or do you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me? and when he expresses himself in similar terms, of which we have already spoken above. Thus, too, he seals his testament for us as for his faithful heirs, and like a father he addresses us in these words ... (34)
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And then in rejecting Mani's claim to be the one sent by Paul, the bishop Archelaus declares:
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None of your party O Manes, will you make a Galatian; neither will you in this fashion divert us from the faith of Christ. Yea, even although you were to work signs and wonders, although you were to raise the dead, although you were to present to us the very image of Paul himself, you would remain accursed still. (36)
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And again:
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Yea, further, that best master-builder of His, Paul himself, has laid our foundation, that is, the foundation of the Church and has put us in trust of the law, ordaining ministers, and presbyters, and bishops in the same, and describing in the places severally assigned to that purpose, in what manner and with what character the ministers of God ought to conduct themselves, of what repute the presbyters ought to be possessed, and how they should be constituted, and what manner of persons those also ought to be who desire the office of bishop. And all these institutions. which were once settled well and rightly for us, preserve their prosper standing and order with us to this day, and the regular administration of these rules abides among us still. (51)
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09-04-2011, 07:31 PM
