Originally Posted by creature

I recently read the book
Authority in Paul and Peter: The Identification of a Pastoral Stratum in the Pauline Corpus and 1 Peter (or via: amazon.co.uk) by Munro.

It seems to me that the author is making a good case that even the genuine letters of Paul have had some significant interpolations added, at least so far as concerns I Cor 11:2-16 and I Cor 14:33-35 and perhaps even Romans 13:1-7.

The author also claims that romans 1:19-2:1 is an interpolation, but it seems that that claim is wrong, because some of the rest of Rom 2 refers back to certain sins of the Gentiles . . .

My 2 major questions would be:

1) Is it possible that I Cor 5 and some of 6 and Gal 5 are interpolations, given the following:

1a) I Cor 5:9 speaks of a letter, presumably earlier than I cor, in which "Paul" says not to associate with fornicators, but there is no such known letter, but lets suppose that munro is right and there was a chief Pauline interpolator, who interpolated passages into Paul's genuine letters; the earlier letter referred to might simply be obviously II Thess and II Thess 3:14, in which "Paul" says not to eat with those who don't follow his instructions;

1b) we find in I Cor 6:9 and Gal 5:19-21 the 2 and only 2 passages (I think!) in which Paul gives a list of sins and says that those who do such things won't inherit the kingdom of God. However, the usual understanding of Paul as I hear him explained in churches I visit is that all people, even Christians, are guilty in varying degrees of sin in general, and they would cite romans 7 to substantiate that Christians themselves sin in various ways. Even "good" Christians at times get angry or perhaps lust or argue. Some of them even lie in some ways at times. Paul says, [14b] "For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I."

So, is it possible that the same fellow who has inserted the "obey the authorities" passages and "women keep silent" passages into the genuine letters of Paul, has also put in the 2 which say, "Those who do these various sins are going to go to hell," and given that the genuine Paul seems to say, Even those who do these things, which is all of us, who yet also believe in and call on Jesus, shall be saved. ?

Originally Posted by DCHindley

Creature,

Well, You have piqued my curiosity, but unfortunately the Google Books preview is only of one section (pages 114-143, I think), so I cannot really tell which verses of the 14 book Pauline corpus (meaning it includes Hebrews) and 1 Peter she(?) identifies with the "pastoral stratum" (a set of trito-Pauline interpolations on the subject of authority that were not in the original edition of the Paulines, or a re-edited publication of them as a 10 book corpus).

I am very unclear just what exactly she is proposing as far as a publication history. Since the chance of this volume being in the stacks of the local library here in Newton Falls, Ohio, is rather tiny, could you provide a selection of these pastoral interpolations?

Originally Posted by DCH

Munro's thesis is that the "subjection material" in the 10 letter collection, typified by but not limited to household codes,
"are subsequent additions to the text, not as isolated interpolations accrued haphazardly, but as part of a later, redactional stratum extending across the ten-letter Pauline collection and 1 Peter, and emanating from the same or similar source as the Pastoral epistles. ... The later stratum, together with the Pastoral epistles, will therefore be be characterized as 'Pastoral' or trito-Pauline." (pg 1)

Originally Posted by Munro pg 19

The hypothesis of redactional overworking of the Pauline letters is by no means new. It is implicit in the idea of their deliberate compilation for publication, as also in the numerous theories concerning the piecing together of different letters and letter fragments. As H. Gamble has stated:

These judgements and suspicions are occasioned by the literary difficulties with which Paul's letters are rife: anacolutha [i.e., abrupt changes within sentences to a second construction inconsistent with the first], repetitions, abrupt shifts of subject matter and tone, seemingly distinct situations presupposed within what is presented as the text of a single letter, etc. Theories of redaction have sought to make these phenomena intelligible as the consequences of secondary editorial reworking, a surmise that may be correct.

That such extensive redactional activity could take place with impunity makes it highly unlikely that it would have proceeded without editorial additions. It strains credulity to assume they [i.e., the redactions at the hand of an editor] would have been confined to brief connections and minor improvements.

Originally Posted by Munro, pg 1

"the pastoral epistles are a post-Pauline development drawing on the earlier epistles of the Pauline corpus is a widely accepted notion on which there is near consensus ... the converse possibility, that Pastoral influence has left its mark on the earlier epistles in the form of redactional shaping and interpolated additions amounting to an extensive later stratum ... involves a paradigmatic shift which encounters considerable perceptual resistance among Pauline scholars."

Originally Posted by Toto

Winsom Monro was female (died in 1994 after spending 26 years in exile from her native South Africa for her political beliefs and activism.) There is a moving bio here.

William Walker seems to build on her work.