KrisK10

Some scholars say that Paul's statement of an appearance to over 500 at one time (1 Cor 15:6) is a Pauline exaggeration. Does anyone know of any scholar that builds the case from other Pauline texts that he indeed does have a propensity to exaggerate? Thanks for any suggestions.

Kris

aa5874

The statement in 1Corinthians 15.6 exceeds exaggeration, it is flatly not true. Jesus could not have resurrected, it would have been less than 0.0000500 persons who saw Jesus alive.

Toto

It's not personal with Paul. Many numbers in the Holy Inerrant Bible have to be seen as symbolic representations of "some large number."

The 500, in particular, may not even be Paul's own words (or the writings of whoever wrote Paul's letters.) Robert Price here notes a number of scholars who think that the reference to the 500 was added to the original text, even if they do not see the entire section as an interpolation.

Gamera

Exaggeration is a classical trope, used often by Paul (he said he evangelized the entire world, meaning he evangelized a lot, which is true), and by Jesus (who suggested you pluck out your right eye if it offends you, meaning it's better to avoid sin, or who said the mustard seed was the smallest seed, meaning it's pretty small).

It's rather surpising you would take a classical trope, interpret it literally and then blame Paul for not being literal. The epistles are history lessons but moral encomia.

KrisK10

Gamera,

Can you help me out and provide specific citations for your assertion above (which I have a feeling is correct)?

Kris

Gamera

Paul's use of hypebole is well known and would have been understood as a rhetorical trope by his audience:

Romans 1:8 - First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.

Gal 5:12: I wish those who are unsettling you would mutilate themselves!

Col 1;23: not shifting from the hope of the gospel which you have heard, which has been preached to every creature under the heavens

Toto

I have a note that I saved about Paul's True Rhetoric: Ambiguity, Cunning, and Deception in Greece and Rome (or via: amazon.co.uk) by Mark D. Given. I haven't read the book. There is a review here and a note by blogger Loren Rossen here.

There is also an online article by Given: On His Majesty’s Secret Service: The Undercover Ēthos of Paul, God’s Double Agent

ETA: Paul's True Rhetoric on Google Books

Ben C Smith

Josephus is known to exaggerate numbers at times, though the cause for each case of exaggeration is not always known.

One famous problem is the Egyptian in Acts and in Josephus. Josephus says that the Egyptian led 30,000 men, while Acts says that it was 4,000 sicarii. (A possible but admittedly strained explanation for the difference is that Acts is recording only the number of sicarii while Josephus is counting all the participants, not just the sicarii alone. Otherwise, the number in Josephus appears inflated.)

Ben.

KrisK10

Thanks for the excellent specific examples Gamera. Thanks too Toto and Ben, I'll be checking out your references. Great stuff!

Kris

Gamera

Jesus also used hyperbole:

Mark 4:31 - It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth;


Matthew 5:29 - If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.

Matthew 18:22 - Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.


Matthew 5:30 - And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.