Receptions of Paul in Early Christianity: From the Beginnings to Irenaeus

The conference on receptions of Paul in early Christianity is taking up the recent discussion on developments in Christianity during the first two centuries. This necessitates taking into consideration the texts that became later canonical, but also non-canonical texts. Although older research didn’t neglect completely this aspect, the importance especially of the apocryphal texts has become increasingly evident. The history of Christianity in the first and second centuries presents itself as a variety of developments and interpretations concerning the person and work of Jesus Christ which often do not fit into the later distinction between canonical and apocryphal writings. In organizational terms, this corresponds to a plurality of communities in which a distinction between majority church and marginal groups was only gradually established. We should conceive the reception of the person and the work of Paul, but also the Pauline communities, within this broad framework. Concerning the relationship to Paul within early Christianity, recent research has underlined several aspects which are worth gathering and examining in view of the receptions of his work and his theology. The following points should be noted: - the different, sometimes mutually independent forms of the reception of Paul; - the recent discussion on the autobiography and the biography of Paul; - new aspects on the so-called “school of Paul”; - the recent discussion on the image of Paul in the Acts of the Apostles; - the research about the political, social and religious context of the Mediterranean area in which Paul lived and in which Pauline communities emerged; - sociological analysis of the early Christian communities in the context of the investigations of ancient associations and groups; - the recent discussion on the relationship between Paul, as well as Paulinism, and Judaism; - new research on Marcion and his interpretation of Paul, including his collection of Pauline letters; - Paul in Valentinianism; - the reception of Paul in the apocalyptic tradition of early Christianity; - the discussion concerning the resurrection of the dead in relation to Paul in canonical and non-canonical texts of the 2nd century. The conference is dedicated to these and other aspects of Paul’s significance in early Christianity. Our starting point is that the work and the theology of Paul represent a central part of the foundations of Christianity. Already in the earliest times we find reactions to Paul. This includes references to his personal appearance as well as his interpretation of the Christ event. First traces thereof can be found in the letters of Paul himself, in which he responds to criticisms of his theology and of his work in the communities. He does so in presenting a certain image of his person and of his apostolic work. Other New Testament writings show the central importance of the connection to and the confrontation with the person, the literary work and the theology of Paul for the development of Christian theology. The Deutero-Pauline letters rewrote the theology of Paul in new historical contexts. The Acts of the Apostles place the activity of Paul within a historical-theological framework which is based on the activity of Jesus and which will be continued by the apostles living in Jerusalem and the “Hellenists”. Paul too fits in this line, as he brings the message of Christ to the regions of Asia Minor and Greece, and finally arrives in Rome. Recent research emphasizes in particular that Luke creates a picture of Paul based on knowledge of his person and activity, a picture however that Luke develops in his own way. In these writings we discern certain aspects which will characterize the debate about Pauline theology also in the 2nd century: since Paul carries the message of Christ beyond the borders of Israel and Judaism, the question of the significance of the Jewish traditions within Christian faith emerges, as well as the relationship between Israel and the Church. Both questions will largely determine the discussion about the reception of Paul in the 2nd century and beyond. This topic shouldn’t be limited to Pauline texts. Writings such as the letter of James, the gospel of Matthew and the book of Revelation clearly set other accents as the letters of Paul and those written in his name. It is possible that these texts signal later stages of the debate about the role of Paul and his theology in Christianity, a debate which is perceptible already within the Proto-Pauline literature. In the 2nd century, we observe other links to Paul. Ignatius takes up the practice of Pauline letters sent to communities and, on several occasions, embraces topoi of Pauline theology. The first letter of Clement refers to the authority of Paul and often uses themes and expressions specific to Paul’s letters. The Treatise on the Resurrection (NHC I,4) and the Gospel of Philip (NHC II,3) take up the Pauline doctrine of the resurrection of the dead and engage it critically. Among the Valentinian writings, we find certain texts, for example the Prayer of the Apostle Paul (NHC I,1) and the Apocalypse of Paul (NHC V,2), which reshape the person of Paul for the Valentinian type of Christianity (the so-called “Valentinian Gnosticism”). The literary dimension of Paul’s activity is important, but its sociological aspects should not be ignored. The communities within Paul’s sphere of influence of Paul faced the challenge of competing in the Greco-Roman context as groups which belonged neither to Judaism, nor to pagan “associations”. And so they had to establish a profile – in religious terms, but also under the prevailing political and social conditions – through which they could be identified as communities which, in connection with Paul’s activity and theology, brought the christological confession to bear. Furthermore, the reception of the person and the theology of Paul stands in close relationship to the formation of the New Testament canon. Early collections of Pauline letters were produced already at the end of the 1st century. A little later, Marcion put together a collection of letters of Paul, with no small ripple effect within the Church. At the time of Irenaeus, the letters of Paul, together with the gospels and the Acts of the Apostles, were considered the foundational part of the ecclesial witness to Christ. Material aspects should also be considered when examining the collection and the circulation of the Pauline letters. Manuscripts containing collections of Pauline letters or additions and modifications within the textual tradition provide information about the use of these letters within early Christianity and thus clarify their role in the formation of the New Testament. The conference takes into account this wide spectrum of questions. We will focus on the theological debates on the person and the theology of Paul, on the sociological formation of Pauline Christianity, on the receptions of the person of Paul in writings such as the Acts of Paul and the Apocalypse of Paul, as well as on the role of Pauline theology during the formation of the New Testament canon. Thus, the conference will take up recent discussions about the reception of Paul in canonical and non-canonical writings as well as the formation of the New Testament canon. Our aim is to bring together different areas of the contemporary research on early Christianity insofar as they concern the reception of Paul. In doing so, we hope to contribute to the study of a central element of the history of early Christianity. The publication of the conference proceedings will present the current state of research on receptions of Paul in early Christianity.