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P. Derek Overfield PhD Thesis - Research@StAndrews:FullText

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Recent studies by C. Taloer"c have sougll:t<br />

to show that the purpose of both Luke ane. Acts is<br />

anti-Gnostic. 177 But even TiL Schmithals who,<br />

as we<br />

shall see below, is able to identify Gnostic or anti­<br />

Gnostic elements in texts in disagreement with most<br />

178<br />

other exegetes, is unable to support Jchi s "cheory.<br />

Schrni tha1s himself claims that Gnosticism is combatcced<br />

in both Thessalonian Epis"c1es I<br />

Galatians and Corint~l.ians;<br />

Paul's admonition against fornication, 1 Thess 4:3-6,<br />

is directed against Gnostic licentiousness, and his<br />

reassurances regarding the future resurrection of the<br />

faithful is a corrective for those gnosticized be:ievers<br />

179<br />

a {uture resurrection.<br />

III Gc..lo.t.i2.~-:S<br />

Schmi -c.ilals makes reference "CO<br />

five "cexts, all of which,<br />

he arglies, prove that ~ne 'oppo~ents' were Jewish<br />

180<br />

G::::os-c_ics.<br />

a long line of scholars I/vho have sugges"ced that Pau.l' s<br />

opponents in Corinth were Gnostics. T~1.ese opponents<br />

are, so he believes, 'fully fledged' Gnostics who are<br />

characterised by their pride in their knowledge and<br />

in their libertine behaviour.<br />

The most extreme<br />

example of Scrum thals' Gnostic exegesis is his -tree:cment<br />

of 1 Cor 10:16f£ in his view, a Jewish<br />

Gnostic rite rather than the Christian Co®~union.<br />

Both 'che methodology and exegesiS of Scr1.l11i thals ~J.ave<br />

been severely attacked. by many exegetes, including<br />

:chose who 'Illith him believe Gnosticism to be a pre-<br />

-147-

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