Paul and Pseudepigraphy (Pauline Studies, Book 8)

86 stanley e. porter

the second hypothesis, the post-acts 28 release and re-imprisonment,

also rejects the acts chronology but posits a different, non-pseudonymous

Pauline composition. having said that, i wrote that the post-Pauline com-

position hypothesis appears to be particularly weak, however, the pro-

posal for a post-acts 28 release is not much better. this latter position

concludes similarly to the post-Pauline composition hypothesis that the

Pastoral epistles have inherent chronological problems in relation to the

book of acts or the other Pauline letters so that they cannot be comfort-

ably located in relation to the established Pauline chronology. however,

and here is the major difference, rather than simply abandoning this chro-

nology and authenticity altogether, this position posits another chrono-

logical scenario—that Paul was released from the imprisonment recorded

in acts 28:16–31 and then had a period of perhaps up to four years of

further ministry, possibly in the west and even to the extent of reach-

ing spain and certainly in the east during which he wrote 1 timothy and

titus, before being re-captured and imprisoned, during which he wrote

2 timothy while in a second roman imprisonment. the evidence from

ancient sources is relatively minor and late for a second roman imprison-

ment, with statements regarding a spanish mission being not much stron-

ger. nevertheless, it is on the basis of these statements that a number of

scholars over the years have felt comfortable with using this evidence as a

terminal point for Paul’s life and mission and hence opening up a period

for composition of the Pastoral epistles after Paul’s first roman impris-

onment. With the only constraints being that Paul must be in the east-

ern mediterranean and again re-imprisoned by the romans, scholars are

free to let their chronological imaginations go free. as a result, there are

numerous proposals, with varying levels of detail, that have been offered

for this inter-internment period. some engage in fine-tuning of the data

from the Pastoral epistles, while others are content with broader strokes

to fit the scenario together. such reconstructions are, of necessity, highly

speculative, with close to no means of substantiation apart from the inter-

nal evidence of the Pastorals. two features may be mentioned. one is that

this proposal does address the little evidence that there is regarding Paul’s

re-imprisonment, and possibly his spanish mission (though in varying

ways). the other is that this view tends to settle upon 2 timothy as reflect-

ing a roman imprisonment, even if not the one found in acts 28:16–31.

the third and final viewpoint, which attempts to locate the Pastoral

epistles within the acts chronology, differs from the other two positions

in that it does not reject the acts chronology as the basis of its reconstruc-

tion but utilizes it as the framework for its proposal—even if it must also