The Evolution of the Pauline Canon

摘要

The article aims at reviewing theories of how the Pauline Corpus first?came to be. A taxonomy consisting of four families of theories is established: Paul himself collected his writings; after his death Paul lived?forth in the form of a collection of his writings; an intercourse between?one Pauline center and another gradually led to the exchange of copies?of letters; the collection of Paul's letters gave him pothumously a centrality which he lacked in his own time until about 90 C E. The article?concludes with the disputed question whether all of Paul's writings in the?New Testament descend or diverge from a particular, definitive edition of?the Pauline Corpus.