PROBLEMS OF NEW TESTAMENT STUDY 597 



as previous to the nineteenth century biblical scholars as a rule were, 

 students of literature rather than historians, and are we to confess 

 that of the origins of Christianity we have, at least in the Pauline 

 letters, no authentic monuments? Are we no longer in the age of 

 Baur, but in that of Loman and Van Manen? The question, if it 

 requires consideration at all as one of the living problems of New 

 Testament study, is one of very serious import. For if it is true that 

 the rightfulness or wrongfulness of Van Manen's position is for 

 scholarship an open question, then it must be answered before we 

 can even ask any others in respect to the Pauline literature, not to 

 say the apostolic age. It is now more than twenty years since these 

 views were first presented to scholars in articles published in the 

 Theologisch Tijdschrift, and sixteen years since they were presented 

 at length and in easily accessible form in Steck's Galaterbrief. Elab- 

 orate refutation, it must be admitted, they have not received. As 

 certainly have they not gained any general or enthusiastic approval. 

 Nothing comparable to that which ensued upon the publication of 

 Baur's Paulus has happened in the scholarly world in respect to the 

 writings of Loman, Volter, Steck, and Van Manen. Is it because 

 New Testament scholarship is staggered, silenced, consciously put 

 to rout? Even Van Manen, who complains of the neglect with which 

 these views have been received, does not venture to affirm that 

 this is the explanation of it. No; it must be admitted that the com- 

 parative silence of scholars means, not that there is nothing that 

 could be said in reply, but that in their judgment little need be said. 

 Van Manen's plea for attention may perhaps call forth ought 

 perhaps to call forth a presentation of the reasons why New Testa- 

 ment scholars believe that Paul wrote some at least of the letters 

 which have come down to us bearing his name, at once more sub- 

 stantial than has hitherto been put forth and more worthy of the 

 importance of the subject. But unless New Testament scholarship 

 shall experience a very decided change of mind, it mil not take this 

 up as a vital question, the answer to which is in such sense in doubt 

 that, pending the solution of it, all other work upon the life and 

 teaching of Paul must be held in suspense; but rather as a buttressing 

 of foundations whose strength has already been fully established. 



If, then, we are right in believing that in the field of the criticism 

 of the Pauline letters we are still in the epoch that dates from 1831, 

 not from 1882, then we possess in Galatians, Corinthians, and Romans 

 a basis of knowledge respecting the life of the apostle Paul, and a 

 firm basis of judgment respecting his type of mind, his literary style, 

 and his theological position. There remain, no doubt, important 

 problems affecting these letters : respecting Galatians, the location 

 of the churches addressed and a considerable group of minor pro- 

 blems associated with this one; respecting Second Corinthians, the 



