Cephas and James in Paul 1 Corinthians 15

PAUL: 1 CORINTHIANS 15:3-11

There is a famous passage in Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians (verses 15:3-11) where Paul lists the individuals who had seen the resurrected Jesus.

This passage has importance for understanding the political relationship between Paul, Cephas, and James.

The text

(3) For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures; (4) that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures; (5) that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. (6) After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. (7) After that he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. (8) Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to me. (9) For I am the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. (10) But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been ineffective. Indeed, I have toiled harder than all of them; not I, however, but the grace of God (that is) with me. (11) Therefore, whether it be I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

Integrity of the text

Verses 5 to 7 lists those who have seen the risen Christ, then verse 8 names Paul as the one who saw him last of all. On the face of it this is a simple statement.

However Paul is not relating facts, but claims. He cannot possibly know whether Cephas or James has actually seen the risen Christ, but he would have been aware that Cephas and James had claimed to have done so. And no doubt they would have known of Paul's own claim.

In this passage Paul is making a claim for the primacy of his own authority. Others have seen the risen Christ and so has he. He then highlights his own claim, in effect inferring that it is superior because it is so unique. Christ has not appeared to Paul because he was a religious leader like Cephas and James, but has selected Paul specifically, a surprising choice and therefore more significant.

However to make this rhetorical statement he would only have to list those who made the claim who were his rivals. So why include 'the Twelve' and the 'five hundred brothers'? My view is he doesn't and the text is corrupt.

Including the 'five hundred brothers' makes a mockery of Paul's claim. Why follow Paul as a spiritual guide when his authority is so diluted? Also the use of the phrase 'most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep' also seems more appropriate to a later redactor. It is highly unlike that the reference to the five hundred was written by Paul.

Similarly with 'the Twelve'. Their inclusion also dilutes Paul's claim. It is also improbable that Paul would have heard of the term 'the Twelve'. The term comes from the Gospels and Paul was certainly writing before the first Gospel was written.

Meaning of the claim

Paul says the Christ 'appeared' to him. But Paul is writing to his Corinthian followers and is using the appropriate language. He is not being literal.

Even if Paul's readers saw the word Christos as a title (which is debatable), they would still have understood its meaning: one who God has 'annointed' , a Messiah, and as far as they were concerned, the Messiah. They would have understood Paul to be claiming that he had been appointed by the Messiah, and that in comparison with that of Cephas and James his own appointment conferred the greater authority.

Political implications

It is noticeable that Paul does not dispute the claims made by Cephas and James. And yet this would be the natural thing to do if Paul was trying to push his own claims to the detriment of theirs. However to do that would be to leave himself open to the same accusation, and Paul was on the shakier ground.

Elsewhere Paul criticizes Cephas and James, but his attacks are always on specific doctrinal matters, never a frontal assault on their authority. Whatever Paul may have thought of Cephas and James personally, they were still people he had to deal with, spiritual leaders with considerable standing in the milieu in which Paul moved.