did paul kill christians?

[Stuart]

Sorry Stephen,

Epiphanius is post-Diocletian. It's anachronistic. Besides the tract you quote is myth likely from an even later source that found it's way into his work (if you believe that there is an authentic core)

#FAIL

[DCHindley]

There's nothing wrong with the translation 'persecute.' Look at Epiphanius:

“Josephus was not only privileged to become a faithful Christian, but a despiser of Arians as well. In that city, Scythopolis, he was the only orthodox Christian – they were all Arian. Had it not been that he was a count and the rank of count protected him from Arian persecution, he could not even have undertaken to live in the town (οὐκ ἂν ὑπέστη κἂν ἐν τῇ πόλει διατρίβειν), especially while Patrophilus was the Arian bishop. Patroophilus was very influential because of his wealth and severity, and his familiar acquaintance with the Emperor Constantius. But there was another, younger man in town too, an orthodox believer of Jewish parentage. He did not even dare to associate with me in public, though he used to visit us secretly.” Epiph., pan. haer. 30,5,5f.

(GCS 31, 340,9–14 Holl): ἦν γὰρ ὁ ἀνὴρ οὐ 1όνον Χριστιανὸς πιστὸς καταξιωθεὶς γενέσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ Ἀρειανοὺς σφόδρα στηλιτεύων. ἐν γὰρ τῇ πόλει ἐκείνῃ, Σκυθοπόλει φη1ί, 1όνος οὗτος ὀρθόδοξος ὑπῆρχεν, πάντες δὲ Ἀρειανοί. καὶ εἰ 1ὴ ὅτι κό1ης ἦν καὶ τὸ τοῦ κό1ητος ἀξίω1α ἐκώλυεν ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ τὸν τῶν Ἀρειανῶν διωγ1όν, [ἐπεὶ] οὐκ ἂν ὑπέστη κἂν ἐν τῇ πόλει διατρίβειν ὁ ἀνήρ, 1άλιστα ἐπὶ Πατροφίλου τοῦ Ἀρειανοῦ ἐπισκόπου τοῦ πολλὰ ἰσχύσαντος πλούτῳ τε καὶ αὐτοῦ Ἀρειανοῦ ἐπισκόπου τοῦ πολλὰ ἰσχύσαντος πλούτῳ

For lurkers who do not know, this quotation is from section 30 (against Ebionites) of Frank William's English translation of Epiphanius' Panarion, specifically a lengthy anectdotal (most of us would call it "fanciful") digression in which he describes what his buddy, Josephus (not the one from 1st century CE), an "apostle" of the Jewish patriarch in the reign of Constantius (an Augustus under the Tetrarchy established by emperor Diocletian, and Constantine's dad), told him about what events led to his conversion to Christianity. Yes, I am being intentionally obtuse.

Epiphanius claims that this Josephus (did I mention that he was an "apostle" for the Jewish Patriarch?) described to him events he witnessed that led him to become a Christian. Basically, as an "apostle" to the Patriarchy, Josephus was placed in charge of the young son of the Patriarch. But the boy was bad seed. He witnessed attempts by fellow Jews to thwart attempts by young irreverent Jews to help the young son of the late Jewish Patriarch "score" with this unusually beautiful but simpleton Christian girl he met at the baths.

Lots of magic, sex, and corrupting going on here by all parties. What Epiphanius was "pursuing" there was an amusing story of vain Jewish pursuits which utilized wicked Jewish magic, and nothing more. Hyperbole ruled the day here.

DCH