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Scholars have long suspected that Paul s rhetorical strategies are
not always irreproachable when judged by philosophical rhetorical
standards. In Paul s True Rhetoric, Mark Given argues that Paul s
rhetorical strategies in Acts and his letters display intentional
ambiguity, cunning, and deception, and make him vulnerable to the
charge that he perpetrates sophistries. Paul s deliberate use of
misleading rhetoric was justified by his sincere conviction that he
knew the truth and had a divine mandate to promote it in an
apocalyptic world filled with deception. Like Socrates, Paul
regarded his enemies and potential converts as being in a state of
ignorance borne of deception. Since the deception was so severe,
most had no idea how ignorant of the Truth they really were. Paul
felt, as did Socrates, that he had to fool the deceived by becoming
like them, pretending to be ignorant. Then, using an insinuative
dialectic, he could gradually expose their ignorance both to
themselves and others. Mark Given is Assistant Professor of
Religious Studies at Southwest Missouri State University.
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