source: http://www.historykb.com/Uwe/Forum.aspx/ancient/293/Re-translated-from-the-Greek-EVOLUTION-OF-THE-NT-Saul-Paul-Simon
"Simon Magus" is none other than Saul/Paul of Tarsus, whose name was replaced by someone, but whose depiction is quite clear.
Clement was St. Peter's hand-picked successor and much of the material that follows is from the Clementine Homilies and Recognitions. In the works, much is said concerning a doctrinal battle between Peter and a magician named Simon Magus.
Scholars are certain that 'Simon' is a pseudonym for St. Paul and that the disputes mentioned are really between Peter and Paul. In writing about this matter G. Strecker states:"It is true that in the basic writing the statements in question are directed against Simon Magus, and in this way veiled; nevertheless the allusions to citations from the Pauline letters, above all to the discussion between Paul and Peter in Antioch (Galatians 2:11ff), the designation of the magician as a missionary to the Gentiles, and not least the scarcely disguised attitude of the Epistula Petri (the letter from Peter to James that I mentioned earlier) show that in the Kerygmata Petrou (preaching of Peter) source they are leveled against Paul." (Apostolic Pseudepigrapha, p. 108)
Hans-Joachim Schoeps, Professor of Religious History, in Germany, and a recognized expert on matters dealing with St. Paul concurs:This conflict is developed to its full extreme in the presentation of the Kerygmata Petrou, which reproduces similarly the point of view of the Judaistic opponents of Paul. Their old enemy here appears under the pseudonym 'Simon." This "Simon who Is also Paul..." (Jewish Christianity, p. 51)
As you can see, these are only a few examples which reveal to you the opinion of the scholarly community that there seems to be a consensus that the mentioned 'Simon' is indeed Paul in these writings. "
(FROM: "THE CLEMENTINE HOMILIES AND THE STRUGGLE TO PRESERVE JESUS' REAL MESSAGE" at
http://www.geocities.com/paulproblem/clementine_homolies_preserve_message.htm)
