From Galatia To Rome

Reading Paul as Paul would be readJanuary 5, 2014

The Adult Forum

• Reminder

Evaluation forms for the Fall series• This series– Building on the work done in Bible Boot Camp– Using my work in earning a PhD in Biblical

Studies– Looking at Paul, one of the most influential

characters in the history of Christianity

What do we make of Paul?

• Common descriptions–Complicated the simple message of Jesus–Really invented Christianity– Led to repression of women–Wrote in long, complicated sentences

What do we make of Paul?

• Commonly– Ruined Jesus’

message– Invented

Christianity– Repressed women– Wrote unintelligibly

• My take– A mystic– Saw himself as a

prophet to the nations

– Expected the end to come soon

– Empowered women in ministry

– Victim of forgeries

Important Principles

1. Use only Paul’s undisputed letters– Seven undisputed letters: Romans, 1 and 2

Corinthians, Galatians, Phillipians, 1 Thessalonians, and Philemon–Others disputed authorship because of:• Style• Vocabulary• Teachings

Important Principles

1. Use only Paul’s undisputed letters2. Paul “called” rather than “converted’

Galatians compared with ActsCalled to be apostle to Gentiles

Important Principles

1. Use only Paul’s undisputed letters2. Paul “called” rather than “converted’3. Pam’s Rules on “How to read Paul”

Based on understanding of ancient JudaismPaul does not condemn Jewish Law per sePaul’s apocalyptic orientation: “The end is near!”

Paul’s Letters to the Galatians and to the Romans

• Romans read this year throughout the summer

• Both on “Justification by Faith”• Both discuss Law, Abraham, Gentiles, and

relationship to Jesus• Galatians written between 50 and 55; Romans

(Paul’s last letter) 57-59

Galatia

Paul’s Letter to the Galatians

• The Community: – Founded by Paul (Gal 1:6)– Community tended to Paul in illness (4:13-14)– Converts from traditional polytheism (4:9)

Paul’s Letter to the Galatians

• The Community: – Founded by Paul (Gal 1:6)– Community tended to Paul in illness (4:13-14)– Converts from traditional polytheism (4:9)

• The Occasion:– Christian competitors to Paul – the “Teachers”– Teachers: to be saved, must be Jewish; men

must be circumcised like Abraham – Jesus was Jewish; to be like Jesus, be Jewish!

Paul’s Letter to the GalatiansPaul’s Response to the Teachers

• “I Paul am the apostle to you Gentiles!”–My Gospel is different from the Gospel to the

Jews– Peter is the apostle to the Jews

• Jesus following Gentiles free-born descendants of Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac; Jews slave-born from Abraham, Hagar, and Ishmael

• If you circumcise, must take on the whole law

Paul’s Letter to the GalatiansPaul’s Response (Continued)

• As Abraham was saved through “faith” . . . – Abraham called and blessed with offspring (Gen

12, 15) before his circumcision (Gen 17)• . . . so you are saved by “faith.”– Typically understood: the Galatians’ faith in Jesus

• Questions to ask Paul:–What is faith?–Whose faith saves us?– Is this the Gospel for Jews as well as Gentiles?

An Excursion into Greek • Paul uses the root pist- pist- in noun (“faith”)

and verb (“to believe”) forms• Greek/English lexicons: to believe, to trust, to

comply; fidelity, a pledge of good faith, etc.– Is Paul talking about Abraham’s faithfulness in

following God’s directives?– Romans 3:3 talks of “the faith/fulness of God”– Could Paul mean “the faith/fulness of Christ”

rather than “faith in Christ”?

A Further Excursion into Greek• Cases in Greek– English uses word order to convey the structure

of a sentence and the relationship among words– Greek uses endings on the words to describe

their relationship– English example: “who,” “whose,” and “whom”

• Genitive case in Greek– Typically denotes ownership, possession:

“whose”–May denote other relationships

The Point: Subjective and Objective Genitives

• Paul writes pistis Christou– Christou is in genitive case; how translate?– Does phrase mean “faith /fulness of Christ” –

the genitive is the subject or owner of the faith, a subjective genitive . . .

– or does it mean “faith in Christ,” Christ is the object of the faith, an objective genitive?

• Who cares? Consider Galatians 2:16

Galatians 2:16 in NRSV

. . . yet we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law.

Or does it say . . .

Alternative Galatians 2:16

“. . . yet we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through the faith/fulness of Jesus Christ. And we have come to trust in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by the faith/fulness of Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law.”

What difference do the translations make today?

What difference does it make today?

• Is “belief in” Jesus a form of works’ righteousness?

• If Jesus did the work for salvation, does it apply to everyone including “non-believers”?