Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

corpus-paul - Re: Gal 4:8-10 (To Mark Nanos)

corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Corpus-Paul

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Mark D. Nanos" <nanos AT gvi.net>
  • To: "Corpus-paul" <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Gal 4:8-10 (To Mark Nanos)
  • Date: Sun, 1 Oct 2000 08:34:59 -0500


Mark
thanks for your patient explanations.

> [Mark]
> The addressees have considered the possibility that if they do not
> comply with the terms of this other message of good they will need to
> return to the lifestyle of Greek guests, and thus complying with
> participation of those public expressions of idolatry that they as
> Greeks are constrained to observe unless and until they become
> proselyte candidates, that is, according to the prevailing norms of
> both the Jewish and Greek communities apart from the Jewish subgroup
> of believers in Christ.

[Moon now]

Why would some of them have considered this possibility? They would have
believed that becoming proselytes and thereby becoming unquestionable
children of Abraham was a far better choice! Going back to pagan practices
would have made them feel guilty even if they were constrained to do it.
That was what they deserted when they believed in Christ. But getting
circumcised would not create such guilty feeling. It was even commanded by
God. So, getting circumcised would have been the best way to escape from
the
pagan social pressure and to remain to feel good. So I would like to know
what would have been the motivation for them to returning to pagan
practices?

[Mark now]

Read Gal. 2:11-21 and ask the same question of Peter; social pressure to save face with a rival court of reputation leads to behavior that "masks" his new faith in Christ and thus in gentile equality, even though he has experienced this new life as Peter the apostle of this movement, and still believes in Christ. Masking/hypocrisy means he has not changed his real face/beliefs, but covered them up for expedient social reasons (this is one issue that the traditional approaches obscure, assuming that Peter has changed his mind, not just covered up his mind). Compromising to get along, something we all face with competing courts of reputation.

Now turn to gentiles confused by all of this new stuff in entering into a new community subgroup with competing authority figures and norms, who wish to be accepted fully, and need to be in practical ways, such as employment and expression of religious life. The problem is not merely guilt as it might be for post-Enlightenment people (e.g., who might laugh at the bosses jokes, but don't embrace the sentiments; who might go with their parents to their place of worship, but don't embrace their faith, etc....), but life in community, with very clear understanding of the need to fit into the role society understands for them, in this case two different societies (Jewish and pagan), but both in agreement about their identity as "pagans" unless proselytes. Remember that Greeks believed that the entire community implicated each other if anyone or family failed to publicly express, e.g., worship of the imperial cult, fearing reprisals both in commercial and spiritual terms. The pressure to comply would be immense, unless they could appeal to a legitimate transformation of identity so that their failure to participate any longer was not a threat, since they were no longer fellow pagans, but now Jewish proselytes. Until then they would need to figure out how to "play" the game required of them, remaining friends of the Jewish community, but nevertheless pagans. Would one not have found similar social issues arising in say Korea not that many years ago if a young person became a Christian (when doing so was not common, and say, the issue of whom they would marry arose)?

So the issue is one of "compliance" with expectations/norms/pressure of their participation in public pagan life, not "conformity" as in the sense of embracing pagan beliefs again. Hence the message of proselyte conversion is good news for them, as you seem to realize in your comments as well, for it will allow them to escape this dilemma, or so they reason, until Paul undermines their assumptions in this letter!

Regards,
Mark Nanos





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page