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  • From: BBurrowes AT aol.com
  • To: corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re: The Mystery of Romans: the theme of- restoration of Israel
  • Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2002 11:49:29 EST


Mark, I am puzzled by your comment that implies that Christians = Gentiles:

In a message dated 1/2/2002 9:40:18 PM, nanosmd AT home.com writes:

<< Yes, I do not believe those two options represent Paul's voice, although
the
latter is an attractive alternative, apart (for me), that is, from any
notion that everyone is going to become Christians in the end (a reading
that seems to defy the logic of Paul's criticism of gentile arrogance in the
first place). >>

Paul of course never uses the term Christians, which appears only in Acts
11:26, 26:28 and 1Pe 4:16. It seems that the believing community in Antioch,
where they were first called Christians (Acts 1:26), was almost certainly
composed of both Jews and Gentiles (see Gal 2:11-14). Christian is therefore
simply a synonym for a believer or follower of Jesus. So it is puzzling to
me when you make the comment that the expectation that all would become
Christians in the end seems to defy the logic of Paul's criticism of gentile
arrogance, unless you are assuming that the "Christian" refers to Gentile
believers alone.

Do you follow the Gaston-Gager hypothesis that according to Paul Jews do not
need to believe in Jesus as Messiah, that he was only the Savior for the
Gentiles? I think this hypothesis flies in the face of Paul's declaration in
Rom 1:16 that the gospel is the power of God for the salvation of all who
believe, to the Jew first and then to the Gentile. I think Paul did hope for
and expect the restoration of Israel, but that he also expected Jews to
become believers in Jesus as their Messiah--these beliefs are not necessarily
exclusive.

Moreover, the expectation that his fellow Jews would become believers does
not mean that they would become Gentile or necessarily cease being Jewish.
Jews becoming believers does not lead to Gentile boasting, it is the Gentile
belief that Israel has been cut off and rejected that is leading to boasting
(11:19). And response to Gentile boasting Paul states that if they do not
persist in their unbelief they will be grafted back into the olive tree
(11:23). Paul is not referring to a lack of faith in God, for surely these
Jewish unbelievers have a faith in the God of Israel, but to faith in Jesus
as Israel's Messiah and as the means of Israel's restoration. Must Jews
become Christians? If "Christian" means what it did in Antioch, i.e., a
believer/follower of Jesus, then yes. If Christian means an adherent of a
Gentile religion opposed to Judaism, the religion of the Jews, then no.

I apologize if I have misunderstood you,

Brett Burrowes, University of Durham





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