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  • From: "Mark D. Nanos" <nanosmd AT comcast.net>
  • To: Corpus-paul <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Paul's persecution of the Church
  • Date: Thu, 30 May 2002 22:20:08 -0500


on 5/30/02 5:38 PM, Vince Endris at vince_endris AT hotmail.com wrote:

> Thanks to all of you who responded to my query. It seems that my confussion
> was in linking purity laws and circumsion together. Let me see if I can
> summerize what I recieved from the emails.

Vince,
There will be different views here, of course, but here are mine.

> 1. The Jerusalem Chruch did not require circumcision as a means of
> conversion.
...if by this you mean no proselyte conversion for gentiles. Agree.

> 2. However, they did require commitment to the purity laws of the Torah (so
> Peter was afraid to let James catch him eating with Gentiles - Gal.
> 2:11-12.)
Agree with first clause, disagree with implication drawn. I do not think
Gal. 2:11-12 has anything to do with purity laws being violated, or fear of
James. Also, purity laws are different for Jewish (Torah) and non-Jewish
(non-Torah) people. Peter is said by Paul to fear advocates of circumcision
(proselyte conversion); if your point 1 stands, then this group would not be
representatives of the Jerusalem churches, since they did not advocate that.
They must be some other group.

> 3. Before Paul's conversion he may have persecuted the church because of
> their differing views of circumsision.
OK, although I would clarify: different views of the standing of gentiles in
these groups apart from proselyte conversion.

> 4. Paul's split with the Jerusalem church was because of their insistance
> on the purity laws.
Disagree. 1) I see no split with the Jerusalem church for Paul; he writes of
their agreement, even if arrived at independent of each other. 2) To what
insistence on purity laws do you refer? 3) I understand Paul to hold to the
same standards of purity as the Jerusalem churches, so I also disagree with
the assumption in the conclusion drawn.

> I believe that this is what I am hearing. Tell me if I am wrong.

It should at least be clear that your conclusion are not the only responses
that you are reading in this forum, even if they may represent the views of
some participants.

Regards,
Mark
--
Mark D. Nanos, Ph.D.
313 NE Landings Dr.
Lee's Summit, MO 64064
USA
nanosmd AT comcast.net






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