Corpus-Paul

["moon-ryul jung" <moon AT saint.soongsil.ac.kr>]

Mark,
it is really refreshing to discuss things with you, because you say
different things than I used to hear. Most of what you said on the list 
sound less distorted and so make more sense to me. So let me try to 
understand you this time as well. 

Let me quote your summary:
>He[Paul] is against those who would
> preclude the entrance of those of the nations on these grounds however, and
> would claim that they fail to understand the times now upon them as
> foretold in Judaism's Scriptures/Torah. To me it seems the faith question
> is not about Torah observance, but about what time it is with respect to
> Jesus Christ. Is a difference of opinion necessarily a departure from
> faith? And why would not Torah observance for Jewish people (if taken as
> God's way of preparing Israel for the seed; Gal. 3) advance the
> possibilities of this faith rather than hinder (cause to "deviate")?

This was your comment to my post:
>> It also seems that Paul was against "covenantal nomism"
> >itself,the system that claims one is "saved" by being a true Jew, 
>>which is recognizable by ERGWN NOMOU. 
>>It is indicated by the following statement:
> >"We Jews also believed in Christ Jesus, in order to
> >be justified by faith in Christ and not by the "works of the law".
> >So, it seems to me that Paul's criticism of the "works of the law" was
> >more than "fight within family". I think Paul opposed Judaism,
> >not because it taught salvation based one's works or merits,
> >but because, as Sanders showed,
> >  (a) it taught salvation based on being Jew, which is
> >      defined by ERGWN NOMOU,
> >   and (b) this system had deviated from the way of faith
> >          which was supposed to be the proper response of the people
> >          from the time of Abraham (as indicated by 9:31-32).
> 

Is a difference of opinion necessarily a departure from
faith? I would not think so. But I think it was more than a difference of 
opinion. (a) Doesn't Gal 2:16
   ("We Jews also believed in Christ Jesus, in order to
    be justified by faith in Christ and not by the "works of the law")
indicate that Paul and Peter deserted Judaism which taught 
that one is righteoused by doing the "works of the law", the identity 
markers
of being Jew?
(b) Doesn't Rom 9:31-32
   (Israel pursuing the law of righteousness has not reached the law. Why?
    Because they did so not from faith but AS IF from works [of the law].)
indicate that Paul thought the way of Judaism failed to attain its own 
goal
    because they thought they would achieve the goal by keeping their 
identity markers, i.e. the works of the law?

Then, it seems clear that Paul criticised and opposed covenantal nomism of
Judaism.

Sincerely
Moon-Ryul Jung
Assistant Professor
Dept of Computer Science
Soongsil University
Seoul, Korea