Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

corpus-paul - Re: Gal 3:10-13

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 3:10-13
  • Date: Mon, 25 Oct 1999 04:30:27 -0500


Jerry Sumney wrote:
I think Jim Hester is on target when he says that "works of the law"
is Paul's caricature of the other teachers' demands. It seems to me
unlikely that circumcision is seen as the last step in becoming a proselyte,
as Mark N. argues, because I think 5:3 shows that the Galatians will be
surprised, even distressed, to hear that accepting circumcision means they
will be obliged to keep the whole Law. I say this because this statement is
the second in a list of three (Christ of no benefit the 1st and cut
yourselves off from Christ the 3rd) unacceptable consequences of accepting
circumcision.
What I think this indicates is that Paul is the one (perhaps only
one or at least one of the few) who thinks there is a big theological issue
at stake. I don't think the Galatians or the other teachers thought all
these theological matters were bound up with the question of circumcision.

Dear Jerry,
Sorry for the delayed response; been on the road. I wonder if you might explain this post a bit more. I agree that Paul is using the phrase "works of Law"--however translated and understood--to undermine the position of those influencing the Galatian addressees. I wonder if the addressees will be so surprised by Paul's remark about obligation to observe the whole of Torah. Rather, it seems possible that he is bringing into relief the real purpose of completion of this ritual for conversion for the addressees who rather are concerned at the moment with another goal, namely, gaining indisputable acceptance upon learning that their expectation of acceptance without completion of this rite of passage is not a view shared by the guardians of the larger community's norms. They seem to have taken their eyes off of the issues, but that is not to say they may not recognize them upon reminder. In this sense he may be reminding with emphasis, a common strategy in addressing what he perceives as naivete, which is an approach taken throughout the letter. The assault throughout seems to be upon their motives for compliance, and their failure to recognize the implicit subversion of their current standing by way of Christ that results from trying to gain that which the message of Christ declares that they already have. It seems that people in liminal stages of ritual process are particularly vulnerable to such questioning of motives; at least anthropologists of ritual often comment upon this dynamic.

A few questions:

First, what do you think that circumcision represents for those who would influence the Galatian addressees toward it, if not "completion" of the ritual process of proselyte conversion? Which leads to the second question(s).

What do they have invested in this action on the bodies of the addressees? What if the influencers simply do not share faith in Christ? Then they would not be considering this theological matter in connection with the proselyte conversion of the addressees, but that is not the same as no theological understanding of the matter of circumcision. It just has nothing to do with Christ, pro or con, from their perspective.

That is to say, while I agree that Paul approaches the matter of circumcision for the gentile addressees as of enormous theological consequences, and his addressees seem rather to have missed the weight of it from Paul's vantage point for themselves in terms of undermining their own faith in Christ until then, do you not think that either the influencers or the addressees gave the matter "any" theological consideration? If not theologically, then how did they consider it? What does it represent; symbolize? For the influencers or the addressees, What do you suppose circumcision meant?

Regards,
Mark Nanos
Kansas City





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page