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  • From: "Mark D. Nanos" <nanos AT gvi.net>
  • To: "Corpus-paul" <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: RE: voluntary associations/Galatian situation
  • Date: Tue, 12 Sep 2000 09:49:33 -0500


Loren Rosson wrote:
I agree with Mark that Gal. 4:8-10 seems
clearly to refer to Greco-Roman pagan practices
("formerly you were enslaved to pagan deities; how can
you now turn back to these deities, observing the
relevant days, months, seasons?"). On the other hand,
Gal. 5:2-6 alludes to the requirements of Jewish
(proselyte) conversion,
_________________________
Jerry Sumney wrote:
It seems to me that in Gal 4:8-10 Paul polemically equates Jewish
observances with pagan observances as part of the argumentative strategy of
the letter. I argue this at more length in my essay on the opponents of
Galatians. Of course, Troy Martin is perhaps the most vocal advocate for
the Galatians turning back to paganism.

This seems like a good opportunity to extend the conversation from voluntary associations to the Galatian situation, linking the two issues with more discussion of the dynamics. My proposal involves a two-sided approach, since I imagine that those whom Paul addressed were struggling with identity issues that arose in both Jewish and pagan communal terms (ala the two-front theories of Lutgert/Ropes, although very different in substance). It is necessary to develop this a little, since it is a new proposition; sorry it is still so long.

Certainly the prevailing view is that which Jerry and Dave suggest here (which I formerly thought as well, taking the parallel as ironic), but I now believe Troy has made the case for a pagan point of reference for the time-keeping scheme Paul appeals to in 4:8-10. Martin takes this to indicate that the Galatian addressees have actually turned back to paganism because they have been convinced by the influencers that Christ-faith also includes the need to become proselytes, a proposition which the addressees reject for themselves, and thus they abandon Christ-faith entirely to turn back to paganism (he believes with the consensus that these influencers are Christ-believing Jewish people, although I do not). I believe that this part of Troy's construction is mistaken, that the rhetoric indicates Paul's appeal is to addressees who still hold to the value of the meaning of the death of Christ for themselves. Instead, what they have failed to perceive is that their faith in Christ is implicitly subverted by following the advice of the influencers to become proselytes (which also suggests that the influencers have not explicitly opposed Paul; I doubt that they are particularly concerned with him, but rather regard him as someone who passed through, but is gone; the issue is the [mistaken] notions of these gentiles about what they are entitled to apart from proselyte conversion). The addressees have thus decided to proceed with proselyte conversion alongside faith in Christ in order to gain acceptance by the influencer's standards as well as Paul's, thinking--much as (for example) adolescents are often able to convince themselves to conclude--that they can have it both ways, gaining acceptance by both courts of reputation.

The pressure to return to pagan practices comes about, I suggest, when the influencers respond to the claims of these gentile addressees, who are "pagan guests" in their view, that they are still obliged to observe whatever pagan communal norms constrain their lives among family and neighbors (such as imperial cult and other public idolatrous practices, which are measured in just the kind of time-keeping scheme to which Paul appeals). This will be the case until they are in fact declaring themselves proselyte candidates, and thus legitimately excused from continuing life as pagans according to the pagan communal norms the apply. For the minority Jewish communities are constrained to comply with these norms when interacting with "pagan guests" seeking to identify with the community in a deeper way, if they are to protect their own communal interests, which include being absolved from joining in such pagan communal practices as observing imperial cult "days, months, seasons, years." I see the subgroups of believers in Christ functioning within the domain of these minority Jewish communities, and thus their claims/social actions are a live concern of the other interest groups within the larger Jewish communities of the region, which are themselves concerned with compliance with the norms of the dominant Graeco-Roman "pagan" society within which they co-exist (this is where the voluntary association material is helpful for understanding the communal politics of group norms, expectations, interaction, etc.).

Thus the concern in the letter to call the addressees to resist the pressure to conform with prevailing norms as though they were pagans (4:8-10; 5:1), and to resist the pressure to conform with prevailing norms for leaving behind pagan life to become righteous ones by initiating participation in the ritual process of becoming proselytes (e.g., 3:1-5; 5:2-6). The point Paul wants to re-iterate without allowing any compromising solution to still stand is that they must not accept either side of this solution. On the one hand, they are no longer pagans, since God knows them as non-pagan righteous ones, even if the other "human" communities of the present age (Jewish or pagan) do not, and thus should not continue or return to any idolatrous practices that others believe they are still obliged to observe, even if the other pagans, for example family and friends, fear that their own interests are thereby threatened by such withdrawal, and take measures that lead to suffering. And on the other hand, they are not to see themselves as beginning the process of proselyte conversion to become righteous ones either, since this would deny that they already are such by way of the meaning of the good news of Christ announced by Paul, in which they have already believed, which has been confirmed by the Spirit (even miracles) in their lives (3:5). Both choices would compromise the meaning of Christ for themselves. Instead they are to, like Christ, and Paul, suffer the consequences of believing something that is not shared by the (other/human) leaders and communities of the present (evil) age who do not look to the revelation of God in Christ to (re)set their norms, that the age to come has dawned in Christ, thus changing their identity according to the norms of the age to come, wherein the nations join with Israel in the worship of the One God of all Creation.

Regards,
Mark Nanos





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