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  • From: "Mark D. Nanos" <nanos AT gvi.net>
  • To: "Corpus-paul" <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: RE: Galatian situation
  • Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000 13:17:33 -0500


Kathryn Smith writes:
If I may suggest a possibility:
Paul shows little regard for the Jerusalem leadership when it comes to his
own domain -- that of working among Gentiles. Note Gal 2:6 when Paul,
referring to the acknowledged leaders states, "it makes no difference what
kind of people they were." Paul takes great pains to establish his own
authority, and his strident rhetoric indicates that he senses his authority
to be threatened. In light of this, why appeal to the authority of others?
It would only undermine his own.

Dear Kathryn,
Thanks for joining the conversation. It is not clear that Paul refers in 2:6 to the other apostles of this coalition; it seems rather that there is another influential group present whom Paul has identified as "pseudo-brethren," and that it about them that he writes in the digression of vv. 5-6. Note that it is "we" who have resisted them in v. 5; this "we" seems to be inclusive of those leaders whom Paul sought to meet with privately, and the resistance is to those "inspectors" who have gained entrance against Paul's intentions.

I would argue that Paul is not trying to indicate his authority is threatened per se, that is, in contrast to that of the other leaders of this coalition, but that the authority of all leaders of this coalition is threatened by the very policy that is now still a matter of concern in another location, Galatia, because the practice of admitting gentiles as not merely guests but full members is controversial, to say the least, with other Jewish groups who are threatened by such claims and behavior, since they do not share the conviction that the death of a Judean martyr by the Romans carries such meaning. Thus Paul's narrative is constructed to communicate the essential unity of opinion of all of the leaders of the Christ-believing coalition on the matter at hand in Galatia, which might apply (in contrast to the prevailing interpretations here) that in Galatia as well it is non-Christ-believing Jewish interest groups who are bringing the pressure to bear upon this minority Jewish group of believers in Christ. Thus the appeal to the authority of others, to substantiate Paul's insistence upon upholding this principle conviction, even at the price of great suffering.

Regards,
Mark Nanos





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