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  • From: "Mark D. Nanos" <nanosmd AT home.com>
  • To: Corpus-paul <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Sanders and the "New" Perspective
  • Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2001 09:23:14 -0500


Dear John,
I don't know how you got from my post that I agree with what you express in
the post copied below. Have you ever given a lecture only to have someone
come up after and sincerely express appreciation and agreement, but then
begin to elaborate the exact opposite of what you meant to communicate? I
don't want to be disrespectful, but what you have written, which is largely
in agreement with the traditional view, is not at all what I think.

To begin with, from my reading, nothing in Gal. or in Acts suggests that
Peter ever ate without regard to Jewish food regulations. Or Paul. Or that
they ever taught such for Jewish people. But they did not believe gentiles
should become Jews and thus they did not teach that gentiles should observe
the Law, except as incumbent upon respectful guests. The differences
remained, but the discrimination did not, since they believed that the end
of the ages had dawned in the present age in Christ, and thus that these
representatives of the Nations remained representatives of the Nations, but
joined as equals with Israelites in the worship of the One God of all.

Respectfully,
Mark
--
Mark D. Nanos, Ph.D.
313 NE Landings Dr.
Lee's Summit, MO 64064
USA
nanosmd AT home.com

on 7/27/01 2:45 PM, John Lupia at JLupia2 AT excite.com wrote:

> In response to Dr. Mark D. Nanos:
>
> I concur with your insightful views regarding Gal. 2,14 and offer a
> suggestion below:
>
> Galatians 2,14 makes sense in light of Acts 10,11-16; 11,5-11. Since St.
> Peter was given the revelation to abandon Jewish dietary laws he ate
> according to Gentile customs thereby disregarding Mosaic code. St. Paul's
> criticism pointed out St. Peter's inconsistency in this regard by making
> awkward compromising concessions in order to win over the Jews. Romans 1,16
> points out the Gospel saves those who have faith, "to the Jew first and also
> to the Greek" a formula repeated in v. 2,9,10. Romans 2, 28-29 teaches that
> it is the circumcision of the heart that now takes precedence over the
> former excision of the foreskin (orlah). The former ritual was the
> physical "distinction" between Jew and Greek which St. Paul says exists no
> more in v. 10,12 and repeated in Galatians 3,28; Colossians 3,11 (although,
> to some, the latter ranks among the disputed epistles of which I do not
> concur). Romans 11,25 clearly states that due to the hardening that befell
> Israel their conversion would not come until first "the full number of the
> Gentiles has come in." So, St. Peter's inept concession to the Jews proved
> to be not only an inconsistency in order to bend backwards to accommodate
> them to win them to the faith because of this hardening of their hearts, but
> the very event recorded points to the eschatological nature that it
> signifies regarding the conversion of the Jews in the end times. Merely as
> a point of reference, not intending to offend nor proselytize, I refer you
> to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 674:
>
> This glorious Messiah's coming is suspended at every moment of history until
> his recognition by "all Israel," for "a hardening has come upon part of
> Israel" in their "unbelief" toward Jesus. (Romans 11,20-26; Matthew 23,39).
> St. Peter says to the Jews of Jerusalem after Pentecost: "Repent therefore,
> and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing
> may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ
> appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for
> establishing all that God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of
> old." (Acts 3,19-21). St. Paul echoes him: "For if their rejection means
> the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life
> from the dead."(Romans 11,15). The "full inclusion" of the Jews in the
> Messiah's salvation, in the wake of "the full number of the Gentiles,"
> (Romans 11,12,25; Luke 21,24) will enable the people of God to achieve "the
> measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ," in which "God may be all
> in one". (Ephesians 4,13; 1 Corinthians 15,28).
>
> Cordially in Christ,
> John
> <><
>
>
> John N. Lupia
> 501 North Avenue B-1
> Elizabeth, New Jersey 07208-1731 USA
> JLupia2 AT excite.com
> <>< ~~~ <>< ~~~ <>< ~~~ ><> ~~~ ><> ~~~ ><>
> "during this important time, as the eve of the new millennium approaches . .
> . unity among all Christians of the various confessions will increase until
> they reach full communion." John Paul II, Tertio Millennio Adveniente, 16






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