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  • From: "cfjacks" <cfjacks AT attbi.com>
  • To: "Corpus-paul" <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Why were Gentiles attracted to Christianity?
  • Date: Thu, 6 Jun 2002 12:54:52 -0400


Oops, my apologies for having sent my previous response perhaps too soon,
for upon further reflection I realize that my previously posted e-mail
responded only to the content of your first (and full) paragraph but NOT
(most unfortunately) to the two additional points you raised for me to
consider. Clearly, I had not yet made/taken time to consider these
additional points in large measure because I was preoccupied with trying to
figure out just why the misunderstanding about the importance of the
"god-fearers" for understanding Paul's ministry.

So now that I have waked up to notice these added points, I add this
foot-note to my previous posting, to complete things. First, your
suggestion that it was through Paul's "first generation"
Christian gentiles (ones who had attended Jewish gatherings for worship and
for meals) that the "second generation" Christian gentiles (one who had NOT
had such prior experience and training within a Jewish community) is on
target in my opinion since I fully agree!

In fact I think that such dynamics are important to note if only because the
presence of these "new Christians" [a clumsy word but the best I have come
up with yet ... thus I would welcome
a recommendation for a better term!] a further issue is created, causing
practical problems for
any Christian, Jewish or gentile, who wishes to maintain his access to
Jewish activities as these gentiles are NOT acceptable to Jews. Which is
where I locate Paul's problems addressed in his post-"Jerusalem Conference"
letters.

And as to your second "additional comment," I find it more problematic, for
while it would not be surprising that at least some things about "the Jews"
would have been known by my "off the street" gentile, it would not
necessarily be a favorable impression, although there is some evidence that
Jews perhaps were known for their integrity and so could be trusted to do
what they promised to do. But at least in Alexandria there was active
hatred of "the Jews," if only because of their apparent favored treatment by
Roman officials who in effect treated them as a "most favored nation,"
granting them almost blanket "diplomatic immunity" out-side Palestine,
or so it appeared to many gentiles. But this gets us into other issues,
ones arising in the post-70
era well after Paul had written his letters.

So my thanks for your additional commentsd and my renewed apologies for
having ignored them in my previous response. I do look forward to hearing
further from you.

Most sincerely,

Clive

----- Original Message -----
From: David C. Hindley <dhindley AT compuserve.com>
To: Corpus-paul <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Sent: Thursday, June 06, 2002 11:25 AM
Subject: [corpus-paul] Re: Why were Gentiles attracted to Christianity?


> Erick
>
> >>Re. your "The only Gentiles I could imagine responding [to
> the appeal of
> Paul's gospel of Christ] would be those receiving the least
> benefit from the
> current [presumably meaning Roman] government"<<
>
> Actually I thought the response was to the kind of messianic
> ideas that Hyam attributes to James.
>
> Paul's buddies were already "above" the kind of peasants who
> might overtly find the imposition of an alternate
> kingdom/empire appealing, in the sense that they were
> sub-retainers and functionaries of the elite power structure
> and thus enjoyed the material benefits that come with that
> association. That is why they include people like city
> magistrates, members (slaves?) of the imperial household,
> and Herodian princes. I do not think that they would
> seriously consider association with a truly subversive
> movement (bent upon the overthrow of the empire).
>
> However, I doubt seriously that Paul was thinking so far
> down the line as that one day he'd convince a Roman emperor
> of the truth of his mystery religion. Actually, in my mind,
> Paul did not create the mystery religion-like Christ dogma.
> His mission was to promote the equality of Gentiles who
> believed in God's promises to Abraham and *observant* Jews
> who also had this faith. He knew nothing of Jesus. The
> Christ dogma in his epistles was added later as an attempt
> by a Gentile oriented Jesus faction to attract Gentile
> associates of Judaism. It was this Gentile oriented Jesus
> faction that had synthesized the savior Christ dogma out of
> Jewish apocalyptic messianism and Hellenistic-oriental
> salvation myths engendered by middle-Platonic musings.
>
> Respectfully,
>
> Dave Hindley
> 12305 Grannis Dr
> Garfield Heights, Ohio 44125-4305, USA
> 216-663-0845 (office) 663-0846 (fax)
>
>
>
> ---
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