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  • From: "David C. Hindley" <dhindley AT compuserve.com>
  • To: "Corpus-paul" <corpus-paul AT franklin.metalab.unc.edu>
  • Subject: RE: Why were Gentiles attracted to Christianity?
  • Date: Fri, 7 Jun 2002 00:02:15 -0400


Jeffrey Gibson, in a response to Clive Jacks, comments:

>>The problem with this [i.e., seeing ... "god-fearing
gentiles" (or whatever they might have in fact been called)
as the ones prepared to hear and to accept Paul's kerygma
and thus constituting the kind of gentiles we find in Paul's
congregations, at least at first] -- if I am reading you
correctly -- is that in at least two of Paul's letters (1
Thess and Gal) there is **no** indication that his converts
had any association with the/a synagogue before Paul
preached to them. 1 Thess 1:9 (as well as -- to my
knowledge -- a lack of any archeological evidence that there
was a synagogue in Thessalonika) indicates that members of
the Thessalonican congregation did not turn from worshipping
idols **until** they heard Paul -- a description hardly
befitting the (mind you) Lukan definition of God fearers.
And the same can be said, I think for the Galatian
converts.<<

If I am understanding you correctly, you are suggesting that
1 Thes 1:9 indicates that Paul's converts in Thessalonika
could not have been (or at very least "probably" were not)
"God fearers" (by that or another name), because there is no
evidence for a Jewish synagogue. Looking through the revised
edition of Schurer's _History of the Jewish People_ (vol.
III.1, T & T Clark, 1986), I do find accounts of epigraphic
evidence for a Samaritan synagogue (pp. 60, 66-67) and for
the presence of Jews (65, 66-67). Acts 17:1 suggests that
the author, in his own time at least, thought there was a
synagogue to be found there.

In the same work, specifically the section entitled
"Gentiles and Judaism: 'God fearers' and Proselytes" (pp.
150-176), it appears that there was a rather wide degree of
variance in the observance of Jewish laws by "God fearers."
I would have to think that for many Gentiles, their civic,
family and patron obligations might have made total
abandonment of idolatry impossible. But I have to wonder
whether Paul's "good news" involved lobbying local civic
authorities to extend the privileges normally accorded to
Jews to his "God fearing" Gentile followers as well. Then
they would no longer be obligated to discharge religious
duties and rites to pagan gods. In effect, Paul's own "good
news" agenda allowed the Thessalonians to finally, fully,
turn "to God from idols, to serve a living and true God."

Galatia may be another story. The lack of mention of
specific cities could well be taken as an indication that
Paul's followers there existed at a village level, as
suggested by Horsley in his recent seminar. While it has
often been assumed that the addressees were Gentile "God
fearers" it should not be taken as anything close to a
certainty. Mark Nanos asks whether the Galatian follower's
acquaintance with Judaism could have resulted from
interaction with Paul himself, rather than before (_Irony of
Galatians_, p.76). Then one can ask: What was Paul doing
there in the villages of Galatia rather than cities or
towns?

Nanos does see the recipients of Paul's letter as mainly
uncircumcised, although a few influential Jews are present
among them (pg. 77). He also seems to assume a Jewish
community (or communities) is present there (otherwise, who
would the addressees be thinking of turning to for the
circumcision rite?). What do we really know, though, about
Jewish presence in Galatia? Schurer, vol III.1 pg. 35 offers
little help, other than some epigraphic evidence for Jewish
sounding names, possibly most of which is later than the
period we are dealing with. If Jews were present in any
numbers, outside of the major towns or cities that is, what
might they be there for? Were they tenant farmers? If so,
how did they get there?

Mark N. does not think the addressees of the book of
Galatians were ethnic Jews, though uncircumcised at birth,
which might occur if they were descendents of war captives,
but could the (circumcised) Jewish community that he assumes
is present have themselves been descended from war captives
pressed into agricultural work? The presence of a Jewish
community *would* leave open the possibility that Gentiles
had occasion to interact with them, even if only as village
neighbors. If there were no formal synagogues in the
villages, sabbath worship would have probably taken place in
some sort of public space or structure, and the Galatians
*were* known for their inquisitiveness according to Caesar.

Jeffrey, do you personally have opinions on these matters?

Respectfully,

Dave Hindley
Cleveland, Ohio, USA


What evidence do we have for the presence of Jews in Galatia
(either north or south)?









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