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  • From: "Edgar M. Krentz" <ekrentz AT earthlink.net>
  • To: "Corpus-paul" <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: RE: Jerusalem conference
  • Date: Wed, 21 Aug 2002 14:48:53 -0500


Steve Black wrote:

Loren wrote
>
>That Paul went to Jerusalem "in order to be sure that
>he wasn't running in vain" (Gal 2:2) should put to
>rest notions that he didn't care what the pillars
>thought about the matter. Gal 2:6 -- "From those who
>were supposed to be acknowledged leaders (what they
>actualy were makes no difference to me; God shows no
>partiality") -- is, I believe, part of the face-saving
>rhetoric which runs through Gal 2:1-10.

You make a good point here, Loren.

It seems that perhaps Paul was both arrogant and insecure. This
twinning of traits is not as strange as may at first appear, and in
fact might be connected.

Another point to consider is Paul's experience on the road to Damascus.
Assuming that the reports are genuine (in the sense of there being no
intent to deceive) then Paul clearly believed that his 'mission' came
directly from Jesus. As such, I believe there is no reason for him to
feel 'inferior' or 'under the control' of the Jerusalem church. Instaed,
it seems reasonable for Paul to consider himself at least equal to the
leaders of that church. Nevertheless, it would be reasonable for him to
connect with them from time, initially to find out what they were doing,
and how that might affect him.

Dave Inglis
david AT colonialcommerce.com
3538 O'Connor Drive
Lafayette, CA, USA

Paul himself claims his apostleship as the result of a direct vision of the Lord (1 Cor. 9:1-2; 15:8-11).

Galatians beings with a strong statement of his apostleship (Gal 1:1; 1:12). Paul goes on to a fourfold argument that he is independent of the Jerusalem authorities. (1) Gal 1:15-17: His call as apostle led immediately to his proclaiming the Gospel in Arabia, not going to Jerusalem; (2) Gal 1:18-23: when he did go to Jerusalem, he went up to interrogate Peter (check the Greek verb historesai, not to seek the approval of Jerusalem; (3) when he went up after 14 years, the Jerusalem leaders recognized his gospel as legitimate (Gal 2:1-10) and (4) when Peter did "not walk upright according to the gospel" in Antioch, Paul faced him down. In short, Paul asserts his independence of Jerusalem forcefully.

This does not mean, of course, that Jerusalem recognized it!

And, just by the way, I do hold that Gal 2:1-10 and Acts 15 refer to the same meeting. Try to work out a chronology of Paul that will fit Galatians chronological data into what Acts says, and you will have difficulty coming to a different conclusion.

Edgar Krentz
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Edgar Krentz Professor Emeritus of New Testament Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
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Telephone: (773) 256-0773 Home Tel: 773-947-8105
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