Corpus-Paul

["David Inglis" <david AT colonialcommerce.com>]

Steve Black wrote:

> >Bob MacDonald wrote:
> >>
> >>  Bob: I don't see any connection between Galatians 2:11 and the Jerusalem
> >>  council of Acts 15.
> >>  If the council had sent the letter from the apostles (Acts 15:23-29), I
> >>  think Paul would have appealed to it in Galatians. This is too long a 
> >> topic
> >>  for the current window.
> >
> >This has for a long time seemed to me to be a very important point, one
> >that appears to get overlooked.  Acts 15:23-29 gives us the text of "the
> >decrees that had been decided on by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem
> >for the Gentile believers" (Acts 16:4) that were then delivered by Paul
> >and Silas to "every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord" (Acts
> >15:36).  Therefore, IMHO the best explanation for Paul not mentioning
> >these decrees in Galatians is simply that Galatians pre-dates the decrees!
> >  Any more complicated explanation is, I believe, unnecessary.
> >
> >Dave Inglis
> 
> How about the possibility that Paul simply didn't like the decrees, 
> and did not want to actively support them or spread them in his 
> churches. This is certainly not a "complicated explanation", and is 
> in fact quite straightforward.

Steve,

Sorry for the rather late reply.  I don't believe this explanation at all,
because of the following verses in Acts:  After some days Paul said to
Barnabas, “Let’s return and visit the brothers in every town where we
proclaimed the word of the Lord to see how they are doing.” (15:36) As
they went through the towns, they passed on the decrees that had been
decided on by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the Gentile
believers to obey. (16:4)  Unless there is any reason to disbelieve these
verses, it seems plain that Paul was happy to pass on the decrees.

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