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  • From: "Dieter Mitternacht" <dieter.mitternacht AT teol.lu.se>
  • To: "Corpus-Paul" <corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Corpus-Paul] Timothy/Titus and circumcision
  • Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2004 22:01:49 +0100

Mark,
I shortened your reply, preserving what I want to respond to.

Mark wrote:
> Here are a few thoughts in response to your argument. They will still
likely
> be marginalized if they become proselytes...

> ...Proselyte conversion would then (if these points stand) still involve
> marginalization, and thus identity with the cruciform Christ, although for
> different reasons....

You may of course be right in this. But again, it is information that is
brought to the text from Egypt (Philo) and other contexts that may or may
not not be salient(!) in the hills of Galatia. From Gal we know that Paul
expected the action proposed by the "influencers" to ease tension and avoid
persecution one way or another. So I think it is permissable to suppose that
(in Paul's mind at least) the Gentiles were seeking circumcision for those
reasons.

> As you know, I think that Paul's demands resistance because of a logical
> extension of the claim Paul's (and the Jerusalem leaders') message of
Christ
> makes. Namely, that the time has begun when the nations "also" worship the
> One Lord of Israel as the One God of all humankind. To become proselytes
is
> to undermine that claim, since then it is a claim made only for one
nation,
> as things are already in the present age apart from Christ's actions or
> faith in him (by way of proselyte conversion, when representatives of the
> nations become members of Israel). Paul sees the "truth" to be that they
do
> not become Israelites, but remain representatives of the other nations. So
I
> see it. And you (all)?

In principle, I absolutely agree. However, a "salvation historical" shift of
this magnitude must even for Paul have included a compromise here and there.
You may remember that I have argued in your "Galatians Debate" that Gal 5:11
is a "real" accusation. Even Paul (the "Christian") had been circumcising
Gentile Christ-believers for some time. The eschatological vision with its
cosmic dimensions was hardly threatened by a few desperate Gentiles in
Galatia, don't you think? But the "imitatio Christi crucifixi" of which
there is much talk in the letter, concerned every single believer
individually. That is where the focus of Paul's accusation lies, in my view.

Take care,
Dieter








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