Corpus-Paul

["Rabbi Saul" <tim AT rabbisaul.com>]

> 7) As for the logic of the Hagar/Sarah allegory, it is true that both
> women/cities represent "covenants." Yet Paul explicitly says that the
> Hagar/present Jerusalem covenant is bound for "slavery." While we might
see in
> the Genesis story a positive inheritance for Ishmael, that is not how most
> first-century Jews read the story. Moreover, it is only the Sarah group
which
> inherits the "Jerusalem from above." Given that this "heavenly Jerusalem"
motif
> is a common way of talking about Israel's eschatological restoration, I
don't
> see how we can avoid the idea that for Paul only believers in Christ will
> inherit Israel's eschatological restoration. This is precisely why, for
Paul,
> it is so imperative that the Galatians not become Torah-observant
converts.
> Such conversion to traditional Judaism would, for the Apostle, mean they
had
> fallen away from God's grace (5:2-6) and forfeited their salvation. I
don't see
> how he could say this if other non-Christ-believing Jews were destined to
> inherit that blessing.

Perhaps even more relevantly, we must not isolate chapter 4 from chapter 3.
According to chapter 3, there are no promises which can attach to the
Torah-covenant.  It was a paidagogos introduced temporarily for a specific
redemptive-historical purpose.  (It could also be added that no
non-Christ-believing Jew would have accepted the import of the analogy with
Ishmael.  If the so-called "supersessionist" view is anti-Jewish - which is
not true - so the proposed alternative would be too.)  It must not be
ignored that Paul has laid all the Abrahamic promises upon those who are in
Christ (Gal 3.26-29).  Those who are under Torah are under curse (3.10), not
promise.  That may not be a very pleasant, politically-correct reading, but
it sure looks to me like that is what Paul is saying.

tim

Tim Gallant
Interim Pastor,
Conrad Christian Reformed Church
Conrad, MT

Biblical Studies Center
http://www.timgallant.org/center.htm

Pauline studies:
http://www.rabbisaul.com

(406) 278-5846 / (406) 278-7809
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