Corpus-Paul

[Bob MacDonald <bobmacdonald AT shaw.ca>]

Clearly there are some difficult things to think 1950 years
later...

JD wrote: I have a hard time thinking that Paul would refer
to unbelieving Jews as "weak in faith" when in Rom 9-11 the
assumption is that unbelieving Jews have no faith in Christ
at all.

Bob: they have faith in God, but not in the promised seed.
So unlike Abraham, their faith is not strong.

I wonder if there is another way to reframe the difficulty -
not just who is the audience - where I tend to agree it must
be believers in Christ, both Jew and Gentile, but also -
Where is the audience and what is Paul indicating with
respect to behaviour of the audience towards the Diaspora
Jews who may not believe but with whom they come in contact
regularly?

1. he writes to all God's beloved - because he is not
writing to a church that he knows exists at one location in
Rome.  Would letters be written like this among groups of
Jews in the Diaspora?  Are these letters to Collegia common
in non Jewish (and non 'Christian') circles?  Or is letter
writing of this nature a new thing?

2. the hearers of the letter are then not 'an assembled
company within Judaism' though not exactly separate either -
many still meeting with non Christ believing Jews as well
whom they are commanded to accept - but not to disputes
(14.1), and to be considerate towards as fellow believers in
God. Can this distinction be made (as Nanos does) and
considered as part of Paul's mind?  The temple still stands;
there is advantage to being a Jew; there is the Shema and
the implied unity even given the diversity of Rome.

3. Who eats only vegetables but also eats to the Lord? Those
who eat only vegetables would be unable to accept full table
fellowship with Gentiles due to scruples over idolatry.
These are not Christ believing Jews who want to be Torah
observant - is this a real problem for Christ believing
Jews? Was it not also a problem for Gentiles in Corinth? The
real problem is for Jews who consider that Torah is the
ultimate road in the covenant - not Christ. So Paul is
careful to show his own respect for their scruples and for
the Law and to encourage the strong to do likewise even if
the weak cannot accept full fellowship at the moment.

So - not one congregation but a dozen - the hour long
reading being repeated as necessary; many individuals still
interacting as they should with the dozen or so Synagogues
in Rome - and Paul encouraging a deep respect for
Torah-observant Jews with respect to their commanded
relationships (as to the Lord) and traditions with righteous
Gentiles.  Then the factor emerges that Paul desires: a
jealousy from Jacob for the things the Gentiles have been
given as belonging to Jesus Christ apart from the Law.

- so I retract the need for inclusiveness in the opening
(1:6), but retain the reflection on the weak and strong that
Nanos suggests and supports - and in so doing revealing the
ligaments of the argument from chapter 4 to 14 especially in
the behavioural items of chapter 13 and 14 (behaviour
towards Synagogue authorities, and towards non believers as
well as each other).

Bob

Bob MacDonald
http://bobmacdonald.gx.ca
Victoria, B.C., Canada