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Paul, Jerusalem and the Judaisers PAUL, JERUSALEM AND THE JUDAISERS: THE GALATIAN CRISIS IN ITS BROADER HISTORICAL CONTEXT Submitted by Ian Jeffrey Elmer B.A. (Hons) A thesis submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Australian Catholic University School of Theology Faculty of Arts and Sciences Australian Catholic University Research Services Locked Bag 4115, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065 Australia Date of Submission: 31-01-2007 STATEMENT OF SOURCES This thesis contains no material published elsewhere or extracted in whole or in part from a thesis by which I have qualified for or been awarded another degree or diploma. No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the main text of this thesis. The thesis has not been submitted for the award of any degree or diploma in any other tertiary institution. Signed: ____________________________ Date:____/____/____ 2 Australian Catholic University ABSTRACT PAUL, JERUSALEM AND THE JUDAISERS: THE GALATIAN CRISIS IN ITS BROADER HISTORICAL CONTEXT by Ian J Elmer The thrust of this thesis is encapsulated in the title – Paul, Jerusalem and the Judaisers: The Galatian Crisis in Its Broader Historical Context – which reflects the author’s insistence that reconstructing all the events surrounding the crisis that impelled Paul to compose his letter to the Galatians is essential to understanding this letter. The position taken in this study is that the Galatian crisis was initiated by a group of Judaising opponents acting under the direct authority of the Jerusalem church. The origins of this controversy can be traced back to the early dispute between the Hellenists and the Hebrews described in the Acts of the Apostles, which led to the expulsion of the Hellenists from Jerusalem and the establishment of the community in Antioch. Paul’s opponents apparently cited Jerusalem as the source of and the warrant for their Law-observant gospel. In Galatians, Paul alludes to events involving Judaising opponents that transpired in Jerusalem and Antioch prior to the outbreak of the crisis at Galatia. Thus, the immediate background of the crisis is found in the Jerusalem Council (Gal 2:1-10; Acts 15:1-35) and the Incident at Antioch (Gal 2:11- 14). Turning to the conflict in Galatia itself this thesis attempts to explore the links between these earlier events and the Galatian crisis. The primary avenue for this examination will be via a consideration of Paul’s argument in Galatians. By the careful use of the mirror- 3 reading technique, this thesis will endeavour to reconstruct the message and the origins of Paul’s opponents. The thesis concludes with a brief examination of Paul’s later conflicts with Judaising opponents at Corinth and Philippi, as well as the autobiographical material in Romans, all of which will provide an insight into the eventual outcome of the crisis in Galatia. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Statement of Sources.................................................................................................................2 Abstract .....................................................................................................................................3 Introduction .............................................................................................................................10 1. Survey of the Scholarly Literature.....................................................................12 1.1. Jewish Christian Judaisers from Jerusalem .............................................13 1.2. Local Non-Christian Opponents ...............................................................23 1.3. The Galatian Crisis in Its Broader Context ..............................................31 1.4. Summary.....................................................................................................36 2. Methodology ......................................................................................................38 2.1. Difficulties in Interpretation......................................................................38 2.2. The Use of Acts ..........................................................................................45 3. The Plan of the Thesis........................................................................................48 CHAPTER 1 ..........................................................................................................................53 The Roots of the Crisis: ..........................................................................................................53 Hebrews and Hellenists ..........................................................................................................53 1.1. The Earliest Jesus Movement........................................................................54 1.1.1. The Apostolic Community at Jerusalem ...............................................54 1.1.2. The Hellenists ........................................................................................62 1.1.3. Contrary Views ......................................................................................73 1.1.4. Reasons for the Hellenists’ Defection...................................................76 1.2. The Advent of the Gentile Mission ...............................................................79 1.2.1. The Conversion of Cornelius.................................................................80 1.2.2. The Hellenists in Antioch.......................................................................83 1.2.3. Paul and the Hellenists..........................................................................86 1.3. Conclusions ....................................................................................................91 CHAPTER 2 ..........................................................................................................................93 The Background to the Crisis: ................................................................................................93 Antioch and Jerusalem............................................................................................................93 2.1. Historical Background ...................................................................................94 2.1.1. The Ascendancy of James......................................................................94 2.1.2. The Expansion of the Gentile Mission ..................................................98 2.2. The Jerusalem Council................................................................................ 102 2.2.1. Reasons for the Calling of the Council .............................................. 103 2.2.2. The Meeting with James, Peter and John .......................................... 109 2.3. The Incident at Antioch .............................................................................. 118 2.3.1. The People from James ...................................................................... 119 2.3.2. The Outcome of the Conflict............................................................... 125 2.4. Conclusions ................................................................................................. 131 CHAPTER 3 ....................................................................................................................... 133 The Crisis in Galatia: ........................................................................................................... 133 5 Paul and the Judaisers .......................................................................................................... 133 3.1. The Provenance and Date of Galatians ...................................................... 134 3.1.1. The Location of the Churches in Galatia........................................... 134 3.1.2. The Date of Galatians......................................................................... 144 3.2. The Judaisers from Jerusalem..................................................................... 149 3.2.1. Membership in the Family of God ..................................................... 152 3.2.2. Paul’s Apostleship .............................................................................. 163 3.2.3. The Truth of the Gospel...................................................................... 172 3.3. Conclusions ................................................................................................. 179 CHAPTER 4 ....................................................................................................................... 181 The Aftermath of the Crisis:................................................................................................ 181 Paul’s Continuing Conflict with Jerusalem......................................................................... 181 4.1. The Corinthian Correspondence................................................................. 181 4.1.1. The Cephas Party ............................................................................... 184 4.1.2. The False Apostles.............................................................................. 193 4.1.3. The Identity of Paul’s Opponents at Corinth..................................... 201 4.2. Philippians................................................................................................... 205 4.2.1. Provenance and Date ......................................................................... 206 4.2.2. The Impending Crisis in Philippi ....................................................... 208 4.3. Paul’s Final Visit to Jerusalem
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