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The Lack of Evidence for a Jewish Christian Countermission in Galatia

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The Lack of Evidence for a Jewish Christian Countermission in Galatia Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations A peer-reviewed e-journal of the Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations Published by the Center for Christian-Jewish Learning at Boston College The Lack of Evidence for a Jewish Christian Countermission in Galatia Adam Gregerman Institute for Christian and Jewwiish Studies, Baltimore, MD Volume 4 (2009) http://escholarship.bc.edu/scjr/vol4 An earlier version of this paper was presented at Boston College on March 16, 2008 at the conference: Paul of Tarsus: The Apostle to the gentiles in His Jewish Context Gregerman, Lack of Evidence for a Countermission in Galatia Gregerman 1 http://escholarship.bc.edu/scjr/vol4 Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations Volume 4(2009): Gregerman 1-24 1. Introduction were largely peripheral to the concerns of contemporary (non- Christian) Jews.1 As faith in Jesus spread to Gentiles in the few decades after the crucifixion, some In my paper I argue that this issue of inclusion is the early Jewish Christians struggled to respond crux of their—but not Paul’s—concern in Galatia, separate from to the presence of these new believers in any concern with Gentile salvation. It is therefore incorrect to religious communities founded by Paul and say that their demands reflect a conservative (the most others. Though Gentile Christians in Paul’s frequent scholarly description) or highly restrictive view of churches had not formerly been told that Gentile salvation.2 Actually, we can say little about their views they must be circumcised and convert to on the methods or even desirability of a mission to Gentiles, for Judaism, some Jewish Christians thought all their demands are reactions to prior missionary activities. I otherwise. They believed that membership demonstrate that the demands are not necessarily related to in Christian (the term is of course anachro- Gentile soteriology at all. Rather, their demands reflect different nistic) religious communities was limited to concerns, in that they are like those of nearly all late Second Jews. Temple Jews (from the second century BCE through the first century CE) when they considered how to include Gentiles in This, I believe, is the case with Paul’s opponents in Jewish communities. Naturally, they expected that members Galatia, and furnishes their motivation for making the demand would be circumcised and observe the Torah. for Gentile circumcision that Paul so vitriolically resists. In my view, these Jewish Christian opponents, seen by many schol- I focus especially on the Jewish context of the contro- ars as competing missionaries with Paul, were actually versy in Galatia, which probably should be dated to the sixth concerned about a much more limited and traditionally Jewish issue: threats to the boundaries of their religious community. Their demands for circumcision and observance of the Torah are meant to accommodate the present influx of Gentiles (who 1 See most recently Terence L. Donaldson, Judaism and the Gentiles: Jewish had been told by Paul that they were full members of the Patterns of Universalism (to 135 CE) (Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, congregation) the only way they know how, by insisting that 2008), 3. 2 Gentile believers undergo conversion to Judaism and take on For examples of scholars’ pejorative descriptions of the Galatian opponents’ Jewish religious practices. In short, these Jews were concerned demand that Gentiles be circumcised (it supposedly reflects “conservative” or “extremist” Jewish opposition to Gentile salvation), see F. F. Bruce, Epistle to with Gentile inclusion (i.e., How can Gentiles be members of the Galatians, The New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand their religious community?), not Gentile salvation (i.e., How can Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1982), 240; Stephen G. Wilson, Luke and the Law Gentiles be saved?). The issues of mission to and salvation of (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983), 107; James D. G. Dunn, the Gentiles are irrelevant or peripheral at most, just as they The Parting of the Ways: Between Christianity and Judaism and their Signifi- cance for the Character of Christianity (Philadelphia: Trinity Press Interna- tional, 1991), 128; Ben Witherington, III, The Acts of the Apostles: A Socio- Rhetorical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1997), 450; Ben Witherington, III, Grace in Galatia: A Commentary on St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1998), 7, 148. Gregerman, Lack of Evidence for a Countermission in Galatia Gregerman 2 http://escholarship.bc.edu/scjr/vol4 Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations Volume 4(2009): Gregerman 1-24 decade of the first century.3 I demonstrate its relevance to a strong concern among many Jews with maintaining clear boun- study of Paul’s opponents there, themselves Jewish believers daries between Jews and Gentiles, and the prominence of in Christ about whom little else is known. I begin by critically markers of identity such as circumcision. This helps us under- reviewing some of the most influential scholarly explanations stand the demand Paul’s opponents made. I also draw upon for the opponents’ demands that Gentile believers be circum- recent scholarship on (the lack of) Jewish missionary activity in cised. This section is comparatively long, because I want to this period, and argue for its applicability to Paul’s opponents illustrate the prominence of the claim I am challenging, that as well. In a break with the views of previous generations, Paul’s Galatian opponents were eager to bring salvation to the scholars have now shown that there is no evidence that Jews Gentiles and are “evangelistic in purpose.”4 This claim, I argue, actively sought to convert Gentiles. The same, I argue, likely is not supported by evidence from Paul’s letter or the ancient holds true for Paul’s Jewish opponents, whose demands can Jewish sources often cited for support. My criticisms are be explained without recourse to a missionary motivation intended to bring some methodological clarity to studies of the entirely lacking among contemporary Jews. dispute by offering guidance for future scholarly investigations of this topic that situate Paul’s controversy in Galatia in its Second, I consider the evidence of Galatians itself, and Jewish context. demonstrate that circumcision, while differently understood by Paul and his opponents, was the most prominent, perhaps I then present my own explanation for the dispute, exclusive source of disagreement.6 I then frame the dispute not focusing on the motivations of the opponents. It rests on two as a direct clash between different Christian missionary strate- complementary arguments. First, I place the opponents in their gies (Paul’s and his opponents’) based on different ideas about proper social and religious context, as late Second Temple the same goal—the salvation of the Gentiles—but as a dispute period Diaspora Jews. Because we learn little about the oppo- about two different goals entirely. Specifically, I argue that nents in Paul’s letter, we should draw on scholarship on Paul’s perception of what was at stake in the dispute—nothing contemporaneous Judaism, especially regarding Gentiles and less than the Gentiles’ salvation, church unity, and the spread conversion, to fill in gaps in our knowledge.5 I discuss the of the gospel—was not shared by his opponents. Rather, they, like other Jews of this time, were intent on maintaining the Jewish identity of a religious movement whose boundaries 3 Most scholars place the letter and the events it describes in this period; e.g., were increasingly threatened by the inclusion of unconverted Hans Dieter Betz, Galatians: A Commentary on Paul’s Letter to the Churches in Galatia, Hermeneia: A Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible Gentiles. Though they, unlike most Jews, believed that Jesus (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1979), 12; Helmut Koester, History and Literature of was the Messiah, we should not thereby assume that they 7 Early Christianity, 2 vols., vol. 2, Introduction to the New Testament (Philadel- perceived these threats any differently. phia: Fortress, 1982), 109-111; Raymond E. Brown, An Introduction to the New Testament (New York: Doubleday, 1997), 468-69. 4 This is described as the consensus view of scholars in Mark Nanos, The The Apostolate and Apostasy of Saul the Pharisee (New Haven and London: Irony of Galatians: Paul's Letter in First-Century Context (Minneapolis: Yale University Press, 1990), e.g., 36, 39, 91, 154, 192-93. Fortress, 2002), 134. 6 Quotations from the Bible are taken from the NRSV, though I occasionally 5 I have been influenced by Alan Segal’s path-breaking work on Paul, demon- have made small changes. strating the benefits of careful attention to the Jewish context of the disputes 7 Even Jesus himself is said to be quite hostile to Gentiles. According to between Paul and other early Christians; see Alan F. Segal, Paul the Convert: Matthew, he shunned them (15:21-28) and forbade his followers to preach to Gregerman, Lack of Evidence for a Countermission in Galatia Gregerman 3 http://escholarship.bc.edu/scjr/vol4 Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations Volume 4(2009): Gregerman 1-24 2. Scholarship on Galatians sity of faith in Christ, they added the requirement to observe the Torah.10 Because I will critique certain prominent and widely shared scholarly views of Galatians, it is helpful to review According to Martyn, while circumcision is the most others’ analyses of the motivations of Paul’s opponents, and immediate and divisive issue, the Teachers’ expectations are specifically scholars’ use of Jewish sources to buttress their broader and include other commandments as well. This is views. I begin with two major commentaries on the letter and because they are, he emphasizes, zealous Jewish mission- then consider other important contributions.8 aries, and manifest their zeal not, for example, by vaguely hoping that Gentiles will one day accept the obligation to A.
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