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The Glory of Kings: A Festschrift for James B. Jordan
Fyodor Dostoevsky
(Christian Encounters Series)
Athanasius
(Foundations of Theological Exegesis and Christian Spirituality)
The Four: A Survey of the Gospels
Defending Constantine: The Twilight of an Empire and the Dawn of Christendom
From Behind the Veil: The Epistles of John
Deep Exegesis:The Mystery of Reading Scripture
1 & 2 Kings
Brazos Theological Commentary
The Promise Of His Appearing: An Exposition Of Second Peter
A Great Mystery: Fourteen Wedding Sermons
Deep Comedy: Trinity, Tragedy, And Hope In Western Literature
Miniatures & Morals: The Christian Novels of Jane Austen
The Priesthood of the Plebs: A Theology of Baptism
A Son To Me: An Exposition of 1 & 2 Samuel
From Silence to Song: The Davidic Liturgical Revolution
Ascent to Love: A Guide to Dante's Divine Comedy
Blessed Are the Hungry: Meditations on the Lord's Supper
A House For My Name: A Survey of the Old Testament
Heroes of the City of Man: A Christian Guide to Select Ancient Literature
Brightest Heaven of Invention: A Christian Guide To Six Shakespeare Plays
Wise Words: Family Stories That Bring the Proverbs to Life
The Kingdom and the Power: Rediscovering the Centrality of the Church
What is Galatians about? Augustine says that the question at stake was how to induct Gentiles into the people of God. Paul circumcised Timothy, since “these rites and traditions [of Judaism] were not harmful to people born and raised in that way,” but for those who came from outside “those who were bound by no such requirement but came as it were from the opposite wall, that is, from those without circumcision, to that cornerstone, which is Christ, were forced into no such rites.”
The Galatian crisis erupted when “certain wicked people persuaded [gentiles] that they could not be saved without these words of the law,” that is, without circumcision and other rites and traditions of Judaism. Paul insisted that they should not be “burdened by any such observances,” knowing that “adults fears such unheard-of practice, especially circumcision, and those who were not born so as to be initiated into such sacraments would have been deterred from the faith if they were made converts according to the earlier rite, as if those mysteries sill promised that Christ was coming.” When the apostles decided that “gentiles should not be forced into such works of the law, certain Christians from the circumcision were displeased.” They could not recognize that if the rites continued to be imposed on Gentiles, then “people would suppose either that they were not instituted as promises of Christ or that they were still promising Christ.”
New Perspective on Paul? Hardly.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Tuesday, July 27, 2010 at 4:25 am
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