1) Introduction to Galatians

Aug 5

Paul, the Author of Galatians

The Apostle Paul is the author of Galatians.

Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— and all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (Galatians 1:1-5, ESV Bible)

The Apostle to the Gentiles

Paul identifies himself as an apostle, not from men nor through man. The word "apostle" simply means "an agent sent to accomplish a task." In Hebrew, the word for "apostle" is shaliach, a "sent one." In Judaism, a man can send a shaliach out on a mission for him to represent him and accomplish a task on his behalf. For example, the Sanhedrin of the first century regularly sent out "apostles" on missions to the Jewish world living in the Diaspora.

In those days, as today, more Jewish people lived outside the land of Israel than inside the land. Jewish communities were spread across the ancient world, widely dispersed, and this dispersion of Jews living outside of the land of Israel is what we mean by the word "Diaspora." Every major city in the Roman Empire, it seems, had a Jewish quarter with one or more synagogues-often several synagogues. The Roman government recognized Judaism as a legal religion, which means that Jews had state protection guaranteeing their freedom to practice their religion. Practically speaking, this meant that if you were Jewish, you were exempt from certain civic functions, such as worshipping in Roman temples. If you were not Jewish and refused to participate in the worship of the gods or the Roman emperor, you could potentially be arrested and tried for the crime of atheism. In those days, an "atheist" was someone who did not believe in the Roman pantheon.

Paul went as an apostle sent out to the Diaspora, but he did not go as one sent by the Sanhedrin or even by the other apostles. The risen Messiah himself, whom Paul had encountered in a series of mystical visions, sent him. Paul encountered him first on the road to Damascus and again later while praying in the Temple in Jerusalem when Jesus appeared to him and said, "Go, I am sending you to the Gentiles."

For that reason Paul refers to himself as the apostle (the sent one) of Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah to the Gentiles. The Apostle Peter said that the writings of "our beloved brother Paul" contain "some things hard to understand." Suppose that was true in Peter's day, how much more so today? Paul was a prodigy educated in the most elite schools of Pharisaism. He wrote and thought from that Jewish background. Unfortunately, that makes several key passages of his work almost incomprehensible to readers unfamiliar with rabbinic literature. How we see Paul and his relationship with the Jewish People and Judaism affects how we interpret the Bible.

Bible readers generally understand Galatians as Paul's dissertation against the law and against Judaism. The Epistle to the Galatians provides Christian theology with its best argument against the Torah. The reader of Paul's epistles should remember that Paul was himself Jewish, as were all the apostles. We must see Paul correctly through a Jewish lens (see Discipleship Study - Module One - Why Study the Bible Through a Jewish Lens? - Part 4: Recognizing the Jewishness of Paul). The "Christianity" (followers of Jesus) of Paul's day functioned as a subset of Judaism, not a competing religion. Paul's seemingly anti-Jewish or anti-Law rhetoric needs to be understood as internal dialogue within the Jesus-believing Judaism of his day. More than that, the reader of Paul's epistles must remember that Paul wrote like a rabbi, employing Jewish hermeneutics, rabbinic-type logic, and ideas current in the Jewish tradition of his day.

The Central Message of Galatians - Salvation Through Faith

The bottom line up front: In the Holy Epistle to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul argues against Gentile believers in Jesus undergoing conversion to become Jewish. Paul maintained that Gentile believers attained salvation and inherited the blessings promised to Abraham through faith, not conversion to Judaism.

To Whom is Galatians Written? Context and Background to Galatians

The Brothers at Antioch

Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— and all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (Galatians 1:1-5, ESV Bible)

Paul indicates in the salutation that this epistle comes from him and, he says, from "all the brothers with me." Who were the brothers with Paul? Paul based his operations in the city of Antioch, a large, ancient city with a substantial Jewish community and more than a dozen synagogues. In Antioch, the believers were first called Christianoi (Acts 11:26), which became the Greek name for the sect. "Christians" was not a pejorative name; rather, that was simply the Greek name of their particular sect of Judaism.

In those days each synagogue had a name like "Synagogue of the Hebrews," "Synagogue of the Freedmen," or something to denote their particular sect. Sociologist, historian, and scholar Magnus Zetterholm, in his book The Formation of Christianity in Antioch, suggests that originally our synagogue in Antioch was called the Synagogue of the Christianoi, i.e., the Synagogue of the Christians-or to put it in our English, the Synagogue of the Messianics.

The synagogue at which Paul worshipped in Antioch, perhaps a place called the "Synagogue of the Christians," served a congregation and community of both Jewish and Gentile believers. The book of Acts offers a quick glimpse of the community and the ordination of Paul and Barnabas for apostolic work:

Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. (Acts 13:1-3)

The men with Paul in Antioch included Barnabas (Yosef bar Naba), one of the apostles from the earliest days of the Yeshua movement; Manaen, once a member of Herod Antipas' court and someone who had perhaps known Yeshua personally; and also (according to a textual variant in Acts 11) Luke the physician, Paul's travelling companion and the author of the Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles. These were a few of the men with Paul when he said "all the brothers who are with me."

Those brothers sent Paul and Barnabas off on shlichut, that is, they sent them out as apostles. If we were to follow Paul and Barnabas on their journey in Acts 13, we would leave Antioch with them and eventually end up in another important city, also named Antioch, in the territory known as Galatia. (For the sake of clarity, we refer to the Antioch in Galatia as Pisidian Antioch.)

From One Antioch to the Next Antioch

Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem. (Acts 13:13)

Paul, Barnabas, and young John Mark left Antioch on the eastern Mediterranean seaboard and spent some time ministering on the nearby island of Cyprus. We pick up the story just as they leave Cyprus. They set sail from Paphos and made for the mainland. Their ship entered the mouth of the Cestrus River, a generous and navigable river which flowed out of the Taurus Mountains. They sailed seven miles upstream to the river-harbor city of Perga, a beautiful Greek metropolis with all the amenities. The city of Perga sat atop a small, flat hill, nestled in a lush and well-watered valley in the territory of Pamphylia.

At Perga, John Mark left Paul and Barnabas. Some have suggested that the rigors of the journey were too much for him, but in truth, they had as yet not faced any great rigors. It could have been due to an interpersonal conflict between Paul and John Mark. Why he left for sure is unknown.

Paul and Barnabas set out north from Perga, following the Cestrus River into the Taurus Mountains.

"They went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia" (Acts 13:14).

They travelled nearly one hundred miles through the hills and mountains before arriving at the Galatian/ Pisidian city of Pisidian Antioch. Though the book of Acts mentions nothing of the one-hundred-mile journey, Paul's own recollections suggest a long and arduous trek. Since ancient times, bandits and marauding tribes have haunted the routes through the Taurus Mountains. Although the Roman Peace (Pax Romana) had subdued the openly lawless tribes, the hills and the mountain passes along the Cestrus River remained treacherous. Regarding his adventures in passing through that territory, Paul said in 2 Corinthians 11:26:

"I have been on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers." (2 Corinthians 11:26)

A debilitating illness further hindered Paul's journey through the mountains. Apparently when they arrived in Antioch in Pisidia-Galatia, Paul was sick and needed convalescence. In Galatians 4 he says:

"You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus" (Galatians 4:13-14).

Three Types of People Attending the Synagogue

On the Sabbath, the two weary travelers found their way to the synagogue where they joined the congregation in the morning service.

"They came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down" (Acts 13:14).

After the reading from the Torah and the haftarah (the reading from the Prophets), the elders of the synagogue encouraged the visitors to offer a few words of teaching, a derashah (Derashah, often spelled as "drash" or "derasha," is a term used in Jewish tradition to refer to a sermon or homily that interprets and explains a text from the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) or other Jewish texts).

"Brothers," they said, "If you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it" (Acts 13:15).

As Paul began his synopsis of the gospel, he said:

"Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation" (Acts 13:26).

The threefold address refers to the three types of people one might find in any Diaspora synagogue of the first century. To make any sense at all out of Paul's epistle to the Galatians, one must differentiate between these three groups.

Two Types of Jews

There are two main groups among Jews within the New Testament: those born Jewish and those who converted to Judaism.

"Brothers" are Jews: In the context of the Pisidian-Antioch synagogue, Paul's brothers are his fellow Jews. He means to refer to those who are legally Jewish, that is born Jewish as physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob through a Jewish mother. In the first century, the term "Jew" did not specifically mean someone from the tribe of Judah. The term applied to all Israelites with legal standing in the Jewish community. Thus, Paul referred to himself as Jewish, though he was actually a Benjamite. Paul's brothers are the Jewish people.

"Sons of Abraham" are Proselytes: The second type of congregant Paul found in the Pisidian-Antioch synagogue was the proselyte. Proselytes were those non-Jews who had, for one reason or another, made a formal conversion to Judaism, thus becoming legally Jewish. According to the Jewish law, they were no longer regarded as Gentiles, but through the rituals of circumcision and immersion (and sacrifice when possible), they had taken on the religious and legal status of Israel. The Jewish community referred to them as "sons and daughters of Abraham." This conversion process was based upon biblical texts which speak about the stranger who undergoes circumcision as a member of Abraham's household (Genesis 17) or as a sojourner who desires to eat of the Passover sacrifice (Exodus 12). In the days of the apostles, the biblical "stranger who dwells among you" was understood by the Jewish world to refer primarily (though not exclusively) to the formal, legal proselyte to Judaism.

The Gentiles “God-Fearer”

Among Gentiles, the majority are idolaters, meaning they worship multiple gods and are required by law to do so in ancient Roman culture. However, there is a small group of Gentiles, like Cornelius the centurion in Acts 10, who are attracted to Judaism and believe in the God of Israel.

"God-fearing Gentiles" are Non-Jews: The third type of congregant Paul addressed that day in the Pisidian-Antioch synagogue was the God-fearing Gentile. The term "God-fearing Gentiles" describes non-Jews who, for some reason or another, were attracted to Judaism. They worshipped in the synagogue with Jewish people and proselytes, but chose not to undergo the ritual of conversion. They were not exactly pagans anmore, but they were not Jews either. While the synagogue community may have tolerated them and even appreciated their financial contributions to the community (as with the centurions in Luke 7 and Acts 10), they did not regard them as Jewish. The God-Fearers did not enjoy the rights and privileges of the Jewish people, nor did they have responsibilities within Judaism. These "God-fearers" face legal issues within the Roman government as their faith is seen as disloyal to Rome.

Paul and Barnabas in Galatia

As Paul discoursed on the gospel, he included all three groups of people in his address. The synagogue received his message enthusiastically and asked Paul and Barnabas to return and speak more the following Sabbath.

"Many Jews (Group One) and devout converts to Judaism (Group Two) followed Paul and Barnabas, who, as they spoke with them, urged them to continue in the grace of God" (Acts 13:43).

The next Sabbath, however, things did not go as well.

"Almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord" (Acts 13:44).

Apparently, the God-fearing Gentiles (Group Three) had invited their relatives, friends, and neighbors to attend. The large crowd of Gentiles in the synagogue irritated the Jewish community. Why was the Jewish community irritated by the presence of so many Gentiles? From the evangelical Christian point of view, a packed-out, standing-room-only church service sounds great. From the Jewish perspective, however, a Gentile majority in the synagogue creates a serious threat to the integrity of the community's identity. Jewish identity is precarious enough in the face of assimilation in the Diaspora. The mainstream culture is always chipping away at the particulars of Jewish monotheism and Torah observance. A Gentile presence almost certainly would accelerate the tendency toward assimilation.

Besides, it was annoying. Jews were, after all, the chosen people. It was their synagogue. Crowding practically every Gentile in the city into the synagogue created both a practical nuisance and a theological conundrum ("If everyone is God's Chosen People, then being chosen loses its significance!"). Luke tells us:

"They were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him" (Acts 13:45).

They were filled with jealousy. They were not jealous because they themselves had never been able to raise such large crowds. The synagogues were not about the business of trying to bring in big numbers. They were not "evangelical" as we would understand the term. They were not jealous that Paul and Barnabas had such appeal or that their message seemed to be so popular. They were jealous that the message of the gospel was compromising the particularity of Jewish identity. The message of the gospel seemed to be throwing the doors of Judaism wide open to the Gentile world. The religion that had previously been a fairly exclusive club was suddenly declared open to the public.

The message of the gospel itself raised no objections from the Jewish community. On the contrary, the Jewish people of Galatia listened eagerly and wanted to hear more. The message of Messiah's death, burial, and resurrection, and the justification and salvation available through him, sounded good to their ears. They found no offense in the cross. Those were the days before Christian polemics had galvanized Jewish objection to the gospel.

They did not raise objections until they saw the Gentiles crowding into the synagogue. To the Galatian Jewish community of Pisidian Antioch, the offense of the cross was the inclusion of the Gentiles.

Paul and Barnabas shrugged off the concern and continued to teach the new believers. Paul cited Isaiah 49:6 as evidence that the salvation of the Gentiles had been the LORD's plan all along. In the prophecy, God addresses his chosen servant the Messiah and tells him to bring salvation to the nations:

It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. (Isaiah 49:6)

Eventually, pressure from the Jewish community forced Paul and Barnabas out of Pisidian Antioch. Recovered enough to travel on deeper into Galatia, they set out for another Galatian city: Iconium. They shook the dust from their feet as they left.

Paul saw that pattern repeated over and over in city after city. Popular success at the synagogue was typically followed by the conversion of:

"A great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. But the Jews were jealous" (Acts 17:4-5).

Everywhere Paul went, Gentiles seemed to flock to the synagogue to hear him speak. All over Asia Minor, he found Gentiles eager to hear the message of the gospel and Jewish people eager to be rid of that same message, not because of theological objections about Jesus, but because they objected to the intrusion of Gentiles into their faith, religion, and synagogue.

Paul and his colleagues in Antioch wrote the epistle of Galatians to the God-fearing Gentile believers whom they left behind in the territory of Galatia.

What is Going on with the Gentiles Believers in Galatia?

Back in Antioch after completing that journey, Paul received word from the God-fearing believers whom he had left behind in Pisidian Antioch and Iconium. A large contingency of them had apparently succumbed to some type of pressure to go through conversion and become full proselytes and to achieve status as legal Jews.

They may have had several good reasons to do so:

Jewish status granted them legal protection under Roman law. Roman law granted Jewish people the right to practice Judaism. It exempted them from the requisite emperor-worship and idolatry incumbent upon the rest of the population of the Roman Empire. Without Jewish status, the God-fearing Gentiles were vulnerable to arrest and prosecution for failure to participate in required civic and religious duties.

2. Jewish status granted them the right to intermarry with Jewish believers. Being part of a community you cannot marry into does not worklong. People tend to fall in love. The more taboo the match, the more attractive and inevitable. If a believing, God-fearing Gentile girl fell in love with a nice Jewish boy, and they married and had children, their children could not be considered Jewish by the community. They themselves might be ostracized by the synagogue.

3. Perhaps most importantly, Jewish status eliminated social ambiguity. The situation of God-fearing Gentiles in early Judaism, socially speaking, was not a long-term solution. The Gentile God-Fearers could not hope to sustain themselves long-term within a larger community that did not accept their membership or grant them full participation.

Moreover, it appears that the Galatian Gentiles had decided to undergo legal conversion to become Jewish because it had entered their heads that, unless they did, they would not obtain a share in the kingdom and the world to come. They had come to believe that only Israel proper, i.e., the Jewish people, could be saved. It did make some sense. After all, they were now looking to the Jewish God and the Jewish Messiah. If you are going to commit yourself to worshipping the Jewish God and following the Jewish Messiah, it seems only reasonable to become Jewish.

When Paul heard about this, he quickly composed the epistle to the congregations of believers in Galatia. Paul feared that his Gentile disciples would likely vanish as they assimilated into the Jewish community. Paul believed that the gospel message had universal implications for all human beings. Still, if all Gentile believers underwent conversion and became Jewish (Jewish believers in Jesus), no Gentile believers would remain to fulfill that universal destiny. As he saw Gentile believers receiving circumcision and undergoing conversion, he began to speak up to protect the Gentile believers from conversion. If they could find Jesus without being Jewish, why would they want to become Jewish at all? God's plan in prophecies is to bring all nations (Jew and non-Jew) under the reign of Messiah. The Gentiles cannot represent the nations if they become Jewish.

Comparing the Situation in Galatia to Today’s Followers of Jesus

The situation we see in Galatians has dramatically reversed. Today, Jewish disciples of Jesus are the endangered species, not Gentile believers. Followers of Jesus are primarily Gentile, and the Jews who declare Jesus as their Messiah are strongly encouraged to put aside their Jewishness to embrace Christianity. If Paul had written to us today, his letters would have reflected that demographic shift. His argument against Gentile conversion to Judaism would not be so pronounced; he might not even bring it up. Today, Paul would have likely written about Jews maintaining their Jewishness and not converting to the "Christian."

We will focus on the importance of Jew and Gentile distinction later. It is a significant theme within the Epistle to the Galatians. For now, suffice it to say that in this age, before the second coming of Jesus, all humanity (it doesn't matter if you are a Jew, Gentile, male, female, etc.) is invited to follow God and attain eternal salvation. The Old Testament prophecies do, however, distinguish between Jew and Gentile regarding the age to come and how that eternal salvation plays out. This reality is a driving force in why Paul cared so much about Gentiles remaining Gentiles, even though they have come to faith in Jesus. New Testament writings, such as the writings of Paul and the book of Acts, do distinguish how Jews and Gentiles walk out their obedience to God in this age as well.

Galatians - Who, What, When, Where, Why Summary

So far, this is what we know about the backdrop to Galatians:

Who wrote it: Paul and his colleagues in Antioch

To Whom it is Written: The God-fearing Gentile believers in Galatia

When was it written: After Paul received word of Gentiles intention to undergo legal conversion to become Jewish

Why it was written: Because Paul believed that the Gentiles were in error, and he sought to bring correction.

Events Related the Epistle to the Galatians

The exact timeline of Paul's coming to faith in Jesus and his various encounters mentioned in Acts and his epistles are unclear and often debated. Some scholars tell us that the Holy Epistle to the Galatians is the oldest document in the New Testament. Paul wrote it before any of his other epistles. It is older than Mark, Matthew, Luke, John, and the Acts of the Apostles. It almost certainly predates the other epistles and the Revelation. Some scholars date Galatians to around 48 CE, less than twenty years after the resurrection of Jesus.

However, even though the timeline is debated, the message is the same. In the Holy Epistle to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul argues against Gentile believers in Jesus undergoing conversion to become Jewish. Paul maintained that Gentile believers attained salvation and inherited the blessings promised to Abraham through faith, not conversion to Judaism.

In Galatians 1, Paul recounts his encounter with Jesus and his revelation of being the apostle to the Gentiles; in verse 16, he writes:

I did not immediately consult with anyone; nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord's brother. (Galatians 1:16-19, ESV Bible)

In Galatians 2:1-10, Paul describes another visit to Jerusalem. There is disagreement among examiners, across the spectrum, as to whether or not the Galatians 2:1-10 meeting is the Acts 15 Jerusalem Council or whether it is a relief visit, as is seen in Acts 11:28-30. Here is the passage from Galatians 2:

Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. (Galatians 2:1-9, ESV Bible)

The Jerusalem Council

The context of the discussion in Galatians 2:1-9 is consistent with the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. However, it is generally believed that the letter to the Galatians was written one to two years before the Jerusalem Council took place. There is no direct mention of the Jerusalem Council in Galatians or the council's decision. The Jerusalem Council, as mentioned in Acts 15, is believed to occur around 48/49 CE. The Jerusalem Council, consisting of James, Peter, Paul, and Barnabas, assembled to discuss the matter of what to do about the new, non-Jewish Believers coming to faith in Jesus:

But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. (Acts 15:1-2, ESV Bible)

When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.” The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.” (Acts 15:4-11, ESV Bible)

And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, “‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old.’ Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.” (Acts 15:12-21, ESV Bible)

For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. (Acts 15:28-29, ESV Bible)

Why Should the Gentiles Remain Gentiles?

Did the Gentiles have to be circumcised as proselytes and be ordered to keep the Torah to be saved? One of the first evidence of this question being answered is when Paul, while in Galatia, cited Isaiah 49:6 as evidence that the salvation of the Gentiles had been the LORD's plan all along. In the prophecy, God addresses his chosen servant the Messiah and tells him to bring salvation to the nations:

The Jerusalem Council decisively ruled against Gentile conversion to Judaism, given the testimony of the Apostle Peter. The ruling of James the Just was that Tanach prophecy was in the process of taking place, specifically the inclusion of the nations within the Tabernacle of David (The Restoration of Israel in the age to come):

“In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old, that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by my name,”declares the LORD who does this. “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them,” says the LORD your God. (Amos 9:11-15, ESV Bible)

The fallen Booth of David is a vision of not only a restored Twelve Tribes of Israel but also of an expanded Kingdom realm of Israel welcoming in God's faithful remnant from all humanity. The Apostolic decree, mandating the non-Jewish believers to abstain from idolatry, sexual immorality, strangled meat, and blood, would decisively cut the new Greek and Roman Believers off from their old, pagan spheres of influence. Why should the Gentiles not follow the Torah? Is it not important anymore? Quite the opposite thought process! There was no need to order such people to keep the Torah of Moses, as Tanach prophecy anticipated the nations coming to Zion to be taught God's Law:

It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and it shall be lifted up above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it, and many nations shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide disputes for strong nations far away; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore; but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken. For all the peoples walk each in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever. (Micah 4:1-5, ESV Bible)

It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. (Isaiah 2:2-4, ESV Bible)

There was no need to order such people to keep the Torah of Moses, as the fact that the Holy Spirit was to write the Torah's instructions onto the hearts and minds of people via the promised New Covenant:

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:31-34, ESV Bible)

“Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from fall your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. And I will summon the grain and make it abundant and play no famine upon you. I will make the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field abundant, that you may never again suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations. Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations. It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord GOD; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel. “Thus says the Lord GOD: On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places shall be rebuilt. And the land that was desolate shall be tilled, instead of being the desolation that it was in the sight of all who passed by. And they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden, and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.’ Then the nations that are left all around you shall know that I am the LORD; I have rebuilt the ruined places and replanted that which was desolate. I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it. “Thus says the Lord GOD: This also I will let the house of Israel ask me to do for them: to increase their people like aa flock. Like the flock for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the LORD.” (Ezekiel 36:22-28, ESV Bible)

Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: “I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.” (Isaiah 42:1-9, ESV Bible)

When we read Paul's epistles, Paul did not abandon Judaism or advocate any cancellation of Jewish identity or Torah observance for Jewish followers of Jesus. He considered himself specially appointed to present the good news of the kingdom to the Gentiles without requiring those Gentiles to become Jewish through conversion, adopt Jewish identity, or adopt Torah observance as Jews as a prerequisite to the participation in the kingdom as disciples of Jesus. He objected to anyone else trying to convert Gentile believers or force a Jewish identity on them.

The Jewish Worldview in Paul’s Writings

When we analyze Paul's writings, we find many of the same views about God, humanity, redemptive history, and the future seen in other biblical writings. However, we also find several novelties in Paul's thought. Within Paul's writings, we get a sense of three novelties that are unique to Paul's epistles:

The death of Messiah (what it means)
The Gift of the Spirit (what it is for)
The mission to the Gentiles (why it is essential)

The history of modern Pauline studies has revolved around explaining these novelties in light of their historical context. Was Paul an orthodox Jew, or was he a revolutionary spiritualist? Did he have the same hopes as his contemporaries, or did he seek to redefine, reinterpret, or realize the commonly held expectations? Paul emphasized things different from those of other Jews of his time. But were those things compatible with the worldview and convictions widely held by Jews of his time? In this study, we will argue that Paul's views are consistent with the worldview of Jews at that time. This compatibility is evidenced by the fact that Paul uses the major redemptive events of Jewish apocalyptic thought without definition or qualification.

Thus, Paul's emphasis on the second coming of Christ and his eschatological references, while theologizing about the cross, the Spirit, and the Gentiles, indicates a shared narrative and understanding fundamentally compatible with the faith of his forefathers and contemporaries. The fact that thousands of orthodox Jews in Jerusalem believed the message of the apostles (cf. Acts 2:41; 4:4; 5:14; 6:7; etc.) and that those apostles received Paul's testimony about the Messiah (cf. Acts 21:20; Gal 2:9; 2 Pet 3:15), further demonstrates that Paul's ideas were essentially compatible with first-century Jewish apocalypticism.

To understand the trajectory of Paul's discipleship of his Gentile congregations, we must understand Paul's presupposed worldview. This worldview, generally termed "Jewish apocalyptic" by historical scholars, has a long history of theological bias. However, modern historians and interpreters have begun to distance themselves from such discrimination and increasingly have sought to analyze Paul within his native context rather than in contrast. The key feature of the Jewish apocalyptic worldview is its eschatological orientation, pushing the scriptural themes to their ultimate end. At the center of this hermeneutic is the day of YHWH (LORD), God's ultimate and final reveal to humanity. The day of the LORD is the delineation between this age ending and a new age beginning. Closely associated with the day of the Lord is the judgment of the wicked, the resurrection of the righteous, and the kingdom of the Messiah.

Paul's consistent use of these commonly held concepts, without definition or qualification, suggests that he assumed the significant elements of the Jewish apocalyptic worldview. His theologizing about the cross, the gift of the Spirit, and God's mission to the Gentiles seem to take place within his native worldview. Romans 11 is characteristic of Paul's missiological approach. The mission of God has not changed and remains both apocalyptic and Jewish. God's mercy to the Gentiles is a subsidiary plan in light of the day of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, and the salvation of all Israel. Paul thus sought to disciple his Gentile hearers into the Jewish apocalyptic hope of eternal life.

Paul’s Israelocentric Mission to the Gentiles

In relation to Second Temple Judaism, the last of the major Pauline novelties is his intentional mission to the Gentiles. Though Judaism during the time of the New Testament has long been caricatured by Christian theologians as a zealous proselytizing religion, the reality of historical evidence for this idea is almost entirely lacking. Of course, Gentiles converting to Judaism existed, but any record of active solicitation of Gentiles is virtually non-existent. If Judaism was indeed a "missionary religion," we should see attestation from multiple historical sources. In light of such scarcity of historical evidence, the Gospel accounts of the "great commission" (cf. Matt 28:19; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47) and Paul's ministry (cf. Acts 13:3; 15:36; 18:23) seem to be a substantial novelty in relation to common Jewish thought and practice at the time.

The question remains, however, as to what this divine mission meant to Paul. We alluded to this earlier but will further explore this mission to the Gentiles. What was the context and purpose of his mission to the Gentiles? Moreover, how did this context inform his discipleship of those Gentiles? Modern commentators tend to interpret Paul's mission as the universalizing of Israel's hope using realized eschatology (the belief that certain aspects of the end times, such as the kingdom of God, have already begun or been fulfilled in the present age through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus). We will examine Paul's description of his mission (especially Romans 11) and the apocalyptic context for his emphasis on the discipleship of the Gentiles. We'll focus on ethics because it's at the heart of being a disciple.

Paul’s Mission and Identity as a Jewish Apostle

What was Paul’s understanding of his mission to the Gentiles? Suppose Paul’s gospel involved the sacrificial death of the Messiah in light of the apocalyptic second coming of the Messiah (confirmed by the Spirit of God). What was the significance of God’s extension of this message to the Gentiles?

To begin with, Paul was a Jewish apostle to the Gentiles. He often self-identified with his “fellow Jews” (Rom 11:14), his “kinsmen according to the flesh” (Rom 9:3). He was “a descendant of Abraham” (Rom 11:1; cf. 2 Cor 11:22), “a Hebrew of Hebrews” (Phil 3:5). Being a Pharisee (a group that numbered relatively few), Paul might have viewed himself as even more Jewish than the elders in Jerusalem. In contrast to Paul, “they were uneducated, common men” (Acts 4:13). Paul was religiously trained from his youth (cf. Acts 26:4; Gal 1:14), declaring publicly, “I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees” (Acts 23:6). It seems that God called the most unmistakably Jewish person possible as his “chosen instrument . . . to carry my name before the Gentiles” (Acts 9:15). Paul was thus a Jewish “minister of the Messiah Jesus to the gentiles” (Rom 15:16, ISV).

Paul’s Identity as Seen in Romans 11

But how do we know how Paul related his Jewish identity to his Gentile mission? Romans 11 is particularly insightful in this regard. It seems to be the only place in Paul’s letters where he self-reflects on his Gentile mission in light of his Jewish identity and eschatological hope.

Paul begins Romans 11 by asking rhetorically, “Has God rejected his people?” (v. 1). Of course, “his people” (Gk. laon autou) is a telling reference concerning Paul’s understanding of the relationship between the Creator and ethnic Jews. Paul’s answer is emphatic, “Absolutely not!” (Gk. mē genoito). Paul justifies this assertion by reiterating his general argument from chapter 9 concerning divine foreknowledge:

“God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew” (Rom 11:2). God foreknew the hardness and apostasy of many in Israel, just as in the time of Elijah (vv. 2–4), but God has always maintained a believing Jewish “remnant” (v. 5). This remnant of Jews obtained justification before God, while the rest were hardened (v. 7), as seen throughout Israel’s history (vv. 8–10). Paul then repeats his question, “Did they stumble in order that they might fall?” (v. 11). Such a “fall” (Gk. piptō) would seem to indicate a fundamental change of relationship between God, the Jewish people, and the redemptive narrative associated with the two. Again Paul retorts, mē genoito! (Absolutely not!).

Then he interprets the relationship between Jewish apostasy, divine election, and the Gentile mission:

“Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!” (vv. 11–12).

Jewish “full inclusion” presumably is associated with the resurrection of the dead (v. 15) and the salvation of Israel (v. 26)—that is, traditional Jewish eschatology. Here, Paul frames God’s extension of salvation (from the wrath and judgment to come, cf. 2:5, 16; 3:6; 5:9; 13:12; 14:10; 16:20) as a sub-narrative within an unchanged Jewish apocalyptic narrative. Sub-plots may often, in the moment, seem to override the main plotline of a story, but Paul is correcting this error of perspective by giving the grander Jewish context of God’s mission to the Gentiles.

Paul continues in verses 13–15 by reiterating the same idea based upon the same redemptive logic:

“Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?”

Paul frames his apostolic ministry to the Gentiles in the context of Jewish eschatology (i.e., salvation and resurrection of the dead). Paul argues that God’s agenda in this age concerning “the reconciliation of the world” (i.e., the Gentiles) can only be properly understood in light of the Jewish eschatological hope of “life from the dead” (i.e., the resurrection of the dead). Paul understands his mission within the framework of his Jewish identity and Jewish hope. Paul illustrates this relationship with an olive tree (vv. 16–24). The olive tree is presumably ethnic Israel (cf. Rom 9:1–5) and her associated eschatological promises (cf. Rom 8:18–25). Individuals are pictured as “branches” (11:17, 18, 19, 21, 24). Jewish branches are “natural” (vv. 21, 24), while Gentile branches are “wild” (vv. 17, 24). Again, Israel is pictured as the locus of the divine redemptive narrative, while Gentiles are secondary. They are “grafted in” (vv. 17, 19), sharing the Jewish hope of the resurrection and eternal life. Paul’s purpose in the analogy is to curb Gentile pride and arrogance:

“Do not be arrogant toward the branches” (v. 18) and “do not become proud” (v. 20).

Paul’s mechanism for combating Gentile pride is the correct orientation of both identity and eschatological hope:

“Remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you” (v. 18).

Thus, he concludes, Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion . . .” (vv. 25–26).

As previously noted, Israel’s salvation was commonly understood apocalyptically in association with the day of YHWH and the restoration of Israel’s twelve tribes (“all Israel”). The “fullness of the Gentiles” in this age is happening in light of Israel’s eschatological “fullness” (v. 12), which is inaugurated by the Parousia (Christ’s second coming) and the resurrection of Christ. Again, we see that Paul corrects the tendency to become redemptively “conceited” (v. 25, RSV, NIV, CSB) by placing God’s activity among the Gentiles in light of Israel’s eschatological salvation—both of which fall under the broad divine banner of “mercy” (vv. 30–31). An apocalyptic framework here makes the most sense of Paul’s reasoning by consolidating all of God’s dealings in this age into one reality:

“God has consigned all to disobedience [in this age], that he may have mercy on all [in light of eschatological judgment]” (v. 32; bracketed information added).

Romans 11 Summarized

In case the last section was a little too dense for you, here is a quick summary:

Paul reflects on how his Jewish background influences his mission to the Gentiles in Romans 11. He argues that God has not rejected the Jewish people, but has always preserved a remnant who believed in Him. He explains that the Gentiles have been included in God's plan to make the Jewish people jealous and ultimately bring them back to Him. Paul uses the analogy of an olive tree to illustrate this, showing that Gentiles are like branches grafted into the tree of God's people. He warns the Gentiles against arrogance and emphasizes that their inclusion is by God's grace. Paul concludes by saying that God's plan includes both Jews and Gentiles, and ultimately, all of Israel will be saved. This perspective helps us understand that God's mercy extends to all people, regardless of their background. His plan of salvation is for all people.

A couple of conclusions can be drawn from Romans 11. First, Paul confronts Gentile arrogance (cf. vv. 18, 20) by setting God’s mission to the Gentiles within a broader Jewish and apocalyptic narrative. Gentiles are what they are because of God’s “election” (v. 28) of ethnic Israel, and her eschatological “calling” is “irrevocable” (v. 29). This may seem missiologically irrelevant to many. Still, it stood at the center of Paul’s approach to Gentile discipleship. Orientation and destiny define identity. It is one thing to say, “I am a worshipper of God, and he has a wonderful plan for my life.” It is quite another to say, “I am an American worshipper of the God of Israel, and I will bring my resurrected glory into the glorified Jerusalem.” In this way, Paul sought to reorient (and thus humble) Gentile believers in relation to the Jewish hope of salvation.

Second, Paul understands his apostolic ministry in light of Israel’s eschatological salvation. His ministry to the Gentiles is only part of the larger cause of Israel’s calling and destiny. His ministry in this age is, therefore, ultimately designed to provoke his fellow Jews to jealousy and thus save some of them from the wrath to come. It also is significant that Paul never articulates his mission as a realization of Jewish eschatology (the belief that certain aspects of the end times, such as the kingdom of God, have already begun or been fulfilled in the present age through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus). The apocalyptic, two-age framework of history is everywhere assumed, and though Paul could have easily described his ministry in terms of realized eschatology, he does not. If realized eschatolgy is a biblical truth, and we would find such a thing anywhere in Paul’s writings, then we should see it in Romans 11. Instead, Paul seems to understand his mission to the Gentiles as part of a divine novelty of mercy within an unchanged Jewish apocalyptic framework.

Summary: Embracing Diversity Within the Body of Christ

In conclusion, the Epistle to the Galatians not only affirms the universal offer of eternal salvation to both Jew and Gentile but also emphasizes the inclusion of the Gentiles into the Jewish hope and narrative. This letter reminds us that the Gentiles are grafted into the rich heritage of the Jewish faith, sharing in the promises and blessings bestowed upon Abraham and his descendants. The message of Galatians encourages us to recognize that while the paths of obedience to God may differ between Jew and Gentile, they are complementary parts of a unified divine plan. As we reflect on this inclusive vision, let us celebrate the diversity within the body of believers, understanding that the inclusion of the Gentiles enriches the Jewish narrative and brings fulfillment to God's redemptive story for all humanity.

Referneces

This lesson was curated from teachings from First Fruits of Zion “Holy Epistle to the Galatians,” and teachings by John P. Harrigan, “Extending Mercy to the Gentiles, The Jewish Apocalyptic Trajectory of Pauline Discipleship.”

Disciple X