The Amazing Colossal Apostle: The Search for the Historical Paul by Price Robert M

Author:Price, Robert M. [Price, Robert M.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Signature Books
Published: 2012-12-02T16:00:00+00:00

Romans 11:1-10 concerns the fall of Jerusalem. The allusions in verses 3 and 9 to the destruction of the temple and its altar (“table”) are anachronistic, given the usual dates for Paul. But then, so is the whole condition, presupposed in chapters 9-11, that there has already been a definitive split between Jews and Christians. Could this really have been apparent within the lifetime of the historical Paul? Such a judgment would seem to require a good bit more water to have passed under the bridge.

12

1In view of this, brothers, I urge you by the compassion of God to present your very bodies as a sacrifice while yet alive, one that is holy and meeting with God’s approval, which is the fit worship of a rational creature. 2And do not let yourselves be assimilated to this present world system, but be transformed by renewing the intellect, enabling you to determine what the will of God is, what is good, what meets his approval, what is perfect.

In view of what? The transition fits better coming directly off the end of chapter 8. It was probably added to 8 before someone else added 9-11. But on the other hand, there being no shadow of distinctly Christian motivation in view, one might be tempted to read 12:1b as a bit of Hellenistic Judaism, a Stoic-style appeal for rational, ethical religion as a replacement for temple-sacrifice religion, rendered impossible with the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE. The warning not to conform to the ways of the surrounding world rings true as a warning by one Hellenistic Jew to others of his kind, already so attracted to Greek ways and thus tempted to go all the way and let Judaism go. Could this be another fragment of the synagogue sermon on display in Romans 1:18-2:29?

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