I wonder what a good Jew would have thought as Paul began his discourse on the status of the Jews in Gal 4:21? I could just imagine them nodding away sagely as they happily affirm the first part of Paul's argument - all the way to the first part of 4:24 - and then going apoplectic when Paul so fundamentally reinterprets the Jewish nation's ancestry from Abraham. Am I right to think that they would be tearing their hair out at Paul's reinterpretation of the Jews as being descendants of Ishmael? Or at the very least that Paul has at this point seismically departed from Judaism and made an enormous clanger? Wouldn't a good Jew have been absolutely furious with the perceived heresy they would hear in Paul at this point?
.
And for that matter, now that Paul has tied law-keeping covenants to the descendants of Ishmael, does that have any significane whatsoever in understanding the position of any other religion, most notably Islam as a law-based religion today? Is it possible that in this part of his letter, Paul has sounded a warning bell that is ringing ever louder down through the ages? Or have I got it completely wrong? Answers on a postcard, please.
.
If you have now read this, I want you to know that not commenting is not playing according to the rules I made up in my head. Come on, you must have something to say?
No comments:
Post a Comment