Source: “Reading Paul Within Judaism: The Collected Essays”, By Mark D. Nanos, 2017.
Paul And Judaism The Codex Pauli.wav
This podcast advocates for a re-evaluation of Paul's relationship with Judaism, challenging traditional interpretations that often portray him as an apostate. The author, a Jewish scholar, argues that Paul remained a Torah-observant Jew who sought to reform Judaism from within, rather than establish a new religion. A key theme is the distinction between Paul's instructions for Christ-believing non-Jews, who were not expected to convert to Judaism or fully observe the Torah, and his continued adherence to Jewish law for himself and other Jewish believers. This reinterpretation aims to foster a deeper understanding and improved relations between Christians and Jews, highlighting their shared origins and the symbiotic relationship between their early forms.
Topic 1: Paul's Traditional Portrayal and the Call for Reevaluation Historically, Paul has been approached by Jews as an apostate from Judaism, largely in response to prevailing Christian portrayals that celebrate his mission. These Christian narratives have often been juxtaposed with negative assessments of Jewish people and Judaism, sometimes leading to harmful policies and the promotion of converting everyone, including Jews, from their religion. However, there is a growing consensus that a historical basis exists for reevaluating Paul's voice. This reevaluation is seen as an act in keeping with the church's commitment to seeking truth and may challenge some traditional perspectives on Paul. The current focus on Paul's letters presents a valuable opportunity for Jewish and Christian scholars to collaborate vigorously on this task, particularly by examining Paul within his first-century Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts. This endeavor has significant implications, not only for the study of first-century Judaism and the origins of Christianity, but also for fostering improved understanding and relations between Christians and Jews in the future.
Topic 2: Paul's Continued Observance of Judaism After His Encounter with Christ It is widely accepted that Paul was born and raised a Jew and observed Judaism according to Pharisaic standards. A central and challenging question posed is whether, following his transformative encounter with Christ, Paul continued to practice Judaism—albeit a Christ-believing form of Judaism—rather than converting from Judaism to an entirely new religion that no longer represented Jewish communal norms, including the Torah. The sources indicate numerous instances that suggest Paul's way of living remained highly observant of Torah, mirroring the portrayal of James and Peter in the Acts of the Apostles. Evidence includes his consistent appeals to Torah's authority throughout his letters to establish and prove his positions, his role in introducing the Apostolic Decree with its Torah-based norms for Christ-believing non-Jews in synagogue communities, his undertaking of a Nazarite vow in the Jerusalem Temple (which included a burnt offering) to dispel rumors that he was teaching against Torah for Jews, his claim of living blamelessly according to Pharisaic interpretation of Torah to legitimate his belief in Jesus's resurrection, and his meticulous planning of travel around Jewish festivals like Shavuot/Pentecost, which celebrates Israel's reception of Torah at Mount Sinai. It is noteworthy that even Augustine acknowledged Paul's continued observance of Torah, though Jerome opposed the idea of any Christian, particularly an apostle, practicing Torah, an objection that has predominantly shaped views ever since. If Paul was indeed a reformer from within Judaism, rather than an external critic, this insight profoundly impacts the interpretation of his letters.
Topic 3: The Obligation of Torah Observance for Jewish Christ-Believers The implicit logic within Paul's position, as presented, is that Jews, including Paul himself, were and are still expected to be faithful to their covenant obligations as Israelites. By definition, this faithfulness encompasses the diligent observance of Torah. Paul's "rule" stated in one of his letters, applicable across all his assemblies, was for everyone to remain in the state they were in when called, whether circumcised or not, yet crucially, that all must "obey the commandments of God." When this rule is considered alongside his attestation that anyone in a circumcised state is obligated to observe the whole Torah, it becomes evident that Paul operated from a foundational principle requiring all Jewish Christ-believers to remain faithful to their Jewish covenant identity through the observance of Torah. This underscores a distinction in Paul's thinking regarding the responsibilities of Jewish and non-Jewish followers of Christ.
Topic 4: Proselyte Conversion and Distinct Expectations for Non-Jewish Christ-Believers The topic of proselyte conversion, specifically the circumcision of males, is highlighted as a key issue in Paul's letters to the Romans and Galatians. However, the entrance of non-Jews into the "family of Abraham" discussed in these letters is presented as a separate matter from the question of whether Jews should observe Torah, which Paul assumes to be ongoing for Jews. Paul's mission was to declare the gospel to the nations, reflecting his belief that he and his fellow Israelites possessed a special privilege to announce that the time had come for the nations to turn to Israel's God as the sole God of all humankind. For Paul, when this day arrives, members of the nations do not become members of the nation Israel; instead, they must remain members of their respective nations. Nevertheless, they do become "fellow-members of the Jewish communal way of life," or Judaism. These non-Jews are seen as the "rest of the children of Abraham" that Paul hoped for, fulfilling the promise that Abraham would be "the father of many nations." As explained in Acts, these non-Jews were not to undertake proselyte conversion (i.e., males were not to be circumcised) to become Jews, and consequently, they were not obligated to observe Torah on the same terms as Jews. However, they were still obliged to observe Jewish purity norms appropriate for righteous members of the nations, as they were integrating into a religious life within the Jewish communities. It is noted that there is historical evidence of other Jewish teachers contemporary with Paul who also opposed proselyte conversion for non-Jewish worshippers of the One God, albeit for different reasons.
Topic 5: The Imperative of Contextual Interpretation: Distinguishing Audiences in Paul's Letters A crucial point for accurately understanding Paul's letters is the necessity of maintaining a contextual distinction between instructions intended for Christ-believing non-Jews and the norms upheld for Israelites, such as Paul himself. Non-Jews, according to Paul, were to remain representatives of their respective nations and were not to become Israelites through proselyte conversion. Failing to make this distinction and universalizing Paul's comments as if they apply to everyone, irrespective of their Jewish or non-Jewish identity, is said to miss the core thrust of his gospel proposition. Such an interpretive oversight often leads to the implicit, and sometimes explicit, conclusion that Paul was against Jewish identity and behavior for Jews, a view that this source contradicts. To aid in this nuanced but historically and theologically important task, it is suggested that readers could mentally add "for Christ-believing non-Jews" to virtually all of Paul's instructional statements, thereby ensuring a more accurate interpretation of his intentions and audience-specific directives.
Topic 6: Paul's Mission to the Nations and Israel's Irrevocable Promise Paul's understanding of his mission was deeply rooted in the belief that Israelites were uniquely entrusted with the "words of God" for the nations. It was from this foundational conviction that Paul undertook his mission to declare the gospel to the nations, extending even to Rome itself. For Paul, this privilege granted to Israel constituted an irrevocable promise. He was certain that "all Israel" would eventually be restored to exercising its special task, viewing this as a mysterious and significant turn in God's divine plan that he sought to reveal. This highlights his strong conviction that the nations would ultimately turn to Israel's God as the One God of all humankind, yet without becoming members of the nation Israel, rather remaining distinct members of their own nations while embracing a Jewish communal way of life.
Topic 7: The Theological Basis for Maintaining Ethnic Difference: The Shema Israel Paul's policy of maintaining ethnic differences (along with gender and other forms of difference) within the assemblies of Christ, while simultaneously condemning discrimination associated with such differences, is explicitly based on the Shema Israel. This is Judaism's sacred prayer that proclaims the oneness of God. This aligns with a Jewish conviction shared by commentators like Rashi, who similarly upheld that the God whom Israelites worship in the present age will be recognized as the One God of all other nations when the age to come arrives. The source suggests that the distinction between Paul and other Jewish groups of his time was not about the ultimate conviction that non-Israelites would remain non-Israelite brothers and sisters and eventually worship the One God alongside Israel in the age to come. Rather, the key difference was Paul's belief that this "age" had already dawned, even though it had not yet fully arrived. In this interim period, Paul believed it was the responsibility of Christ-following groups to demonstrate the truth of this proposition by remaining distinct yet equal, grounded in the principle that "God is one." This vision implies a future state where, much like the wolf will lie down with the lamb without becoming a lamb, members of the nations will join Israel in worship of the One God of all the cosmos and practice righteousness, without losing their distinct identities.
Topic 8: The "Age to Come" and Its Implications for Present Communal Norms A significant aspect of Paul's theology revolves around his belief concerning the "age to come." While other Jewish groups contemporary with Paul shared the conviction that non-Israelites would ultimately worship the One God alongside Israel in the age to come, they did not believe that the time had yet arrived to make this the communal norm in the present age. Paul, however, held a distinct view: he believed that this new age had, in fact, already dawned. Paradoxically, he also maintained that it had not yet fully arrived in its complete manifestation. In this transitional period, Paul believed it was the explicit responsibility of Christ-following groups to demonstrate the truth of his proposition. This was to be accomplished by remaining distinct in their ethnic and other identities, yet simultaneously demonstrating equality, embodying the principle that "God is one." This perspective provides a framework for understanding why Paul advocated for distinct roles and practices for Jews and non-Jews within the Christ-believing communities, seeing them as a living demonstration of the future reality where all nations worship the One God while maintaining their unique identities.
Topic 9: The Emergence of Christianity as Distinct from Judaism The source explains that Christianity emerged from an initial "subgroup movement" among Jews within Judaism. Over time, this movement evolved and found its own distinct voice, eventually becoming recognized as a religion separate from Judaism. As Christianity developed, it became almost entirely comprised of non-Jews, meaning individuals from nations other than Israel. Similarly, Rabbinic Judaism also underwent its own developmental trajectory, becoming quite distinct from Christianity. Despite their eventual divergence, a crucial symbiotic relationship existed between these two religions during their formative stages, specifically during the period when Paul was traveling and writing, which predated the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE. This highlights their shared origins and interconnected development in the first century.
Topic 10: The Symbiotic Relationship and Future Relations between Judaism and Christianity The historical relationship between Judaism and Christianity, stemming from their shared roots, has been marked by many "dark moments," some of which are painfully recent. The source acknowledges that Paul's voice has, regrettably, been invoked all too often by those who perpetrated harm. However, it also points out that the original vision and language of the Apostle Paul served as the foundational framework for a new and promising outlook on Jews articulated in the Vatican II document Nostra Aetate (no. 4). This pivotal document framed Jews as "brothers and sisters in the faith of the One God," and Judaism as a "sibling's way of expressing that conviction in the world." Jews and practitioners of Judaism express significant gratitude for the positive results of such reinterpretations of the Apostle to the Nations, recognizing that these efforts contribute to the pursuit of truth and mutual respect. The overarching hope expressed is to foster new engagements with Paul's letters that will uphold the ideals of the "age to come," encouraging earnest waiting and collaborative work towards the hope of eternal shalom.