Friday 22 February 2008

Background

The writer of 2 Peter (3:15-16) remarksthat some things in Paul's writings are hard to understand. He'dprobably been reading Romans (or perhaps Galatians). Paul was ascholarly Jew and, arguing like a rabbi, searched and sifted hissacred texts in order to make sense of human hope anddestiny.

Paul noted that, according to Genesis 17, Abrahambelieved in God's promises before he was circumcised. Circumcisionsealed Abraham's faith; it didn't create it.

Paul remained a Jew and specifically a Pharisee all his life (Acts 23:6); eventhough, from the perspective of most Jews, he was an eccentric andmarginal one. He agonized over the fact that most Jews failed toown Jesus as Messiah but believed that God would be faithful to hispromises to his Jewish people (Romans 9-11).

Paul believed that God's covenant promises were fulfilled in Jesusthe Messiah, who extended them to include Gentiles (non-Jews) aswell as Jews. In Paul's view, Gentiles who had faith in Jesusdidn't need the seal of circumcision to show that they'd been maderight with God. Indeed, because the practice of circumcision couldbe seen as accepting the requirements of the Jewish law, Gentilesshouldn't go there.

Like lots of creative people, Paul wasn't exactly a consistentthinker! He let Timothy, who had a Greek father though a Jewishmother, be circumcised (Acts 16:1-3). Heblew hot and cold about the usefulness and purpose of the Jewishlaw. It's clear, however, that he thought that it didn't do whatfaith can - create and sustain an undying relationship withGod.

To Ponder

Why is faith more important for religious peoplethan things (like circumcision or baptism) that mark our identitywith an identifiable institution like Judaism or Christianity?