Irony of Galatians: Paul's Letter in First-Century Context, The

Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Mar 2003 by Johnson, Richard W

Occam's razor suggests another challenge to the probability of Nanos's thesis. Postulating an otherwise unknown crisis, the liminality and status ambiguity of "Gentile Christ-believers," is a credible though undocumented (at least within the NT) dilemma. Meanwhile a prominent crisis, the circumcision issue in earliest Christianity and the related matter of table fellowship between Jewish and Gentile Christians (documented as near as Syrian Antioch), is rejected as the central issue in the Galatian conflict. Why should a known conflict be dismissed in favor of a hypothetical conflict? The new hypothesis is credible, and is consistent with the sociological context in which the addressees found themselves, but Nanos offers no primary source materials to demonstrate the status ambiguity upon which his argument depends. Contrary evidence is present in the Acts account of Paul's trial before Gallio. The proconsul's dismissal of the case as an internal Jewish matter suggests that one side of the hypothetical ambiguity is questionable; at least some (prominent) Gentiles perceived Christ-believers as members of a Jewish sect.

Despite these questions, The Irony of Galatians is a valuable contribution to Pauline scholarship. In this work Nanos promises to stimulate significant, insightful discussion of the relationship between the old covenant and the new, and of Paul's views regarding the dawn of the new age. Nanos has also presented a serious critique of the various prior Galatian reconstructions, a worthy effort in itself. Advocates of alternative hypotheses will not be compelled to accept this new theory, but they should address the points presented here.

Richard W. Johnson

Charleston Southern University, Charleston, SC