Paul, Jerusalem and the Judaisers: The Galatian Crisis in Its Broadest Historical Context

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The thrust of this book is encapsulated in the title - Paul, Jerusalem and the Judaisers: The Galatian Crisis in Its Broader Historical Context - which reflects Ian J. Elmer's insistence that reconstructing all the events surrounding the crisis that impelled Paul to compose his letter to the Galatians is essential to understanding this letter. The position taken by the author is that the Galatian crisis was initiated by a group of Judaising opponents acting under the direct authority of the Jerusalem church. The origins of this controversy can be traced back to the early dispute between the Hellenists and the Hebrews described in the Acts of the Apostles, which led to the expulsion of the Hellenists from Jerusalem and the establishment of the community in Antioch. Paul's opponents apparently cited Jerusalem as the source of and the warrant for their Law-observant gospel. In Galatians, Paul alludes to events involving Judaising opponents that transpired in Jerusalem and Antioch prior to the outbreak of the crisis at Galatia. Thus, the immediate background of the crisis is found in the Jerusalem Council (Gal 2:1-10; Acts 15:1-35) and the Incident at Antioch (Gal 2:11-14); and its aftermath is played out in Corinth and Philippi. Cover Preface Table of Contents Abbreviations Chapter 1. Understanding the Crisis: Paul and Jerusalem 1.1. Survey of the Scholarly Literature 1.1.1 Jewish Christian Judaisers from Jerusalem 1.1.2 Local Non-Christian Opponents 1.1.3 The Galatian Crisis in Its Broader Context 1.1.4 Summary 1.2. Methodology 1.2.1. Difficulties in Interpretation 1.2.2. The Use of Acts 1.3. The Plan of the Study Chapter 2. The Roots of the Crisis: Hebrews and Hellenists 2.1. The Earliest Jesus Movement 2.1.1. The Apostolic Community at Jerusalem 2.1.2. The Hellenists 2.1.3. Contrary Views 2.1.4. Reasons for the Hellenists’ Defection 2.2. The Advent of the Gentile Mission 2.2.1. The Conversion of Cornelius 2.2.2. The Hellenists in Antioch 2.2.3. Paul and the Hellenists 2.3. Conclusions Chapter 3. The Background to the Crisis: Antioch and Jerusalem 3.1. Historical Background 3.1.1. The Ascendancy of James 3.1.2. The Expansion of the Gentile Mission 3.2. The Jerusalem Council 3.2.1. Reasons for the Calling of the Council 3.2.2. The Meeting with James, Peter and John 3.3. The Incident at Antioch 3.3.1. The People from James 3.3.2. The Outcome of the Conflict 3.4. Conclusions Chapter 4. The Crisis in Galatia: Paul and the Judaisers 4.1. The Provenance and Date of Galatians 4.1.1. The Location of the Churches in Galatia 4.1.2. The Date of Galatians 4.2. The Judaisers from Jerusalem 4.2.1. Membership in the Family of God 4.2.2. Paul’s Apostleship 4.2.3. The Truth of the Gospel 4.3. Conclusions Chapter 5. The Aftermath of the Crisis: Paul and Jerusalem 5.1. The Corinthian Correspondence 5.1.1. The Cephas Party 5.1.2. The False Apostles 5.1.3. The Identity of Paul’s Opponents at Corinth 5.2. Philippians 5.2.1. Provenance and Date 5.2.2. The Impending Crisis in Philippi 5.3. Paul’s Final Visit to Jerusalem 5.3.1. Paul’s Situation Prior to his Visit to Jerusalem 5.3.2. The Collection 5.3.3. Paul’s Visit to Jerusalem 5.4. Conclusions Chapter 6. Revisiting the Crisis: Paul, Jerusalem and the Judaisers Bibliography Index of Ancient Sources Hebrew Scriptures and Septuagint Christian Scriptures Apocrypha Dead Sea Scrolls Philo Josephus Rabbinic Literature Patristic Sources Other Ancient Sources Index of Modern Authors Index of Subjects Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament