The Origins of the New Testament, Part XV: Who Is Christ for Paul? The Gospel in Romans

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on 11 February 2010 1 Comments
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Question

Barry Street from Brantford, Ontario, writes:

Would it not have been difficult for the gospel writers to discuss Christ in the synagogue, or had Jewish animosity towards him subsided by then?

Answer

Dear Barry,

I don't think you grasp the first century synagogue picture accurately. The Christian movement was part of the synagogue until they were expelled from it about 88 C.E. The picture most of us have about that time in history comes from Paul, who visited synagogues located in the Gentile Mediterranean world to which he came to do his missionary work. Most of Paul's converts were not the Jews of the synagogue but the Gentiles attracted to Paul's message, which seemed to offer them Judaism without the ritual acts of circumcision and the cultic acts of Kosher diet and Sabbath day observance. Please recall that Jesus was a Jew who regularly participated in synagogue life as were his disciples, Paul, Mary Magdalene and the community of believers who stand behind the gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke. The real negativity toward the Jews on the part of the disciples of Jesus did not begin to grow until the Jewish/Roman war from 66-73 C.E. The excessive theological claims for Jesus were also not developed until a much later time. For example, Matthew portrays him as a new Moses, Luke as a new Elijah. The synoptic gospels (Mark, Matthew and Luke) all reflect life in the synagogue. I think John does too, but that takes more time to develop than I have in a question and answer format.

 

Thanks for your question,

John Shelby Spong

 

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