Post on 08-Aug-2020
transcript
Section Four: Christian Morality: Jesus and the Law
4.1
Jerusalem and Judea at the Time of Jesus
Almost 200 years before Jesus’ birth, the
Kingdom of Judah under the Maccabees
managed to free itself from the Hellenist
Seleucid Empire and established an
independent Kingdom. A Jewish King was
once more on the throne in Jerusalem
About a hundred years or so later, an
internal struggle ensued concerning who
should be the rightful king. Rome was an
official ally of Judah and the Roman General
Pompey was invited to settle the dispute.
Pompey made his choice, but civil war broke
out in Rome, so the struggle continued. In
37 BCE, an Idumean named Herod, who had
married a Jewish princess named Miriam,
was declared by the Roman Senate to be the
rightful King of the Jews.
Herod ruled a kingdom larger than David’s.
He ruled independently up to a point but, in
the end, his independence only went so far.
Rome was always his real master.4.2
The Kingdom After the Death of Herod the Great
When Herod the Great died, his Kingdom was
divided among three of his sons; Herod
Archelaus (Matt. 2:22) ruled the largest
segment of the Kingdom including Idumea,
Judah and Samaria. Archelaus could not
manage to keep the Jewish people in order so
he was banished to Gaul in 6 CE and Roman
Procurators ruled in his place. Pontius Pilate
was the procurator from 26-36 CE.
Herod Antipas is well-known to Christians.
He ruled the Galilee where Jesus lived and a
region east of the Jordan River Perea. He
was the Herod who beheaded John the
Baptist and also the Herod who met Jesus at
his trial before Pilate. He too was banished to
Gaul around 36 CE.
Philip the Tetrarch does not play any role in
Biblical events. He ruled Golan and Bashan
until he died a natural death.
4.3
Jesus, Judea and GalileeJesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea but,
like his ancestors, he fled to Egypt after his
birth. After Herod the Great died, Jesus and
his family returned to live out most of their
lives in Nazareth in Galilee. Since Herod
Antipas ruled Galilee by this time, Herod
Antipas had authority over Jesus. Pontius
Pilate knew this and that is why he tried to
hand off Jesus to Antipas for judgement at
Jesus’ trial (Luke 23:5-12)
Matthew and Mark speak mostly of Jesus
doing all his work in the region of Galilee
and its environs. Luke mentioned that Jesus
as a child did make a pilgrimage to the
Jerusalem Temple at least once a year with
his family. John has Jesus regularly going
back and forth between Galilee and
Jerusalem.
In the first years after Jesus’ death and
resurrection, most of the activity of the
Apostles take place in Judea and Samaria
but an event happened in 41 CE that
changed all that.4.4
What Groups Existed When Jesus Was Born?
Josephus, a Jewish general during the Roman wars, was captured by the Romans
and went over to their side. He was also an historian who wrote several works
including The Jewish Wars and The Antiquity of the Jews. In his work, Josephus
mentioned three political/religious sects in the Jewish Kingdom as the Romans
brought the Kingdom of Judah under their rule.
As described by Josephus, these sects were;
Under Roman rule, the Kingdom of Judah became known as the province of Judea, a
satellite province of Roman Syria. The Roman governor of the region lived in
Damascus of Syria. The Roman Prefect/Procurator who governed Judah when
Archelaus was banished did not live in Jerusalem. He lived in Caesaria Maritima. The
procurator during Jesus’ time of public ministry was Pontius Pilate (26-36 CE)
The next slides will sum up each of these three groups. A fourth group of people, the
Samaritans, will also be examined as will several smaller groups
• Essenes
• Sadducees
• Pharisees
4.5
Who Were The Sadducees?
• The name Sadducee (Saddoukaioi in Greek, sadduqaye in Aramaic and sadduqim
in Hebrew) is related to the line high of priests that began with Zadok who shared
the position of High Priest with Abiathar under David. Solomon removed Abiathar
from the position leaving Zadok the lone legitimate high priest in the Temple. The
line of Zadok lasted until Judah was ruled by the Seleucid kings
• Religiously, the Sadducees did not want to have any part of an oral tradition of the
Torah. They felt that such interpretation came from laymen interfering with things
best left to priests like themselves. Unlike the Pharisees, the Sadducees did not
believe in the resurrection of the body, or spirits according to the Gospel of Mark
(Mark 12:18). While the Sadducees were familiar with all the books of the Hebrew
Scriptures, they felt that only the books of Moses, the Torah, were legally binding
on the people.
• Despite the link between the name of their party with a line of High Priest who
historically had supported faithfulness to the Torah and the customs, rituals and
practices that it taught, the Sadducees were linked to the more recent version of
the High Priesthood whose office holder was appointed by Hellenist and, later,
Roman rulers. It is understandable then that, unlike the Pharisees who were
mostly Hebraists, the Sadducees were mostly Hellenist Hebrews who formed the
ruling class
4.6
Who Were the Pharisees?
• The name Pharisee (Pharisaioi in Greek, perisaye in Aramaic and perushim in
Hebrew) had the basic meaning of “the separated ones”.
• The Pharisees followed in the footsteps of King Josiah, and the priest/scribe Ezra
and all those who believed that the best way to ensure a good and holy nation
was to ensure that the youth of the nation would be educated in the Torah
including the do’s and don’ts that comprise pious behavior. Rabbinic Judaism
derives from the Pharisees
• The Pharisees believed that both the written Torah ( שבכתבתורה , torah se-biktav)
as well as the oral Torah ( תורה שבעל פה tora se-be-al peh) were normative. Their
love of the Torah and their meticulous observance of the Sabbath, ritual purity
etc., helped keep Judaism intact in the face of Hellenistic polytheism and
secularism.
• They seemed to come from a group of scribes (lawyers) under Jonathan
Maccabeus @ 150 BCE. They seem to have evolved from the Hassidim who
supported the Maccabean revolt until the revolt took a secular turn
• When Jesus spoke about The Law he was not speaking about the Ten
Commandments. He was speaking of the 613 Mitzvoth of the written and oral
Torah. The oral Torah began to be written down around 200 CE. We know it as
the Talmud. Rabbi Dr. David Novak of the University of Toronto calls the Talmud
the Jewish New Testament.4.7
Who Were The Essenes?
• The name Essenes (Essenoi or essaioi in Greek, possibly hasayya in Aramaic)
means either “pious ones” or “healers”
• In the end, there is simply not enough information to draw a definitive
conclusion concerning Jesus, John the Baptist and the Essenes
- Jesus may well have known about the Essenes and the things that they
taught and believed but He Himself was probably not an Essene. He
lived as part of the general society. He drank wine. He ate with sinners etc.
- John the Baptist may have been an Essene in that, like the Essenes, he
seemed to live apart from regular society
• Was John the Baptist an Essene? Was Jesus an Essene? Most of the information
about the Essenes comes from the writings of Josephus. They are hardly mentioned
in Scripture.
• According to Pliny the Elder, they lived on the Western shore of the Dead Sea
between Jericho and Engedi. Most take the site to be Khirbet Qumran
4.8
Who Were The Samaritans?
• Most historians hold to the idea that the name derives from Samaria, the
capital city of the divided Kingdom of Israel. Others say the name derives from
the Hebrew term םמרי ש (shamerim) meaning “keepers of the law”
• Recent DNA testing which shows that the mtDNA is consistent with people who
inhabit portions of modern Iraq (Cutha?) but there is other DNA that shows
Jewish ancestry
• Many scholars believe that at least some of the Jewish inhabitants of the
Northern Kingdom of Israel remained in the land after Israel was defeated by
the Assyrians. The Samaritans claimed that they represented the original faith of
Israel before the alleged changes made by Josiah were added and later codified in
Babylon. The Samaritans believed that the Jewish people who returned from
captivity in Babylon and then lived under a Persian culture represented a change in
traditional Jewish beliefs. There is still a tiny community of Samaritans in
Israel today. They believe that their version of the Torah is the only true version.
They hold that Mount Gerizim is the proper place of sacrifice for Israel
• The Samaritans claimed that not all of the “Lost Tribes” of the Northern Kingdom of
Israel were lost. Samaritans claim descent from Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of
Joseph. The Jewish people called Samaritans Kuthim (Cuthians) referencing people
brought from the land of Cutha (in modern Iraq) by the Assyrians to repopulate the
Northern Kingdom after the conquest of Israel by Assyria
4.9
Were There Other Jewish Sects?
• There Were Zealots
- Considered by some to be the extreme right wing of the Pharisees
- Josephus called them the fourth philosophy of Judaism (they accepted
violence and murder as acceptable means to an end)
- Likely started by Judas the Galilean in 6 CE (Acts 5:37) who resisted the
census of Quirinius conducted in 6 CE. and grew after Jesus’ crucifixion
- They objected to paying tax (tribute) to any foreign, pagan king
- They finally revolted against Rome in 66 CE and the final confrontation
of that revolt took place at Masada
- There is a question concerning one of Jesus’ apostles, Simon Zelotes.
Was he “zealous” for the Torah (a Pharisee or one of the Hasidim) or
was he a member of the group that became “the Zealots”?
• There Were Zadokites
- The Zadokites were more fundamental than the Sadducees (Written Torah only)
- They felt that the Sadducees were too worldly, too Hellenistic
• There Were Herodians
- The Herodians were mentioned in Mark (3:6 and 12:13) and Matthew (22:16) as
joined with the Pharisees in attempts to entrap Jesus
- Completely opposite the Pharisees in philosophy but shared their concern about
Jesus
4.10
The Kingdom Restored Under Herod Agrippa
By 41 CE, Herod Agrippa, the grandson of
Herod the Great, managed to maneuver himself
to be named as King over much of the territory
governed by his grandfather, Herod the Great.
Herod Agrippa was a bit of a dissolute youth
but became a serious Jew of the Pharisee sect
when he became King. He persecuted the early
Christian community in Jerusalem. He also
imprisoned Peter and executed James, the
brother of John. Since Herod Agrippa favored
the Aramaic-speaking Pharisees, Greek-
speaking Jews as well as Christian Jews both
Hellenist and Semitic, began to be persecuted
in Agrippa’s Kingdom, Many fled north into
Roman-ruled Syria to escape.
Thanks to Agrippa’s persecution, both Hellenist
Jews and Jewish Christians wound up in cities
of Syria such as Antioch. As a result,
Christianity took its first move beyond the Holy
land. Agrippa died unexpectedly in 44 CE.
4.11
The Holy Land After Herod Agrippa
After the death of Herod Agrippa, all of what had
been Agrippa’s kingdom is governed by Roman
prefects; Cuspius Fadus (44-46 CE), Tiberius
Alexander (46-48 CE), Ventidius Cumanus (48-52
CE) and Marcus Antonius Felix (52-59 CE). M.A.
Felix is noteworthy because Paul, after his arrest
in Jerusalem and imprisonment in Caesarea, had
his first hearing in front of this prefect. This is
covered in Acts 23:23 to 24:27, and Acts 25:14
M.A. Felix was replaced by Porcius Festus (59-
61 CE). Paul was brought before Festus in his
second hearing in Acts 24:27, 25:1-27 and Acts
26:24-32. It is also believed that James, the
head of the Jerusalem Church was executed by
Jewish authorities while Festus was en route
from Rome to Jerusalem.
It is important to remember that the major
Roman presence in the region was always
centered in the Roman governor who was
headquartered Damascus in Syria. The prefect
or procurator was always subject to him.
4.12
Jewish Morality
While it is true that Jewish Law comprised 613 commandments, no one seemed to
know exactly what the 613 commandments were. Rambam (Rabbi Moses ben Maimon)
was a Jewish scholar who was born in Cordoba Spain around 1135 CE, traveled
throughout the Middle East, served as the physician to Saladin. He died in Egypt in
1204. Maimonides was a philosopher and a scientist, but he was also a master scholar
of the Jewish Law. We will speak of Maimonides in more detail later. But even this
great scholar of the Law wasn’t really certain what the 613 mitzvoth were. He did offer
his best estimate which can be found here. http://www.jewfaq.org/613.htm
Some of these commandments reflect Jewish moral tradition going back to the time of
Moses. These include the proper treatment of servants, bondsmen and slaves. They
also included many ritual laws.
When Jesus and the early Church of “keeping the Law” and “works of the Law”, this is
what they were talking about. Keep in mind also that there was a linkage in Judaism
between Church and State. From the Babylonian Captivity down to the time of the
Seleucid rulers, there was no King in Jerusalem. The High Priest served both a
political as well as a religious function. It was under the Seleucid rulers that the High
Priest was no longer from the line of Zadok, a descendant of Aaron and High Priest
under David and Solomon. The High Priest under the Seleucids was appointed by the
political ruler. Even during the years when a Jewish King ruled once again in
Jerusalem, the High Priest continued to be appointed by the political leader. To speak
against the Law had both political as well as religious implications.
4.13
Was Jesus a Jewish Reformer?
The title question of this slide is not an easy one to answer. In many ways a “yes”
answer would be correct. One of Jesus’ main criticisms of both Sadducees and
Pharisees was that they stressed obedience, at least outward obedience, to a set of
Laws. The issue was this. Was this obedience out of a religious desire to show love for
God or was it out of a political requirement to appease the Jewish politics of the times.
It became even worse when In Judea and Samaria, the political entity was a Roman
prefect instead of a member of a Jewish (or at last part-Jewish) royal family.
In Chapter 22 of Matthew’s gospel, Jesus has arrived in Jerusalem and is teaching at
the Temple. Jesus had just silenced the Sadducees (who did not believe in
resurrection) as they tried to trap him on the question about marriage after the
resurrection. The Pharisees then try their hand at trapping Jesus by asking him which
commandment is the greatest. His answer stops them in their tracks as Jesus recites
one of the greatest prayers in Judaism.
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and
with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment”. (Matt. 22:37). Jesus’
answer is the Shema, the great prayer found in Deut. 6:4-5/
ד ׃ הוה אח ינו י הוה אלה ל י רא ע יש מ ך׃ש אד כל־מ ך וב ש כל־נ פ ך וב בב כל־ל יך ב הוה אלה ת י ת א ב ה א ו
Jesus follows this by a second great commandment, also found in the Torah (Lev. 18:19)
וך עך כמ ר ת ל ב ה א ו4.14
The Sermon on the Mount: Reform of the Jewish Law?
The Beatitudes: The Ten Commandments tells both Jews and Christians how to act.
The Beatitudes provide an example of how a Christian should be.
4.15
The Sermon on the Mount: A Deeper Understanding of the Law
“You have heard it said….but I say….” Jesus reminds all his listeners that sin is often
an external expression of an internal failing. That internal failing must be recognized.
4.16
Jesus Was Born and Died a Jew
Though the various sects of Judaism disagreed about many things, they all held the
Torah, the five books of Moses, the books of The Law, in great reverence.
However many commandments the various sects may have found within The Law, they
all would have no problem in reciting the Shema
But Jesus was trying to remind his Jewish brothers and sisters as well as all of those
listeners that had ears to hear that the commandments of the Law were meant not only
to change a person’s outward behavior. The Law was meant to change the inner failings
of the person’s soul. Christians believed that the human soul was born with the same
tendency that the souls of their first parents came to have as the result of their choices.
The human soul tended to try to find happiness by love of self rather than love of (and
trust in) God. That was Adam’s main failing and that was human failing ever since.
ד ׃ הוה אח ינו י הוה אלה ל י רא ע יש מ ך׃ש אד כל־מ ך וב ש כל־נ פ ך וב בב כל־ל יך ב הוה אלה ת י ת א ב ה א ו
They all would have no problem accepting the importance of what Jesus called the
Second Great Commandment. It, too, was also found in the Torah.
וך עך כמ ר ת ל ב ה א ו
Jesus taught, and more importantly, lived a life of selfless love. In so doing, even to the
point of death on the cross, he fulfilled every aspect of the Jewish Law. In a sense, Jesus
was the perfect Jew and he tasked his followers, his Church, to spread his message to all
nations. And so, as predicted in Scripture, salvation would come to all through the Jews.4.17
Christianity and The Law (I)
The first person to say yes to Jesus was the woman who would become his mother
when she was visited by the angel Gabriel. Later, Jesus gathered apostles and
disciples. . All of these were Jewish. The number of those people who would call
themselves followers of Jesus remained (little more than 100) until Pentecost Sunday.
The Holy Spirit arrived during the celebration of Pentecost, the Shavu’ot, the Festival
of Weeks when the first fruits of the field were brought to the Temple (see Lev. 23:16).
After the Temple was destroyed, this date celebrated the giving of the Law to Moses by
God. The Book of Acts tells us that Jews from all over the Diaspora gathered in
Jerusalem to celebrate this festival.
It was on this day that the Apostles, emboldened by the Spirit went out into the crowds.
They repeated the pattern of Jesus and explained how Jesus was the Holy One
prophesied in the Scriptures. Those Jewish listeners who were persuaded asked what
they should then do. Peter spoke the words that are still spoken to new believers even
today. He told them that they must repent and be baptized. More on that later
The Book of Acts tells us that three thousand were converted that day. That was a
huge increase in the early Church community. Some were Hellenists. Some were
Hebraists. All were Jewish. The community that accommodated them was led by an
Episcopos (Bishop), supported by a council of elders (presbyters/priests) and, later,
aided by helpers (deacons). Some scholars (e.g. J.T. Burtchaell in his book From
Synagogue To Church) believed that this organization was similar to that of the
Synagogue (Archesynagos/Bishop, gerousia/elders and hyperetes/deacons). This
remains a speculative conclusion, but it makes sense that a huge influx of Jewish
believers would feel most at home in a community organized in this familiar way. 4.18
Christianity and The Law (II)
The Romans were not wrong in thinking that early Christianity was simply a sect of
Judaism, a legally recognized religion under Roman Law. After all, almost all of their
members were Jewish. If your read Chapter 7 of Acts, you will find a nice summary of
what Christians were preaching from the mouth of the Deacon Stephen.
The Book of Acts tell of missions to Samaria but keep in mind that Samaritans
considered themselves to be keepers of the true faith of Israel. Acts also narrates
Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch but, since he was returning from worship
in Jerusalem, he was likely an Ethiopian Jew many of whom now live in modern Israel.
The conversion of the first Gentile to Christianity is described in Chapter 10 of Acts. A
Roman Centurion named Cornelius is baptized by Peter. Yet even this man was, in a sense, already Jewish. Cornelius was a φοβούμενος τὸν θεὸν, a fearer of God. God-
fearers were Gentiles who were attracted to Judaism but had not undergone the ritual
practices that would make them fully Jewish. So, Cornelius was not a Gentile in the full
sense of the word.
The first Gentiles that came into the Church were converted by Paul. There were large
Jewish communities in Syria that had grown larger when Herod Agrippa persecuted
Hellenist Jews in Jerusalem. Both Peter and Paul preached to these communities. Paul
did not have great success but, to his surprise, found significant interest among the
Gentiles in the region. This led to a serious question that the early Church had to
answer. Did Gentile converts first have to become Jewish before becoming Christian?
4.19
The Council of Jerusalem
The first confrontation between Gentile and Jewish Christianity over the issue of the Jewish Law took place in Jerusalem around 49 CE. How this meeting went depends on which book of the New Testament you read
“And I became to the Jews a Jew, that I might gain the Jews: To them that are under the law, as if I were under the law, (whereas myself, I was not under the law), that I might gain them that were under the law. To them that were without the law, as if I were without the law...I became all things to all men, that I might save all.” (1 Cor. 9:20-22)
Paul’s complaint concerning Peter’s changing postures seem curious given that it was Paul who proclaimed the following in his first letter to the Corinthians:
In his letter to the Galatians, however, Paul seems to describe the meeting in a more confrontational light. In Galatians 2:6-8, Paul refers to Peter, James and John as “the so-called pillars of the Church”. He later describes how he confronted Peter in Antioch concerning Peter’s habit of ignoring Jewish dietary restrictions when missionaries from Jerusalem were not around but conforming to them whenever these missionaries would show up
The Book of Acts (Chapter 15) describes a rather collegial meeting where the issues were discussed, and a conclusion was reached that seemed to satisfy both the concerns of Gentile Christianity as represented by Paul as well as the concerns of Jewish Christianity as represented by Peter and James
4.20
What Did The Council of Jerusalem Decide?
There were two main decisions reached at the Council of Jerusalem; male Gentile
converts would not have to undergo circumcision and all Gentile converts would be free
from most of the restrictions of Jewish dietary law
• The Seven Laws of Noah: 1) do not deny God, 2) do not blaspheme God, 3) Do not murder, 4)
Do not engage in illicit sexual relationships, 5) Do not steal, 6) Do not eat a live animal 7) Do
establish a legal system to ensure obedience to the Law
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/The_Seven_Noahide_Laws.html
The compromise seemed to be accepted at first but, as more and more Gentiles entered
the early Christian communities, the gap between Gentile Christians and Jewish
Christians seemed to grow. The division seemed to center around not just the binding
nature certain aspects of Jewish Law on Gentile Christians but whether the Jewish Law
had any role at all to play in the lives of Gentile Christians
There were some restrictions placed on Gentiles, however. Gentile converts were
required to restrain from eating meat that was sacrificed to idols, from meat taken from
strangled animals, and to avoid porneia (fornication). These proscriptions seem to be a
subset of the Seven Laws of Noah* that God fearers were required to observe while
living among a Jewish community (no theft or murder, no adultery, no meat taken from a
living animal etc.) Interestingly, there is later visit by Paul to Jerusalem described in
Acts where Paul seems to be learning about these restrictions for the first time (Acts
21:25)
4.21
Did Paul and James Disagree on the Issue of the Law?
James, the “brother of Jesus” still Bishop of the Jerusalem Church, seemed to disagree
with Paul when he wrote the words below sometime before 62 CE when he was
martyred. It is important to note that James simply says “works” and not “works of the
law”.
** Luther was also so opposed to the Epistle of James that he said “I almost feel like throwing Jimmy into the stove.” (source: Luther’s Works, Volume 34). His close associate, Philip Melanchthon calmed Luther down on this issue as he did on many others (Luther himself acknowledges this in his Commentary on the Galatians written in 1529.)
The discussion of the role of the Jewish Law in Christianity merely began at the
Council of Jerusalem. It did not end there.
When Paul wrote the Roman Church around 59 CE, a Church which Paul himself did not
establish, he wrote this about faith and the Law.
* It should be noted that in the Bible translated into German by Martin Luther, Luther added the word ‘alone’ (allein in German) after the word ‘faith’ this passage. That word appears in no earlier text of scripture. When asked why he added this word, Luther responded that he knew best how to translate the scriptures into German (source: An Open Letter on Translating. Martin Luther. 1530 CE)
For we consider that a person is justified by faith* apart from works of the law. (Rom. 3:28)*
So also faith, of itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (Jas. 2:17) **
4.22
What Else Did Paul Have To Say About The Law?
Perhaps Paul’s most impassioned statements on the subject can be found in the
Epistle to the Galatians written @ 55 CE
“By the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.” (Gal. 2:16)
“For if justice is by the law, then Christ died in vain.” (Gal. 2:21)
“All who rely on observing the law are under a curse....Christ redeemed us
from the curse of the Law.” (Gal. 3:10-13)
Paul did not necessarily disbelieve in the Jewish Law. As he indicates in the above
passage, a Christian understanding of the Law points the way to Jesus. It is the
external practices of the Law, the “works of the Law” that do not save.
To be clear, Paul had been born and raised a Jew. Luke proclaimed that Paul had
been a Pharisee educated by Gamaliel. As such, Paul did believe that the promise of
salvation was accomplished through the Jewish people.
"The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his Seed. The Scripture does not
say 'and to seeds,' meaning many people, but 'and to your seed,' meaning one
person, who is Christ.“ (Gal. 3:16 referencing Gen. 22:18)
4.23
What Else Did James Have to Say About The Law?
Unlike Paul, James is the author of only one letter in the Christian Scriptures.
Nonetheless, that one letter is relevant to what Paul had said.
It is interesting that James uses the same example that Paul used, Abraham’s
sacrifice of Isaac. Paul seems to use Abraham and his faith in God to demonstrate
the superiority of faith over works. James seems to use this example to show that
Abraham’s works proved his faith. It is again important to note that James does not
specify works of the law but seems to be saying that a real faith must lead to real
actions. I am not sure that Paul would disagree with this since Paul is most
concerned with the uselessness of external obedience to a set of practices as
opposed to an internal commitment that changes a person’s life from the inside out
“Do you want proof that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father
justified by works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar? You see that faith was
active along with his works, and faith was completed by the works.* .....And in the
same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she welcomed the
messengers and sent them out by a different route? For just as a body without a spirit
is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” (Jas. 2:20-26)
Keep one other thing in mind. James was writing to the entire Christian community
whereas Paul was writing to specific churches most of which were churches he
established. He was writing to deal with specific issues affecting those churches. It is
true that Paul expected his letters to be sent around to the other Churches he
established perhaps to make sure that the same issues didn’t develop there
4.24
What Happened Next?
Many scholars have seen in the letters of Paul and James a conflict that would threaten
to divide the Church. I look at things a bit differently. Let me admit that what I write next
is nothing more than my simple opinion.
There has always been a certain nostalgia in Christianity for the good old days when
there was no conflict, no division. Both scripture and history both tell us that those
days never existed. Acts 5 tells us about Ananias and Sapphira. Acts 6 tells us of the
conflicts between Semitic Jewish Christians and Hellenist Jewish Christians. Acts 15
tells us of the events in Jerusalem regarding Gentiles that was just discussed. In
Galatians 2:11, we see a conflict between Paul and Peter. In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul
decries the divisions happening in Corinth regarding how those converts began to
identify with the one who preached (Apollos, Paul, Peter) to them rather than to align
themselves with Jesus.
We see the first Christians as heroes and saints and, indeed, they were. They were also
human as were the people to whom they preached. Questions, objections and honest
concerns always arose in the Church and continue to arise to this day. Not all the
answers were found in the letters that the Apostles wrote or even, later, in the gospels
they produced. We’ll look at how the apparent conflict between James and Paul
regarding the Law worked out in the next section. We’ll also look at some conflicts that
were never resolved.
4.25