Some more on Paul…
In his discourses/letters, Paul makes reference that there are neither Jew nor Greek in Christ. Why those two? “Greek” really doesn’t encapsulate the totality of all the “nations” (ethne), does it? “Jew” doesn’t encapsulate everything not-Greek. So, why those two? Why not “Roman” and “Jew”?
That’s because Paul wasn’t talking ethnicity or nationality. He was talking ideology/philosophy. Basically, Christianity fails as a Jewish idea because of the continual refusal to perform signs that the Jews demanded. The Jewish idea of a “master” was one who would perform miracles on demand. Look at the prophets of the Old Testament. Signs were not the focus of Christ.
Christianity also fails as a Greek idea because of the continual refusal to submit to logic or answer the questions. Paul tells the Greek sophists in Acts that the weakness in God is strength and the foolishness in God is wisdom. You can’t get any more illogical than that. The Greek idea of a master was one who answers the perplexingly complex questions in a logical manner. Christ’s focus was not on answers.
Paul makes Christianity into a new discourse. It won’t conform to Jews nor Greeks. In fact, it asserts that those are utterly worthless in this new Christian discourse. This new discourse is one of declaration. It is found in Paul declaring the Resurrection. By people experiencing this event that breaks History into two, salvation occurs. By experiencing this salvation, the person is transformed from slave to son. By becoming a son, the person also becomes an heir. That is Paul’s message.
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