Karl Olav Sandnes, «Prophet-Like Apostle: A Note on the "Radical New Perspective" in Pauline Studies», Vol. 96 (2015) 550-564
The question of Paul's prophet-like apostolate has gained renewed interest due to the "Radical New Perspective", claiming that Paul remained fully within the confines of his Jewish identity. His prophetic call to become an apostle (Galatians 1) serves to substantiate that. The only new thing is that Paul came to a new understanding of the time, i.e. the time for the ingathering of the Gentiles had arrived (Pamela Eisenbaum). The present article argues that the prophetic model is not sufficient to explain how the Damascus event influenced the apostle's theology and mission. This event initiated a process of "slow conversion" as well.
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1,28-22) 14. I am confident that this observation works within a
study of how Paul conceived of what happened to him. However,
Roy E. Ciampa is correct in pointing out that “the concept of God’s
grace is ubiquitous in Paul’s thought, and in 1,6 Paul says that the
Galatians themselves had been called by God’s grace, leaving the
certainty of this element as an echo from prophetic call narratives
somewhat in doubt” 15. Ciampa’s critique here implies that I did
not pay sufficient attention to how Paul’s call works within the ar-
gument of the entire letter. This observation has some ramifications
for how to evaluate the recent developments in Pauline studies
pointed out above.
We have pointed out that Paul’s Damascus revelation works par-
adigmatically in Galatians; it tells something also about the ad-
dressees themselves. This is clearly implied in the way 1,6 and 1,15
correspond: tou/ kale,santoj u`ma/j evn ca,riti ÎCristou/Ð // kale,saj
dia. th/j ca,ritoj auvtou/. In being an act of grace, the call given to
Paul does not set him apart from the Galatians; on the contrary, as
an act of grace this particular event shares a fundamental similarity
with the addressees’ embracing of Paul’s gospel. Galatians 1,6-9
makes it abundantly clear that “grace” is not only a piece of Paul’s
experience, but primarily an abbreviation of how his gospel is to
be described content-wise (Gal 2,20-21) 16 and, hence, stated in op-
position to the “troublemakers” in Galatia. Crucial in this struggle
was the question of the Law and circumcision. Paul shapes the in-
troductory passage (Gal 1,6-9) by leaving out the thanksgiving,
usually found in his letters17. Furthermore, the passage is formed
in accordance with traditions of false prophets who alter God’s fun-
damental revelation 18. God has sanctioned one gospel only, and
this is the one about “grace” ― made visible in Paul’s Damascus
event and in the addressees turning from idols and ignorance to
knowing God (Gal 4,8-10).
Paul urges them to take himself as an example (4,12), and thus
to remain with his gospel. The radical shift that took place in his
14
As for this stable element in call-narratives, see SANDNES, Paul, 64-65.
15
CIAMPA, Scripture, 115.
16
Notice that Gal 2,20 echoes 1,4 thus linking Paul’s autobiography to
the message he conveys in this epistle.
17
See TOLMIE, Galatians, 38-40.
18
SANDNES, Paul, 70-73.