Paul's missionary tactics : faith and the law for Jews, for Gentiles and for a mixed community

• Main Author: Tung, Chun-Lan
• Published: University of Edinburgh 1993
• Subjects: 230
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.663090

The main question of this thesis, how Paul employs various missionary tactics to meet different situations, is explained in Chapter One. The question stems from the debate on whether Paul has a coherent attitude to the law or not. The position adopted here is that Paul has various attitudes to the law and that these various attitudes are the tactical implications of a missionary strategy which is designed to meet different situations. There are three missionary tactics. Chapter Two deals with Paul's first missionary tactic: Paul encourages Jews to observe the whole law, rather than to practise circumcision only. Paul provides a law-bound tactic as an option for Jews, because the law is often so important for Jews that, unless they are allowed to continue to obey the law, it will be very difficult for them to become Christians. Observance of the law, however, is considered only as a life-style appropriate to making the response of faith. What is essential for salvation is faith in Christ. Chapter Three explains Paul's second missionary tactic: for Gentiles faith alone is essential. The law is not necessary for them to become members of God's people. Here Paul employs the Abraham story and claims that Abraham was reckoned as righteous by faith long before he was circumcised. Accordingly, he is a 'man of faith'. Therefore those who want to inherit blessings given through him must possess what Abraham has, that is faith. Chapter Four talks about Paul's last missionary tactic: when Paul faces a mixed community of Jews and Gentiles, he requires each individual to choose whatever he believes to be an appropriate way to respond to faith: Jewish Christians may respond to God's saving grace by observance of the law, while Gentile Christians may respond to the same grace in another way, a way freed from Jewish law and also freed from those things which are incompatible with faith.