Persecution And Cosmic Conflict In Galatians

"But just as then the child born as a result of the flesh persecuted the one born as a result of the Spirit, so also now" (Gal 4:29 CSB). Why do God's people suffer? In Galatians, Paul makes an argument from persecution for the authenticity of his gospel. Persecution demonstrates that Paul and the Galatians belong to God and have believed in the divinely revealed gospel. While Paul does not offer an explicit theodicy in Galatians, his argument from persecution requires an implicit one. Paul's theodicy can primarily be understood through his interpretation of earlier Scripture, especially the story of Isaac and Ishmael in Genesis. In Persecution and Cosmic Conflict, Joshua Caleb Hutchens examines the theme of persecution in Galatians and Paul's theological context in earlier Scriptures and early Judaism. Hutchens argues that Paul sees persecution as a manifestation of the cosmic conflict between God in Christ and the present evil age. Paul argues for this by appealing to earlier Scripture in Genesis. Hutchens offers a biblical-theological reading of Genesis that makes sense of Paul's usage of the book in Galatians.

Part of the biblical theology of Satan and the demonic realm includes a depiction of cosmic conflict, wherein earthly events and conflicts are portrayed as a reflection of heavenly ones, and vice versa. While this portrayal has been explored from various angles, it has not been applied to an examination of the letter of 1 Peter. This dissertation argues that the depiction of cosmic conflict does inform Peter's paraenesis and depiction of suffering to a significant degree. Chapter 1 contains a survey of revelant research and presents the thesis: that the portrayal of cosmic conflict informs Peter's dipiction of suffering in that Peter pictures the current persecution of the readers as a necessary and inevitable part of the cosmic struggle against Satan and the demonic realm. Chapter 2 presents an examination of the paraenesis of 1 Peter, arguing that the letter reflects the paradigm of conflict, whereby the author seeks to subvert the perceived social values and structures. This chapter shows how cosmic conflict reflects this paradigm, as the world is depicted as an arena for opposing cosmic and human forces. Chapters 3 through 5 contain a detailed survey of biblical and Second Temple Jewish literature as it portrays the figures of Satan and the demonic realm, as well as the conflict that exists between Yahweh and the forces of darkness. These chapters also make note of the connections drawn by the biblical authors between the earthly and heavenly realms. Chapter 6 contains an examination of the suffering and persecution envisaged in 1 Peter, and argues for a portrayal of suggering that includes verbal, social, economic and legal components. This chapter also emphasizes how early Christian writers could speak of their struggles as having imperial and cosmic dimensions. Chapter 7 offers a succinct reading of 1 Peter as a whole, with particular attention to how the depiction of cosmic conflict detailed thus far influences Peter's teaching and exhortation throughout the epistle. Chapter 8 contains a conclusion of major arguments and suggests possible implications for broader study of the New Testament and application to the church at large today.

Every day people are punished for breaking the law, but how often are they scolded for obeying it? The Galatians were. That's why Paul's letter to the church at Galatia has perplexed Bible scholars for decades. Is Paul, who upholds the law in other epistles, now declaring it futile? What does he really believe the relationship between obedience to the law and righteousness by faith is? Carl P. Cosaert confronts these questions head-on by thoroughly exploring Paul's themes the centrality of faith in Christ, the role of the law in salvation and in the Christian life, the significance of the new covenant, the nature of true Christian freedom, how to walk in the Spirit, and why Christians should glory in the cross of Christ.

Back cover: John Anthony Dunne argues that, in Galatians, Paul puts forth suffering, rather than receiving circumcision, as a badge that demarcates the true people of God who are set apart in Christ for future blessing and vindication.

Several view of martyrdom co-existed in the early Church. The 'orthodox' position, generally accepted by scholars, was that a Christian should choose martyrdom rather than deny the Faith, but should not, on any account, court death. Although it has been recognised that some in the early Church did seek a glorified death, by giving themselves over to arrest, most scholars have dismissed such acts as differing from 'the accepted attitude to martyrdom' in the early Church. Therefore, instances of volitional, or radical martyrdom, have been largely overlooked or sidelined in scholarly investigations into the theology and origins of Christian martyrdom. Paul Middleton argues that, far from being a deviant strand of early Christianity, 'radical martyrdom' was a significant, and widely held idealised form of devotion in the late first to early third centuries. Christian martyrdom is placed within the heritage of Jewish War tradition, with each martyr making an important contribution to the cosmic conflict between Satan and God. Radical Martyrdom re-examines the presentation, theology, and origins of Christian martyrdom up to the beginning of the Decian persecutions in the light of new perspectives on the subject.

Galatians is one of the earliest of the Pauline letters and is therefore among the first documents written by Christians in the first century. Paul's letter to the Galatians deals with the first real controversy in the early church: the status of Jews and gentiles in this present age and the application of the Law of Moses to gentiles. Paul argues passionately that gentiles are not "converting" to Judaism and therefore should not be expected to keep the Law. Gentiles who accept Jesus as Savior are "free in Christ," not under the bondage of the Law. Galatians also deals with an important pastoral issue in the early church as well. If gentiles are not "under the Law," are they free to behave any way they like? Does Paul's gospel mean that gentiles can continue to live like pagans and still be right with God? For Paul, the believer's status as an adopted child of God enables them to serve God freely as dearly loved children. Galatians: Freedom through God's Grace is commentary for laypeople, Bible teachers, and pastors who want to grasp how the original readers of Galatians would have understood Paul's letter and how this important ancient letter speaks to Christians living in similar situations in the twenty-first century.

Todd Wilson assesses Paul’s references to the Law in the so-called “ethical” section of Galatians in light of a fresh appraisal of the Galatian crisis. He contributes to the continuing debate over the relevance of this section of the letter for the rest of Galatians and for the situation in Galatia.