The Relationship of Jewish and Gentile Believers to the Law Between A.D. 30 and 70 in the Scripture

103 discussion of this chapter involves only the relationship of Gentiles to the Law. 132 To apply the discussion and decision of the council to Jewish believers can only be done in denial of the clear signals from the author. The Issue Involved This is an enormously important issue to discuss, but its importance is only eclipsed by our questions about it. Wilson puts his finger on the issue when he says "It is one of the oddities of Luke's narrative that he does not tell us precisely what the decree was for nor what it meant." 133 Conzelmann argues that the issue of the decree was basically one of social compromise hammered out to promote commensality. The intention of the decree is not to retain the Law as valid, not even symbolically or "in principle." The fundamental prescription of circumcision is not imposed. The decree is conceived rather as a concession to the Gentile Christians , which would enable Jewish Christians to live with them, and particularly to have table fellow hip . 134 This view, however , involves several difficulties, the first of which is the goal of table fellowship . While one result of the decree would surely be to encourage the goal of table fellowship, the terms of the decree would certainly not in themselves guarantee it. The decree , for example, would allow a Gentile to eat properly slaughtered pork-a menu item inappropri– ate for the communion table. 135 More importantly, however , the concept of table-fellow hip i 132 " ..• Paul concluded hi agreement with the Jeru alem Jewi h hri tian - that i , ith tho e who after all continued to circumci e their newborn on in 1 al b di n t th orah, and who w re proud of th ir own circumci ion.... th re i no mi t king th t P ul negotiated freedom from the Law only for th Gentile mi ion," Han Hiibn r, Law in Paul' Thought , 60 . 13 Wtl n, Luke and the Law, 1. mpl , th d r all th f ur l m nt ential " 15 ·2 ctl h th r ntial , f r ll hip , t 1d ff n r simpl u t b d t min d fr m th nt t. ru llm n, A ts , 11 . 13 Wil 1 , Jh 'enttl · and the ent1le Mt wn in Lu/...e