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

140 followed the epistles. " 233 The more common evangelical position is that Paul was merely acting out of expedience. Although Paul felt that Jews no longer needed to obey the law , this did not prevent him from occasionally keeping the Law when convenient or helpful, and he did not actively teach Jews to abandon it. 234 Support for the consistency of Paul's action is almost universally marshalled from 1 Corinthians 9: 19-23, although even one who does so admits that the situations are different. "The truth would seem to be that Paul was prepared to live as one 'under the law' to those who were under the law, although he did this primarily with a view to winning unconverted Jews rather than to pacifying Christian Jews. " 235 Luke makes it clear within the text (21:20) that Paul's action was not to conciliate and win unbelieving Jews but for believers. Whatever the meaning of 1 Corinthians 9 may be, 236 one thing which it can not 233 Lake, Beginnings, 271. He continues "Yet human nature is so inconsistent , and especially in .religious matters we cling to customs so long after we can justify them or wish to enforce them on others, and are so loath to break with a church of which we have inherited the traditions , that I am not sure that Paul may not have been much nearer the standard of custom implied by Acts than his own writings would indicate, " and "The sentimental power of tradition always affects men's conduct in the practice of religion, and frequently overpow– ers logic ," Ibid . 234 1 believe this faithfully represents the positions of several including Marshall , Acts, 344; Kistemaker , Acts , 759; and Toussaint , "Acts ," 416 . 235 Marshall , Acts, 346 . 236 With reference to 1 Cor 9:19f. Wilson comments, "The degree to which thi statement can be used to justify the 'J ewishnes ' of Paul in Acts i open to ome di put , but it is remarkable that Luke reveals only one side of Paul ' accommodation 'for the ake of the gospel', i.e. becoming a Jew to tho e who were Jews. De pite Luke' intere t in the Gentile mi ion and the central role Pau l perform in it, there i not a ingle e ample in t of Paul behaving a a entile to tho e who were Gentile , whether 'for the ak of th go pel ' r f r any other rea on. ven when preaching to the Gentile Paul behave like a J Luke and the Law, 67-68. Wilson' ob er ati n are duly noted t hi h e off: r an un upported answer : it may be that Paul reall wa a La -ob er ant J and th t Luk corr ctly and imply de crib hi con i t nt lif t le . It ma b that 1 rinthi n spea of Paul' tyl in pr enting th m g (cert inl Paul' m ti ithin th p ag f 1 orinthian i e ang Ii tic) rath r th n hi p r 'onal lif t le . Th ti , h ninth n g ue