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

151 Another weakness of this view is its relationship to the introductory chapters of the book. If in fact Paul's argument involves the inadequacy of human effort as opposed to human faith, then chapters 1 and 2 have only a tangential correlation. The account of Paul 's testimony in chapter 1 is not presented so much as a conversion from human effort to human faith as it is a call to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. 19 And Peter's withdrawal from Gentile believers in Antioch is hardly a threat to the message of justification by faith. Surely Peter was not limiting himself to a Jewish group which thought justification was merited by pe,fect observance of the law. On the other hand, Peter's actions would threaten a gospel which included Gentiles if his behavior compelled Gentiles to become Jews before he would fellowship with them. 20 Certainly Stendahl's emphasis upon the historical situation of the first century (rather than the sixteenth century) is helpful in making sense of the entire epistle and Barclay is beaded in the right direction when he says: ',.,. the proper context for understanding Paul's arguments about works of the law is not on the gerieralized level of working for one's salvation (as opposed to trusting), but in the specific area of the necessary requirements of Jews and Gentiles in Christ. ... Paul is less concerned about theological issues of the sixteenth century (whether the individual is saved by faith alone or by the co-operation of faith and works) and more concerned with the theological battles of the first (whether Gentile believers in Christ need to live like Jews in doing the works of the law.) 21 19 Although Stendahl writes concerning the accounts of Paul's Dama cu road experience in the book of Acts the same can be aid concerning Galatian 1: 'The empha i in the accounts is always on this assignment, not on the conver ion. Rather than being on ert– ed,' Paul was called to the pecific ta k- made clear to him by hi e perien e of the ri n Lord-apostle hip to the Gentile , one hand-picked through Je u hri ton behalf f th on God of Jew and entile , " tendahl, Paul Among Jew and Gentile and Other E a , 7 . This i not to deny that thi wa the point of conver ion of the apo tle, but impl that a th a count i pre ented the empha i i upon hi call and ta k rather than hi n r i n. f . al o, Da id ordon, "The Problem t alatia," Interpretation 41 (1 7) : 20 d n, "Th Probl m at lati , " 4 . 2 1J hn 'hen ho 12 (1 lay, ' Paul nd th L ti n n om R nt D b t "