Carlos A. Segovia

A Jew to the Jews

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Traditionally used to prove that Paul was anything but a Torah-observant Jew, 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 ('To those under the law I became as one under the law, though I myself am not under the law. . . . To those without the law I became as one without the law . . .') is exposed in this book to a brilliant, thought-provoking analysis which shows, instead, that Paul simply aimed at following Jesus' example of adaptation with respect to commensality. As Jesus had become all things to all people through eating with ordinary Jews, Pharisees, and sinners, this book argues, Paul's purpose was to became 'all things to all people' through eating with ordinary Jews, strict Jews (those 'under the law'), and Gentile sinners; additionally, by affirming that he himself was 'not under the law,' he meant that he no longer viewed Pharisaic (or other strict sectarian) halakhah, which is not the same as the law in general, as a final authority. David Rudolph examines carefully and consistently the history of the interpretation of this key Pauline passage and adds new important arguments to those put forward by P. Tomson, M. Nanos, and M. Kinzer against its traditional reading. Widely acclaimed since its publication in 2011, this new edition will certainly help this landmark study of the post-supersessionary reading of Paul to reach even more readers.”