1 Corintians chapter 10: anti-Semitism, secondary authorship, and bar Cochba

Ου θελω γαρ υμας εγνοειν αδελφοι οτι οι πατερες ημν παντες υπο τγν νεφελην ησαν και παντες δια της θαλασσης διηλθον

* I do not wish you to be ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,

και παντες εις τον Μωυσην εβαπρισθησαν εν τη νεφελη και εν τη θαλασση

* And all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,

και παντες το αυτο πνευματικον βρωμα εφαγον

 * And all ate the same spiritly food,

και παντες το αυτο πνευματικον επιον πομα επινον γαρ εκ πνευματικης ακολουθουσης πετρας η πετρα δε ην ο Χριστος

 * And all drank the same spiritly drink. For they drank from a spiritly following rock, and the rock was Christ.

“Paul” leaves the athletics metaphor, and the unusual claim that he was not Judean or under the law, and returns to Judean traditioning.  It would seem, though, that this “Paul” obtained a copy of Matthew’s narrative, and conflated Peter with Christ.  Matthew 16:16-18:  “Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” 

It would seem certain, then, that “Paul” and the gospellers were working around the same time.  Which means it is arguable that Paul was a witness to, if not involved in, the bar Cochba revolt and that his “conversion” on the road to Damascus was while he was fleeing (or being expelled from) Judea.  It is also arguable that Paul had been trying to repopulate Judea by coaching Greco-Romans who had become followers of the Judean “philosophy” so they could be accepted as fully-accepted members of the Judean Temple cult, for which he too up a collection.  It is also arguable that some of those communities (Philippians, for example) discovered that the Judean Temple had been rededicated to Jupiter, so their “Temple tax” contributions would not be received and they would not be fully accepted members of the Judean Temple cuilt.  That would explain why, in 1 Thessalonians, Paul defended himself against accusations that he had misbehaved. 

Αλλ ουκ εν τοις πλαιοσιν αυτων ευδοκησεν ο θεος κατεστρωθησαν γαρ εν τη ερημω

 * But God was not pleased with most of them, for they were spread out in the wilderness.

Ταυτα δε τυποι ημων εγεηθησαν εις το μη ειναι ημας εποθυμητας κακων καθως κακεινοι επεθυμησαν

* These things became types for us, for us not to be desirers of evil things as they desired.

Μη δε ειδωλολατραι γινεσθε καθως τινες αυτων ωσπερ γεγραπται Εκαθισεν ο λαος φαγειν και πειν και ανεστησαν παιζειν

 Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it has been written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.”

It would seem from this text as if Paul has become anti-Semitic.  However, the text her refers to is Deut 32:6 “So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.”   

It is likely that his Greco-Roman audience, lacking a cultural tradition of referencing text as a warning to change behavior simply took the statement at face value, and received it as an anti-Semitic statement.

Μεδε πορνευωμεν καθως τινες αυτων εοπρνευσαν και επεσαν μια ημερα εικοσε πρεις χιλιαδεσ

* Neither should we commit immorality as some of them committed immorality, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 

Paul references Ex (32:28): “And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?” And Aaron said, “Let not the anger of my lord burn hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. For they said to me, ‘Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ So I said to them, ‘Let any who have gold take it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.”

And when Moses saw that the people had broken loose (for Aaron had let them break loose, to the derision of their enemies), Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, “Who is on the Lord’s side? Come to me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him. And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.’” And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day about three and twenty thousand men of the people fell. And Moses said, “Today you have been ordained for the service of the Lord, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day.”

μηδε εκπειραζωμεν τον Χριστον καθως τινες αυτων επειρασαν και υπο των οφεων απωλλυντο

* Neither should we test Christ, as some of them tested and perished by serpents,

Paul references Num 21:6:  “Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.”

μηδε γογγυζετε καθαπερ αυτων εγογγυσαν και απωλοντο υπο του ολοθρευτου

 Nor grumble, as some of them grumbled and perished by the Destroyer.

The theme of the Desptroyer is one found among a number of the Navi’im.  Jer 48:8:  “The destroyer will come against every town, and not a town will escape. The valley will be ruined and the plateau destroyed, because the LORD has spoken.”  Nahum 2:2, “The LORD will restore the splendor of Jacob like the splendor of Israel, though destroyers have laid them waste and have ruined their vines.”

However one in particular stands out.  Isa 14:12: “How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations.”  It is likely that this, with its reference to “morning star, son of the dawn” was meant as a reference to bar Cochba.

Ταυτα δε τυπικως συνεβαινεν εκεινοις εγραφη δε προς νουθεσιαν ημων εις ους τα τελη των αιωνων κατηντηκεν

* These things happened to them as types, but they were written down to warn us, on whom the end of the ages has arrived.

This statement, which sounds eschatological, would likely have seemed like an element of mystery cult, which was known in Greco-Roman praxis.  It is likely, however, that while the mention athletics were not Paul, this was, and this was Paul telling his audience that he had experience of the bar Cochba revolt.

Ωστε ο δοκων εσταναι βλεπετω μη πεση

* So he that thinks to stand, let him see so he should not fall.

Paul intends this to say, “don’t think you are exempt from what happened to them.”  It is likely, however that this is not how his audience understood him, since they lacked the cultural references to know that his statements were quotations from the Judean canon, and that it was consistent with the Judean canon to reference past occasions in which Judeans had encountered set-backs.

πειρασμος υμας ουκ ειληφεν ει μη ανθρωπινος πιστος δε ο θεος οσ ουκ εασει υμας πειρασθηναι υπερ ο δυνασθε αλλα ποιησει συν τω πειρασμω και την εκβασιν του δυνασθαι υπενεγκειν

Temptation has not taken you if not humanly. God is faithful, and he will not allow you be tempted above your ability, but he will make the temptation and also the escape, to be able to bear it.

Διοπερ αγαπητοι μου φευγετε απο της ειδωλολατριας

* Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

ως φρονιμοις λεγω κρινατε ημεις ο φημι

* I speak to intelligent one; you judge what I say.

        "Paul" returns to insulting his audience as a pedagogical device.

Το ποτηριον της ευλογιας ο ευλογουμεν ουχι κοινωνια εστιν του αιματος του χριστου τον αρτον ον κλωμεν οθχι κοινωνια του σωματος του χριστου εστιν

* The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not communion of the body of Christ?

Οτι εις αρτος εν σωμα οι πολλοι εσμεν οι γαρ παντες εκ του ενος αρτου μετεχομεν

* Because there is one loaf, we are many in one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.

Βλεπετε τον Ισραηλ κατα σαρκα, ουχ οι εσθιοντες τας θυσιας κοινωνοι του θυσιαστηριου εισιν

* See Israel according to the flesh.  Are those eating the sacrifices not partaking of the altar?

            This seems to be another writer.  While this is traditionally translated as “the people of Israel” and is understood to refer to Jews, the author previously referred to “Judeans” (when he said he was not Judean, but to gain Judean, he acted as a Judean).  The writer of this intends his audience to understand that the people of Israel are idolaters, and therefore should not be followed.  Yet the writer (possibly a different writer) also referred to narratives from the Judean canon, which make it evident that God has intervened to help the people of Israel.  Because the audience of this text does not have any Judean cultural background, it seems that secondary writers believe it easy to insert any reference to Israel/Judea and have it accepted as “authentic” Paul.

Τι ουν φημι οτι ειδωλοθυτον τι εστιν η οτι ειδωλον τι εστιν

* What do I say then? That food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?

This is how we can tell that the writer of this part is not Paul:  there were no idols in the Temple in Jerusalem.  The Kedosh Kedoshim, the Holy of Holies, was the innermost part of the Temple.  Only the Cohanim (priests) were permitted in there, and only on the Yamim Nora’im (days of terror—now called the “Days of Awe” or “High Holy days”).  Apion, an anti-Judean writer  (ca 20s BCE-45-48CE) claimed the reason that only priests went into the Holy of Holies was that the “real” god of Israel dwelt there, and that the  “real” god of Israel was a statue of a golden ass.

The Paul who claimed to be of the tribe of Benjamin, a Pharisee, would certainly know this claim of Apion’s was libelous.  A “Paul” who would write of Temple sacrifice as a form of idolatry was not one who had experience of Judean Temple praxis.

Αλλ οτι α θυουσιν τα ευνη διαμονιοις και ου θεω θυουσιν ου υελω δε υμας κοινωνους των δαιμονιων γινεσθαι

* But (the nations) sacrifice to demons and not to God, they sacrifice. I do not wish you to be fellow-partakers with demons.

This would be how the early church conflated Judeans with demons.  The use of “εθνοι” would be sufficient to convince a Greco-Roman that the speaker was indeed Judean.  The fact that that “Judean” claimed “Israel” as one of the “nations” indicates that the writer was not Judean.

Ου δυνασθε πορηριον κυριου πινειν και ποτηριον διμονιων ου δυνασθε τραπεζης κυριου μεμεχειν και τραπεζης δαιμονιων

* You are not able to drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You are not able to partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

First “Paul” suggests that Temple sacrifice at the Temple was idolatrous, and now he suggests that it is demonic.  This is not consistent with anyone who would call himself a member of the tribe of Benjamin, and a Pharisee.

Η παραζηλουμεν τον κυριον μη ισχυροτεροι αυτου εσμεν

* Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Is He not stronger than we are?

Παντα εξεστιν αλλ ου παντα συμφερει παντα εξεστιν αλλ ου παντα οικοδομει

* All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable.  All things are lawful,  but not all things build up.

μηδεις το εαυτου ζητειτω αλλα το του ετερου

* Let no one seek for himself, but for the other.

Παν το εν μακελλω πωλουμενον εστιετε μηδεν ανακρινοντες δια την συνειδησιν

* Eat anything that is sold in the meat market making no inquiry about custom.

Του κυριου γαρ η γη και το πληρωμα αυτης

* The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness of it.

Ει τις καλει υμας των απιστων και θελετε πορευεσθαι παν το παρατιθεμενον υμιν εσθειτε μηδεν ανακρινοντες την σθνειδησιν

* If someone of the unbelieving invites you to dinner and you wish to go, eat all that is set before you inquiring nothing on account of custom.

Εαν δε τις υμιν ειπη τουτο ιεροθθτον εστιν μη εσθιετε δι εκεινον τον μηνθσαντα και την σθνειδησιν του γαρ κυριου η γη και το πληρωμα αυτης

* But if someone should say to you, This was offered to an idol, do not eat it, on account of that one having shown it, and custom—

σθνειδησιν δε λεφω ουχι την εαυτου αλλα την του ετερου ινα τι γαρ η ελευθερια μου κρινεται υπο αλλης συνειδησεως

* Custom, I say, not yours, but of the other.  Why should my freedom be judged by someone else’s custom?

Ει εγο χαριτι μετεχω τι βλασφημουμαι υπερ ου εγω ευζαριστω

 * If I partake with thanks, why am I spoken evilly of because of what I give thanks for?

Ειτε ουν εσθιετε ειτε πινετε ειτε τι ποιειτε παντα εις δοξαν θεου ποιειτε

* Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Απροσκοποι και Ιουδαιοις γινεσθε και ελλησιν και τη εκκλησια του θεου

* You should be without offense to Judeans and to Greeks and to the gathering of God,

καθως καγω παντα πασιν αρεσκω μη ζητων το εμαυτου σθμφορον αλλα το των πολλων ινα σωθωσιν

* As I try to please all in all things, not seeking profit for myself, but that of many, that they might be saved.