andrewcriddle wrote: ↑Sat Jun 15, 2019 1:35 am
Paul did attack paganism. see Romans 1
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
Andrew Criddle
In the passage quoted by Andrew, verse 23:
and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things
Paul is attacking not the Pagans, but the same Christians, who adored the image of the crucified ("image resembling mortal man") and the dove (“birds”) and the Lamb ("animals") and the Fish ("creeping things").
Nihil enim in speciem fallacius est quam prava religio. -Liv. xxxix. 16.
Origen wrote that Paul was arguing against philosophers in the following passage.
Paul, indeed, observing that there are in Greek philosophy certain things not to be lightly esteemed, which are plausible in the eyes of the many, but which represent falsehood as truth, says with regard to such: "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." And seeing that there was a kind of greatness manifest in the words of the world's wisdom, he said that the words of the philosophers were "according to the rudiments of the world." No man of sense, however, would say that those of Celsus were "according to the rudiments of the world." http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/t ... en161.html
Using your "creative" exegesis, is it possible that Paul is not in fact attacking philosophers, rather Christians who perhaps believed in an earthly Jesus, i.e, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ" Col2:8
O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
Are the Galatians like the Romans, adoring "images resembling mortal man"?
Nihil enim in speciem fallacius est quam prava religio. -Liv. xxxix. 16.
Galatians appears to have been written not against pagans, rather a group of people (including some former pagans?) who began to esteem jewish customs such as circumcision.
If you’re looking where Paul was addressing a group who perhaps minimized/denied the importance of an earthly Jesus see 1 Cor 12:3