15
language in 2 Corinthians 10-13 rivals that of Galatians in severity. From Paul's reply we
may infer that Jewish Christians calling themselves apostles, but almost certainly to be
distinguished from the Twelve, are severely critical of Paul (10:1-11); delight in
comparing themselves favorably with other religious teachers in their world (10:12-18);
preach a distorted gospel that Paul attributes to a "different spirit" (11:1-6); demand
money for their ministry in a way Paul eschews, presumably via the logic that "you get
what you pay for" (11:7-12); can be called servants of Satan masquerading as angels of
light (11:13-15); and boast in their credentials, including ethnic ones, which Paul can
match but which he prefers to counter by reciting his unmatchable catalog of sufferings
(11:16-12:10). While quite different and even more dangerous than the Greco-Roman
philosophies native to Corinth, because of their professing Christianity, these Judaizers
similarly seduce the Corinthian congregation to adopt an unwarranted triumphalist
spirit.
40
Romans
No explicit false teaching looms in the background to Romans. The most relevant
material for this survey is Paul's expanded reflection on the strong and the weak in the
context of debate over diet--this time perhaps with the Jewish kosher laws more in view
(Rom. 14:1-15:13) rather than food sacrificed to idols (1 Cor. 8-10).
41
Paul's gentle
appeal to both parties in the debate to accept one another, as in 1 Corinthians 8-10,
provides an important counterbalance to his harsher rejection of doctrine or practice that
(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000); and Bruce W. Winter, After Paul Left Corinth (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,
2001).
40
Cf. esp. D. A. Carson, From Triumphalism to Maturity (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1984).
41
See, e.g., Douglas J. Moo, The Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996), 826-33.