Mark Nanos, "Paul's Relationship to Jews and Judaism in First-Century Context," Mar. 24, 2014

"Paul's Relationship to Jews and Judaism in First-Century Context: Revisiting the Translation of Romans 11." Dr. Mark Nanos of the University of Kentucky. Dr. Nanos is a well-known scholar of Christian origins and a specialist on the apostle Paul.

Romans 11 continues to be a central text for Christian perceptions of Jews and Judaism. Current translations give the impression that Paul was a "Christian" writing about Jews and Judaism as if these no longer represented his own identity. They also suggest that Paul perceived his fellow Jews who did not believe in Jesus as Christ to have been removed from the covenants God made with Abraham and Israel, being "cut off," "hardened," "disobedient," even "enemies of God." Nanos will demonstrate why these are not the most accurate choices for translating and interpreting Paul's message in its original first-century context, and how a new approach to Paul's message from within Judaism can contribute to advancing Christian- Jewish relations today.