Similarly, when he writes to his followers at Philippi he clearly expects them to receive his instructions positively, so his tone is encouraging, but nonetheless, obedience to Christ is to be gauged by obedience to the apostle and the degree to which they follow him:
Thus my beloved ones, as you have always obeyed, so do so now, not only when I am present, but even more when I am absent—work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12)
Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. (Philippians 3:17)
What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—do! And the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:9)
At the same time he makes it clear that his instructions are not based on human authority, but backed by the power of Christ. He goes on to remind the Thessalonians that they are to avoid any form of sexual immorality, ending his instructions with the stern warning: “Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you” (1 Thessalonians 4:8).
But even with the Corinthians and the Galatians, where there are those that are openly opposing him and his apostleship, he mixes his firm instructions with emotional pleas based on their personal bond established by his “fathering” them. To the Galatians he says he is like a parent watching over the birth of a child: “My little children, with whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ be formed in you! I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you” (Galatians 4:19–20). To the Corinthians he pleads:
Even if I am not an apostle to others at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 9:2)
Our mouth is open to you Corinthians, our heart is wide . . . open your hearts to us; we have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have not taken advantage of anyone. I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that you are in our hearts . . . (2 Corinthians 6:11; 7:2–3)
But then in the same letter, though perhaps in a section written a bit later, when he has received reports of their possible resistance, he once again stresses his authority, his impending visit, and warns them of the consequences they will face if they resist him:
I beg you that when I am present I may not have to be overbearing with the kind of persuasion I plan on employing against those who accuse us of walking according to the flesh. (2 Corinthians 10:2)
For even if I boast a bit of our authority (which the Lord gave for building up, not for destroying you) I will not be put to shame. (2 Corinthians 10:8)
I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did then when I was there on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them—since you want proof that Christ is speaking through me. (2 Corinthians 13:2–3)
I write this while I am away from you, in order that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down. (2 Corinthians 13:10)
Notice that it is Christ who has given Paul his authority and although, ideally, this authority is for “building up,” it can be equally powerful for “tearing down” and thus destroying. In the end Paul expects obedience and he wants his followers to soberly consider what is at stake in their losing their salvation, and thus coming under the wrath of God. One must always keep in mind the apocalyptic context of everything Paul writes. For him, as well as for his communities, the “day of the Lord,” when Christ appears in the clouds of heaven to judge the world, could come at any time:
We overthrow argument [i.e., with the weapons of divine power—verse 4] and every proud obstacle to the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, having prepared to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. (2 Corinthians 10:5–6)
The destructive use of his authority is intended for the outsider or the opponent, not for the obedient child who imitates the father. The situation at Corinth and with the Galatians is so desperate that the “children” themselves are in danger of moving into the category of the “outsider,” and thus suffering the destruction of divine power mediated by the apostle. This is very serious business, with cosmic consequences. In Galatians he uses hyperbolic language with a full repertoire of cursing, sarcasm, dire threats, and warnings:
I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting him who called you . . . (1:6)
If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be damned! (1:9)
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? (3:1)
I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view than mine and that the one troubling you will bear his condemnation, whoever he is! (5:10)
The threat Paul sees among the Galatians is apparently a specific person, unnamed, who has challenged Paul’s apostolic authority and his message that the Torah of Moses has been superseded by the coming of Christ. Conversion to Judaism, signified by the rite of circumcision in the case of males, was always an open option for Gentiles in the Jesus movement. It was not required or even expected, but those who felt so drawn to become part of Israel were welcome. Paul is adamant, to the point of vulgarity, in resisting this option. There were apparently some among his group of followers who were encouraging those who wanted to take this step. He declares: “I wish the ones who are troubling you would cut themselves off!” referring to a slip of the circumcision knife, and he warns that anyone who does become circumcised has severed himself from Christ! (Galatians 5:4, 12).
DOES GOD CARE FOR OXEN?
Perhaps the most telling indication of Paul’s approach to the Torah comes in his defense of his right as an apostle to be supported financially by his followers. Some of Paul’s opponents had apparently denied his apostleship and influenced some of his followers at Corinth to question his status compared to Peter, James, and the other Jerusalem apostles. He adamantly defends himself:
Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 9:1–2)
He then compares himself to the Jerusalem apostles directly:
This is my defense to those who would examine me. Do we not have the right to our food and drink? Do we not have the right to be accompanied by a wife as the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? (1 Corinthians 9:3–5)
Although Paul insisted that out of dedicated service to his followers he worked as a manual laborer and did not ask them to support him financially, he is quite insistent that like the apostles at Jerusalem he had every right to do so (1 Corinthians 9:12, 18). Paul appealed to the example of the priests who serve at the temple in Jerusalem, noting that the Torah commands that they share in the offering brought by the people. He even refers to a teaching of Jesus: “In the same way the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel,” perhaps alluding to Jesus’ teaching that “the laborer deserves his wages” (1 Corinthians 9:14; Luke 10:7). However, his main support for his position comes from his citation of the Torah itself:
Do I say this on human authority? Does not the Torah say the same? For it is written in the Torah of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain.” Does God care for oxen? Does he not speak entirely for our sake? . . . if we have sown spiritual good among you is it too much if we reap your material benefits? (1 Corinthians 9:8–11)