APPENDIX II— GALATIA P. 750—Sanders distinguishes between Galatia the region settled by Celts around Ankara, and Galatia the Roman province which extended almost from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean and encompassing several regions. p. 751— The new Gal. province was about 420 miles north to south and included parts of regions called Pisidia and Lycaonia. Augustus based the province of the territory ruled by King Amyntas which went beyond old Galatia and included parts of Pamphylia, Pisidia and Lycaonia.... Read more

APPENDIX I— HOMOSEXUALITY pp. 727-29— During the golden age of Athens 480-350— older male on younger male sex was idealized. The younger partner was supposed to be passive, the older active. Sex was supposed to be between the thighs, but if it was anal the boy was not supposed to like it. Boys were courted once they reached puberty, and they had guardians when they were school age. Part of the cause was exercise in the nude in the gymnasium,... Read more

p. 707—- CONCLUSIONS!! Paul’s thought is mainly a response to events and issues he faced in converting gentiles. He did not construct a systematic theology “Paul did not start his career with a full set of theological dogma that he taught each church”. Sanders adds Paul is just trying to save as many people as he can, not generate dogmas to guide the church in future centuries. [While I agree he was not a systematician, I would say that he... Read more

In Rom. 12.1 Sanders takes logiken to mean spiritual— spiritual worship or service. p. 691– Philo wrote (Spec. 1,277) “The symbolized meaning is just this and nothing else: that which is precious in the sight of God is not the number of [sacrificial] victims immolated but the true purity of a logiken [rational] spirit in him who makes the sacrifice.” The living sacrifice Paul expects has to do with their inner intention and commitment to be completely self-sacrificial in their... Read more

p. 662— Spirit of God and Spirit of Christ are interchangeable. Rom. 8 is the great chapter of indwelling and participation. p. 663— He sees no distinction between the Spirit is in the believer and Christ is except, the former phrase begins in Paul’s first letter whereas ‘Christ in you’ develops more slowly. With the terminology of indwelling comes the terminology of union conformed to the image, transform the body of our humiliation conformed in Rom. 8.29 is same word... Read more

p. 644– In Rom. 7 Paul writes as if all humans are under the Jewish Law. Because Paul parallels the law written on Gentile hearts (2.12-15) with the Mosaic Law, Jew and Gentile are equally under law and under sin Rom. 3.19 says that all those who are under law are accountable, and then he says the whole world is accountable to God. Everyone is a sinner condemned by the Jewish law, even though elsewhere he has argued Gentiles are... Read more

Sanders says in Romans Paul realized he made a mistake in Galatians by saying that circumcision came 430 years after Abraham who was righteous by faith, but Gen. 17. 9-14 commanded Abraham to be circumcised too. [This is not correct. Paul is right that Abraham was given right standing through trusting God in Gen. 12ff. before God commanded him to be circumcised. Furthermore, Paul does not say in Gal. that the command to circumcise came 430 years later, he says... Read more

p. 610—- Sanders notes the big difference between Gal. where there is no righteousness by the law, but here in Phil. there is such a thing 3.6,9— indeed Paul says he had a righteousness under the law, blamelessness. What really counts or matters is having the righteousness that comes by faith in Christ which involves sharing in his sufferings and becoming like him in his death. Whatever righteousness from the law was, it didn’t unite you to Christ and provide... Read more

p. 615—- The major theme of Romans is the equality of Jew and Gentile before God. Paul was in Corinth for what he intended to be the last time and was heading to Jerusalem with the collection. p. 616— Paul asked for two sorts of assistance from the Romans— prayer for safety etc. when he went to Jerusalem, and then traveling assistance when he went on from Rome to Spain. Notice how tactful Paul is in Rom. 1 because the... Read more

PHILIPPIANS pp. 575-78— Sanders cannot discern a structure in this letter, not least because he doesn’t read it rhetorically. p. 579— This document may be a compilation of several letter fragments, but in any case Sanders thinks it all comes from Paul. He thinks the major break between 3.1 and 3.2 may hint at multiple letter fragments. pp. 580-81— While it is true, as Sanders says, that Acts leaves out a lot and is episodic, this does not give a... Read more