(Faculty of Theology, University of the Free State, 2014) Punt, Jeremy
English: This contribution explores the interplay between Paul’s use of the Scriptures of
Israel and the imperial setting in claims about Abraham and the negotiation of
identity in the Galatians letter. The letter, from Paul’s perspective, is testimony to
fierce contestation of identity and finds him engaged in describing, defining and
scripting insiders and outsiders in and around the community. In his efforts to argue
for a certain identity, Paul not only enlisted the Scriptures of Israel but also availed
himself of frameworks reminiscent of contemporary socio-political notions, and of
imperial posturing in particular.