Paul's Assimilation Was for the Sake of Mission

Paul doesn't try to transpose scriptural conceptual structures into those of the wider gentile society. His approach on issues such as sexuality, idolatry and scripture are manifestly those of an observant jew. This would cause particular problems for the jerusalem christians as they related to the jews around them. They were presenting themselves as pious and observant jews, yet they countenanced paul's supposedly gentilizing mission. It seems as if this great unifying gesture of paul and the company of gentiles that he has brought with him is in danger of being entirely in vain. Unsettling rumours concerning him are provoking deeply damaging distrust in the very place where