The Bridge Builders Forum Purim, Paul, and the Spirit of Amalek
Many Jews and a growing number of Christians have great affection for the Jewish holiday of Purim. Purim is also a somber reminder of the ongoing presence of what Jewish tradition refers to as “the spirit of Amalek.”
In the book of Exodus, “Amalek” was a nation that attacked the Jewish people without cause. So in Jewish thinking, “Amalek” represents a timeless antisemitic force that seeks to undermine God’s faithfulness by persecuting and destroying the Jewish people.
While Paul may not have been familiar with the specific phrase, "spirit of Amalek," he was well aware of anti-Jewish attitudes in the Greco-Roman world. In fact, he may have written his most famous letter, Romans, to confront this spirit arising among the Christians in Rome.
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