The life and work of St. Paul

506 THE LIFE AND WORK OS1 ST. PATTL.
ism, and when we find the very same views and practices existing in Borne
during the next century, 1 it is hardly possible to avoid the suspicion that the
Judaic Christianity of these " weak " brethren was tinged with those Essene,
Phrygian, or Pythagorean elements which led them to look on the material
and the sensuous as something intrinsically dangerous, if not as positively
evil. Epiphanius says that Ebion visited Borne * and ; although it is more
than doubtful whether there ever was such a person, yet the statement shows
the prevalence of such views. Now one of the Ebionitie principles was that
all meat is
3
impure, and in the Clementine Homilies the eating of meat is
and the Apostle Peter
attributed to impure demons and bloodthirsty giants ;
is made to say to Clement that " he makes use only of bread and olives and
(sparingly) of other vegetables " * a tradition which we also find attached by
Clemens of Alexandria to the names of St. Matthew and James the Lord's
brother, and the latter we are told drank no wine or strong drink. 6
It is very
possible that St. Paul did not see the necessity of formally warning the Boman
Christians against the tendency to dualism. This might be the subterranean
origin of wrong notions before it had risen into clear
long^ consciousness.
What St. Paul did see was the danger that if " the weak " prevailed, Chris-
tianity might be frittered away into a troublesome and censorious externalism ;
or that the " strong " might treat their weaker brethren with a rough and
self -exalting contempt which would either put force on tender consciences, or
create a permanent disruption between the different members of the Church. 8
He treats the difficulty in the same masterly manner broad yet sympathetic,
inflexible in convictions yet considerate towards prejudices which
he had already displayed in dealing with a similar question in his Epistle
to the Corinthians. But the difference between the tone adopted in this
chapter and that in the Epistle to the Galatians is very remarkable, and
shows the admirable tact and versatility of the Apostle. He is there es-
tablishing the rights of Christian freedom against the encroachments of
Pharisaism, so that the assertion of the liberty of the Gentiles was a matter
of essential importance. He therefore speaks, as it was a duty to speak,
with an almost rough contempt of attaching any vital importance to " beg-
garly elements." Here his tone is altogether different, because his object
is altogether different, as also were his readers. The right to enjoy our
liberty he can here in the most absolute manner assume. As to the merit
of the particular scrupulosities which were in vogue among the weak, he
has no occasion to do more than imply his own indifference. What is here
necessary is to warn the " strong " not to be arrogant in their condemna-
tions, and the " weak " not to be supercilious in their self-esteem. He has
shown the universality of guilt, and the universality of grace, and he has
now to show the sacred duty of unanimity among those thus universally
1 The Ebionites regarded the Sabbath as the holiest command of the Jewish religion.
3 Haer. xxx. 18. J
Epiphan. Haer. in. 15.
* Horn. xii.
'
6.
Paedag. ii. 1 ; Euseb. H. E. ii. 23 ; Baur, Paul. i. 358.
Gal. Ui. ; T.I 9; vi. 12,13.