Why did the Jewish people struggle with Paul?
The Jewish people struggled with Paul because of their deep attachment to their heritage and to Peter, who embodied the kingdom economy under the law. They had lingering hang-ups about Paul, preferred Peter, and resisted Paul’s message, saying they would follow Jesus instead.
Les explains that these Corinthian believers, though called elect, were more prone to adhere to Peter. Peter never had a ministry among Gentiles according to Scripture, yet they felt an affinity for him because he was the epitome of the Jew under the kingdom economy. They thought their people simply had hang-ups about Paul and couldn’t get over him, producing divisions—some following Peter, some Apollos, some Paul, and some claiming only Christ. Les notes the same argument today: people refuse Paul’s epistles and say they go by Jesus, yet Jesus spoke to the Jew under the law.