An historical examination of what Paul did can only lead to one conclusion: Paul invented a new religion that distorted Judaism. That new religion was Christianity.
A close reading of the clash between the Messianic Jews in the Jerusalem congregation and Paul demonstrate his activity to be covert and apostate from their point of view.
Paul made a great number of supernatural claims to give authority to his theology. His claims are on the same level as a person who has been kidnapped by Aliens and "probed".
The early writings around the time of Paul and forward for three centuries give us more information about him. He claimed to be a Pharisee, but wasn't. He tried to enter Rabbinical school and flunked out because he couldn't get the hang of logical reasoning required. He was in love with the High Priest's daughter and was wooing her and was perhaps engaged but was ultimately rejected by her. He was born to gentile parents in a geographical area that was suffused with Neo Platonic philosophy. Paul could not read or write in Hebrew. He was hellenistic in his philosophy and approach to matters religious. Paul used monies collected in the name of religious work to purchase Roman citizenship and he had his own agenda.
When we talk about or practice contemporary Christianity we find the source of almost every doctrine and explanation to come, not from Jesus, but from this strange man, Paul.
It should be called Paulianity.
The followers of Jesus had no intention to morph out of Judaism. This was wrought upon many converts who were Gentile along with the notion that this new religion was somehow valid because it was connected to ancient foundations. Paul hijacked Judaism. He did what he had to do to give credibility to his philosophical inventions, he aligned himself as far as he could with something that already existed which had gravitas.
The followers of Jesus and under the leadership of his brother merely repeated the tenets of Judaism when confronted with Gentiles who wanted to be a part of their movement.
The dictums that came out of the Jerusalem meeting are a repetition of what is called, in Judaism, the laws of the sons of Noah. Those were always view as being the law the nations of the world were under. It was the Mosaic law which was only viewed as the specific covenant with Jews. Incidentally, the rule about keeping themselves "free of things strangled and blood" were understood differently by the Jews than by JW's. The Jews viewed the warning about things strangled as applying to the need to pour out the blood. The mention of "blood" referred to manslaughter. In effect it meant do not shed the blood of others or your blood will need to be shed. The JW's distort the origin and the intent.
Paul is an interesting fellow. He came along like the Warren Commission after the death of JFK and "explained" everything which then became the official view. Paul's neo Platonic philosophy combined with the Jewish histories of scripture were easily acceptable by Pagans. The pagan religions were very similar to what Paul advocated. Christianity was spread as a result of his successful paganizing work.
Just ignore me. I only read histories, scholarly studies and non-canonical books to obtain the WHOLE story and not the official sanitized version. Do your own reading and make up your own minds.
Terry
