Paul the Ambassador: The Antioch Incident, Alcohol and Peter’s “Gentilizing”

Ending the last section, we set up the issues surrounding the so-called Antioch incident, mostly because it occurred in that early hub of Christian activity. For the next few posts, I will include the text under commentary above the comments I make below. For the next few posts, we will be focused on Gal. 2:11–14.

What is Paul’s Gospel?

If it is not abundantly clear, the announcement, or gospel, as it has come to be known is the most important thing for Paul, if not the only important thing. It is quite literally the key to understanding the entirety of Paul’s life and mission. He is singly devoted to this revelatory experience in a

Paul the Ambassador: Paul’s Response to the Antioch Incident

Paul responds sharply to the halakhic position of the agitators, Peter, and the men from Jacob for the sociological implications of their position vis-a-vis the religious identity of his followers. Here is my modified NRSVue rendering of Paul’s words. I have modified the Greek Christ for the Semitic Messiah. Following the suggestions of many scholars,

Mark and the Rabbis: Reading the Sabbath Pericopae in Context

Two pericopae in Mark 2 and 3 deal with the issue of the Sabbath and reflect the halakhah of the Jesus movement. This was a mark of Jewish identity then as much as now. In this story, Jesus’ disciples seemingly break one of the laws of the Sabbath, according to rabbinic understanding of the nature

Paul the Ambassador: Galatians as a Halakhic Letter

Considering Galatians to be a halakhic letter is something that has been proposed before but might be somewhat surprising for the average reader. How could a letter so famously associated with the idea of “justification by faith alone” be considered a Jewish legal opinion? The problem is that “justification by faith alone” is an incorrect

Paul the Ambassador: Halakhah in the Second Temple Period

Halakhah is the Hebrew word, derived from the root for “walking” used to describe Jewish law, because it governs all aspects of life for the observant Jew. It has evolved over the centuries and, in certain moments, Jews of various sects have had oppositional interpretations of how the Torah is to be interpreted in a

Paul the Ambassador: The Halakhic Debate about Gentiles

If you enjoy this post, consider like and sharing it on social media! Follow me on Facebook. Follow me on Twitter. Follow me on Youtube. After Paul’s message was rejected in Damascus, several scholars propose that this was what led to his turn to the Gentiles. This would place Paul’s mission to the Nations beginning around 36 CE,

Was Paul a Pharisee?

Follow me on Twitter or Facebook!  It is widely known that Paul claims to be a Pharisee (Philippians 3:5-6), as does the author of Luke-Acts (Acts 23:6), who takes the matter a step further, claiming that Paul studied under the famous rabbi, Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). Needless to say, but it is unlikely that Paul was a student of

Abraham Maimonides’ “Sufi Judaism”

If you support my work, consider supporting me on Patreon, you’ll get exclusive content, including early access to my upcoming book, “Jesus the Nazarene: The Jewish Heretic Behind Christianity” as well as future books! Follow me on Twitter and Facebook! Abraham Maimonides, son of the famous Moses Maimonides, is the lesser known of the Maimonides family. Originally from Spain, but

Rabbi Tarfon and Jesus: Rabbinic and Christian Parallels

To see this article with footnotes, click here. Perhaps more than other Rabbis of the period, Rabbi Tarfon is presented as staunchly against the Jesus movement among Jews of the time. This branch of Jesus-belief is often, wrongly, termed Jewish Christianity or Ebionitism. Jackson-McCabe’s reading of the Judean culture and way of life present in