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.

Paul the Ambassador: Paul in Arabia

One of the more intriguing passages in Paul’s valuable autobiographical statements in Galatians is his explanation of his activities after receiving the revelation of Christ. He states that, after these visions, “I did not go to ask advice from any human being, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles

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 and the Historical Jesus: Pauline Priority in Historical Jesus Studies

In general, I am not interested in the historical Jesus. I agree with Meier’s characterization of him as a marginal Jew, meaning, in common terms, a nobody. So much of a nobody that it really doesn’t matter who the historical Jesus was, because Christianity isn’t based on him, nor any other modern movement. However, if

Paul the Ambassador: What does Paul Mean by “Judaism” in Galatians 1?

The content of Gal 1 is the origin of Paul’s announcement (incorrectly translated ‘gospel’ in most translations). This is the proclamation of Jesus’ messianic candidacy and the remedy to the spiritual death of the Gentiles through the reception of his life-breath (pneuma, incorrectly translated as ‘spirit’ in most translations), which has the capacity to revive

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

My Thoughts on Messianic Judaism

Messianic “Judaism” is a branch of syncretistic Evangelicalism that combines elements of Rabbinic Judaism, mostly ritual, with Evangelical theology. That is, a Messianic will pray with a siddur and perhaps wear a tallit but believe in the Trinity, original sin, substitutionary atonement, and the inerrancy of Scripture. This makes the endeavor, ultimately, appropriation of Jewish

Christmas Special: Jesus, son of Pantera

Jesus’ alleged illegitimacy is one of the oldest polemical attacks against Christianity. Many later texts mention it, but, despite their late date, many scholars read these as referring to much older traditions. Additionally, the claim that Jesus’ true father was a pagan is an ancient one as well, which some read as a means of

Paul the Ambassador to the Synagogues

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 Paul’s mission as the Messiah’s ambassador was a defined role that Jews understood as accompanying the Messiah, meaning he was not unique in any sense. This is not meant as a negative comment

Thoughts on Oral Tradition and the Synoptic Problem

If you enjoy this post, consider like and sharing it on social media! Check out my book, Jesus the Nazarene: The Talmud and the Founder of Christianity, on Amazon, purchase it here. Follow me on Facebook. Follow me on Twitter. Follow me on Youtube. I have explored the possibility of Jesus speaking Greek by analyzing a small portion of Q