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

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: 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,

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

The Talmud and the Death of Jesus

If you would like to see this article with footnotes, click here. Introduction The debate around the historicity of the Talmud’s Jesus narratives is at the heart of the discussion of rabbinic attitudes towards the founder of Christianity. Countless narratives have tried to explain the meaning of these passages, with no consensus being reached. The

The Development of Rabbinic Judaism: The Sixty Years that Made Judaism and Christianity

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! In previous posts, we have followed the history of scribal and Pharisaic Judaism up to the revolt and destruction of

Jesus and the Rabbis: The Kingdom of God

Follow me on Twitter or Facebook! If you support my work, consider joining on Patreon for exclusive content! Perhaps one of the phrases most associated with Jesus is the “Kingdom of God” (basileia tou theou). Jesus never seems to address God as King, even though some New Testament texts do (1 Timothy 1:17, 6:15; Rev. 15:3), except in the Gospel

The Church Fathers and Pantera

The issue of Jesus’ parentage is of supreme importance in trying to identify the historical man behind the myth that was created after his death. The Christian sources refer to Jesus as the “son of Mary” or the “son of Joseph”, with Mark atypically referring to Jesus by his mother’s name, causing doubt about the

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