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: 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: 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

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

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,

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