mountainman

Was Paul an historical figure?

aa5874

Saul/Paul appears to be an alias of a ghost writer. Saul/Paul cannot be placed in history as it relates to extra-biblical events.

Saul/Paul is introduced as persecutor of followers of Jesus Christ and his conversion, although describe more than once in the NT, appears to be fictious both in chronology and characters.

Now it is very strange to me that Saul/Paul is introduced as a persecutor of Christians and does not know the Christ, wouldn't it be outrageously incredible if George Bush never heard of Bin Laden although he sends the US army to destroy Alquida militants.

The book of Acts claim the Apostles had thousands of followers, even acquiring 3000 and 5000 followers in less than 24 hours, see Acts 4:4 and Acts 2:41, yet no 1st century historian or writer noticed this phenomenal growth of Christianity, not a single one!

Saul/Paul is fiction.

Dean Anderson

By "50% historicity", do you mean that about 50% of the biographical details claimed for him are true, or do you mean that there is about a 50/50 chance of him having existed?

Because I think that the primary Pauline epistles were clearly written by someone, and the small amount of autobiographical information in them is not particularly unlikely or noteworthy, so there is little reason to doubt it.

However, the more extraordinary biographical details found in Acts and in the deutero-Pauline epistles are almost certainly fictitious, and are probably not describing the life of the author of the earlier epistles even remotely accurately.

rlogan

The initial purpose of the mythical "Paul" is to place a mantle of historic authority on Marcionite views by pretending he wrote "letters" to different churches a century earlier.

mountainman

The latter --- a 50% (probabilistic) chance
of authentic historical existence.

Doug Shaver

Probably. I wouldn't go 100 percent, but certainly way over 50.

aa5874

I voted for non-historicity of Paul, but to make sure I understand your question correctly, I take it that you are refering to a character described in the NT, namely in the book called Acts and certain Epistles.

I am of the opinion you are refering to a certain Saul who was claimed to be a persecutor of Christian and was blinded by Jesus, from heaven, on the 'road' to Damascus.

Now it is either this story is fiction or Saul/ Paul is fiction, there is very little choice. Now the author of Galations had this to say of Paul, 'Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not'.(Galations 1:20)

Now if obviuos fiction is true, then it is obvious Saul/Paul is fiction, unless someone has evidence to the contrary.