dog-on

Discussion has centered around Paul's epistles to support or refute a Mythical Jesus. I would like to get some views on the following questions.

1.) When Paul is referring to another Gospel, could he be referring to the Gospel being taught by the "Pillars" in Jerusalem? Are Cephas and company teaching a fleshy Christ, whereas Paul is preaching a spiritual Christ.

2.) Have Paul's writings been altered to bring him in-line with the Orthodoxy. Can it be evidenced through Acts that, after his death, Paul has been rehabilitated to conform to a belief in an earthly Jesus of Nazareth?

3.) Did Marcion have specific knowledge of the original theology espoused by Paul and was part of his "heresy" the contention that alterations had been made by the Orthodoxy to conform Paul's theology to that of the Pillars?

gstafleu

A problem with that is that Acts doesn't mention Paul. At least not the Paul of the letters. It doesn't even mention the letters. Sort of like writing about John Lennon and forgetting to mention that he wrote songs. So given that Acts doesn't know about Paul the letter writer, it is a bit hard to see how it could "rehabilitate" that unknown Paul one way or another.

dog-on

My point here is that Acts wants to subjugate Paul to the Jerusalem Apostles. As evidenced in his letters, this is definitly not the case in Paul's mind. That is what I mean by Orthodox rehabilitation.

gstafleu

OK...
But... is this the same Paul? As you say, his position vis-a-vis the Jerusalem Church seems to be different. So that can be "orthodox rehabilitation." But then his letters aren't mentioned at all. More rehabilitation? Plus the "history" doesn't match. After his conversion in Gal he toddles off to Arabia. According to Acts he hangs around in Damascus. That is more difficult to see as rehabilitation.

So, does Acts want its Paul subjugate to the Jerusalem Church? Yes. But is this the same Paul as in the letters? I would say not.

I wonder, what reasons, except tradition and received wisdom, are there to think these two Pauls are the same? Any more than that they share the same name?

andrewcriddle

Both Paul's are Pharisaic Jews who originally persecute Christianity then are comverted by a vision of the risen Lord. Both escape from Damascas in a basket. Both become Christian missionaries in roughly the same parts of the meditteranean. Both maintain somewhat troubled links with the Jerusalem apostles. Both are imprisoned by the Romans.

Andrew Criddle