DCHindley

It is actually the book of Acts that has the free traveling tentmaker. The letters also indicate the writer traveled about rather freely, but make no reference to his means of employment. If any of it was not authentic, it would have to at least seem plausible to readers.

A lot of Christians, and not a few non-Christians (agnostic, atheist, other religion, whatever) seem to think his occupation was "missionary," projecting an occupation that wasn't really invented until the reformation back into Paul's time. If anything, Paul's "mission" was an avocation, not his primary vocation.

DCH

Clivedurdle

Might all of Paul be made up as well as Acts? What was the purpose? To create a history of how it all started?

A bit like an adventure film with the opening scenes jumping from one city to another?

We clearly have "hymns" inserted in the text, might pre existing arguments about for example circumcision or what is resurrection been recycled?

bacht

Sure, Paul's letters may have been invented or modified for Catholic purposes. The addressees may have been fabricated as stand-ins for various heretics (Corinthians = Cerinthus etc). A back story was desirable, so the heroic exploits of the "apostle to the gentiles" appeared, maybe simply a refurbished Marcion, co-opted and corrected for the orthodox. After all the Vatican invented propaganda ("Congregation for Propagating the Faith"), maybe they started earlier than anyone likes to admit.

jakejonesiv

Right. According to the Marcionite version of Galatians, 1 time.

Clivedurdle

Hmm, the defining point of xianity was the perfection of the idea of propaganda?

Solves quite a few problems that - the Romans had been experimenting with hearts and minds warfare - try it out on the Jews and create a centralised state?

Clivedurdle

Propaganda. The first century nuclear weapon?