rob117

Apparently, according to certain strands of church tradition, Gamaliel, a prominent 1st-century Pharisee who is mentioned in the Book of Acts and is considered an authority in the Talmud, was a secret Christian. This tradition derives from Acts 5:39, where he argues for sparing the lives of Jesus's disciples.

Likewise, Eusebius claims that Constantine's father, the Western emperor Constantius I, who took no part in the persecution of Christians under Diocletian, was a secret Christian.

There seems to be a tendency here to follow the logic, "Any non-Christian who was nice to early Christians must have been a secret Christian." This would seem to result from an a priori demonization of all non-Christians, so that a non-Christian who showed compassion to Christians was simply inconceivable on a conceptual level.

CarmStephanieE

Now all you have to do is prove that Paul of Tarsus ever had a shot at being taught by Gameliel and not just padding his resume by claiming he was. A kid from Tarsus so far away from the theological hot spots of the day and who has more paper and ink than anyone else, sends warning bells out to me.

mountainman

Eusebius fraudulently claimed that the Emperor Philip the Arab was a christian.

Tertullian (who is more than likely just Eusebius) also fraudulently claimed that another Roman emperor ( I forget exactly which one) was also truly "a christian at heart".

The logic was that the history of the Christian religion required Christians to have existed before it became the state religion. IMO they simply fraudulently invented as many as they needed - obscure writers, bishops and Roman emperors.

Doug Shaver

Yep, it sure looks that way.

Doug Shaver

In fairness to Paul, if anyone padded his resume on that point, it wasn't he. Paul never mentions Gamaliel in his own writings.

aa5874

And in fairness to Paul, "they padded" his resume when "they" placed his name on 13 Epistles.

But, Paul will pad his own resume in the name of Jesus Christ. The ultimate padder.

Galatians 1.11-12 Now, if it was very unlikely that Paul was taught by Gamaliel how much less likely from the revelation of one who as raised from the dead.

If it is one thing that is almost certain is that Paul did not get anything from a resurrected man. Paul really padded his resume or again "they padded" his resume using his name.

The Pauline writings are all padding. "Paul" is the other name for "padding" in the Canon.

Acts of the Apostles and the Pauline writings were used to pad the resume of the Church.

steve_bnk

There were no 'Christians' in the first century. The Romans saw them as heretic Jews.