Corpus-Paul

[Anders Eriksson <aeriks2 AT emory.edu>]

Dear Dr.Kishore Kosala

Thank you for your very illuminating Indian perspective on the thread "Paul
as Good and Nice Guy."  I am too a follower of Jesus who tries to obey him
in my life. The problem comes when others tell me what it means to follow
Jesus.  Ecclesiastical authorities, self-appointed prophets or others which
make authority claims in the name of God.  My suspicion is that some church
leaders or independent interpreters of God's will are not pure channels of
divine guidance, but instead mixing their own selfish interests with those
of God.  I think you made that point well in your reference to the election
of bishops in a certain church in India.

The question now is whether we are allowed to ask the question whether Paul
might also sometimes have mixed his own personal ambitions with his role as
apostle, divinely commissioned spokesperson for God?  Some modern
interpretations of the New Testament tell us so.  Are they correct in so
doing?  Or are we not allowed to ask such ideological and critical
questions, since Paul is included in the canon?

Sincerely,

Dr Anders Eriksson, Th. D.
Lund University, Sweden
Emory Unversity, Atlanta, USA