Corpus-Paul

["Vince Endris" <vince_endris AT hotmail.com>]

Eric wrote:

> However, Paul and James were both in a real bind, and therefore could >not 
> afford to become public, overt, and explicit, about their conflict:
> James could not publicly excommunicate Paul and Paul's men, because of >the 
> evere poverty of James's followers and their growing dependence >upon the 
> financial support that was coming in increasingly from Paul's >collections 
> since Paul's Gentile followers were far more wealthy and >powerful than the 
> pitifully poor and politically vulnerable Jewish >followers of that man 
> whom Rome had executed for sedition. >Furthermore, James's own "success" 
> was, by now, largely dependent upon >Paul, because Paul was the best 
> salesman James's organization ever >had. If Paul's men were to be 
> excommunicated, then James's group would >have instantly become virtually 
> annihilated, since the disciples and >other followers of Jesus were simply 
> dying off.
> Paul, likewise, was dependent upon James for the respectability as >being
> "Jewish" that was essential to Paul's own claim to be a follower of the
> Jewish mashiach. Paul and his followers had to gradually and subtly 
> >redefine that "Christ" as non-political and as a Christian instead of >as 
> a Jew.

Eric, I found this part of your post particularly interesting.  I rather 
enjoyed it.  Thank you.

Hyam wrote:

 When he shared
> meals with uncircumcised men he was not breaking any Jewish law, so when he
> broke away from the table it was not because he had suddenly reverted from
> law-breaking to law-keeping.

I was not aware of this.  I always thought there was some kind of rule Peter 
was breaking.  I have not been keeping up with my posts so if this has 
already been discussed can someone please point me to the right posts. If it 
has not, can someone elaborate a little?  Is this pretty well everyone's 
thoughts?

Vince


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