Corpus-Paul

["lejeune" <lejeune AT comcast.net>]

Thank you, Dr. Nanos, as well as the others who responded to my questions. I
am reading Paul with these ideas in mind. I do have one follow-up question:

Nanos said:
I believe that Paul upheld the "traditional" (normal, common) understanding
of the covenantal relationship of the righteous God to Israel, the righteous
ones. Jews were born into this membership, and brought up in covenantal
relationship to God.

Billy:
Please forgive my ignorance here, but I am wondering if there wasn't more
tension and divisiveness in the Judaisms of the time. (I can't remember the
source) but I thought that some Jewish groups excluded opposing Jewish
groups from being "true" Jews. Didn't the Essenes reject the other forms of
Judaism and go off to form their own? (major ignorance here as I have not
read the scrolls only about them.) Would it be that much of an anomaly for
Paul to consider those groups who had stumbled to be out as members (at
least temporarily?)

Thanks again,

Billy LeJeune
Hillsboro School
Elementary Teacher