Paul’s lessons were not isolated
God’s interest in the non-Jewish world was not revealed through Paul alone. Hints of Gentile acceptance were on the horizon even in Jesus’ ministry. Peter had visions and experiences which took his eyes from Jewish exclusivity to human inclusivity.
Paul’s upbringing would not predict his shift
Instead of a questionable character clawing his way to the forefront of a group of people he was going the other way. He was at the forefront of Jewish religious purity hunting the supposed heretics. He was in command of others. His authority and prowess was clear among the people of his time. Ananias, who would be sent by Jesus to heal the blinded man we know as Paul, even gently queried Jesus about Jesus’ direction.
The steps that Paul took after his Damascus Road experience did not improve his status, but dropped him into a fledgling and in many ways hated movement. He even had to be let down through a window to avoid the pursuit of his former colleagues. They sought to continue with the destruction of Christians that Paul had abandoned. Do people who seek to make a name for themselves change like this? Do tigers change their stripes?
Gamaliel said some interesting things
In Acts 5:34-39 Paul would have been in his persecutory heyday. The original apostles were tromping around Jerusalem preaching and teaching of Jesus. Those who had co-conspired with the Romans to execute Christ were rattled by the inroads these fishermen were having. So troubled they were as to arrest Peter and his crew. What do we do with these men?
In the developing murder-frenzy fomented by the actions of the apostles the man Gamaliel stood. He diffused the events by redirecting their eyes and their thoughts to some historical happenings. See, in Israel Messiah complexes would bubble up and people would chase them. Gamaliel, being of an older sort, is recorded as recalling two situations that many there would have known: Theudas was one and Judas the Galilean the other. Both of these men developed a following, but it tumbled and fell into dust.
Gamaliel used those situations to defuse the current one. If Jesus (probably they figured “Since Jesus…”) was but a charlatan the Jesus movement would follow suit.
Well, look at what we have in our era, and compare it to what Gamaliel said. It did not fall apart. “You will not be able to overthrow something of God.” The tensions would dwindle from murder to mere public, painful, punishment. The apostles ended up leaving and here we are.
I mentioned above the phenomena need to be explained and that Paul gave an explanation. Phenomena can be explained in error. As Gamaliel pointed out time till tell. Time seems to have told its side of things.
All have to make choices
Each of the things I
Some references
- CNN for the Lady Gaga Entry
- Nancy Wong for Jim Jones photo in featured image
- Hale-Bopp Comet images also used in featured image by E. Kolmhofer, H. Raab; Johannes-Kepler-Observatory, Linz, Austria
Richard Ulrich says
Our aims rise or fall on our claims; and so it is with others. Initially we are told what is “right,” but later on imagination, training, and life’s realities frame our moral and pragmatic foundation of purposeful choices. Emotional and reactive choice may well be more reflexive and less defensible in retrospect.
Charlemagne’s minister of education, Alcuin, in the 800s advocated a basic foundation of the Ten Commandments, The Lord’s Prayer, The Apostle’s Creed. I think he added the Beatitudes, too. Even illiterate individuals could memorize these as enduring, dependable rules of life.
St. Paul’s life changed when Christ became his Foundation. Whether we grow up and into that Foundation (as I did from early childhood) or whether it is dramatic as in John Newton’s life (of Amazing Grace), that is crucial to life now and to eternal life. There are many competing claims and convictions, and it is well we have a reliable core of them.