Deeplyled
09-30-2009, 01:14 PM
The unsupported premise for this whole point is that someone named "Paul" existed.
Did Paul exist? He wrote 13 books of the New Testament. Paul identifies himself as the writer in his books. He testified many knew him such as Peter, James and John who themselves talked about Paul in their own books. Paul was killed in the Neronian persecutions in 65 AD. Luke wrote a biography of Paul in Acts. But there was no mention of his death. Death is important to mention in a biography. So Acts was written around 55 AD. Luke says Acts is part two of his former work, which was Luke, perhaps about 45 AD. Luke took from Mark, placing Mark at about 35 AD just two years after the cross.
Clement of Rome in 96 AD referenced Paul (http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/1clement-lightfoot.html): "By reason of jealousy and strife Paul by his example pointed out the prize of patient endurance. After that he had been seven times in bonds, had been driven into exile, had been stoned, had preached in the East and in the West, he won the noble renown which was the reward of his faith, having taught righteousness unto the whole [known] world and having reached the farthest bounds of the West; and when he had borne his testimony before the rulers, so he departed from the world and went unto the holy place, having been found a notable pattern of patient endurance" (1 Clement 5.5-6).
"Take up the epistle of the blessed Paul the Apostle. What wrote he first unto you in the beginning of the Gospel? Of a truth he charged you in the Spirit concerning himself and Cephas and Apollos, because that even then ye had made parties" (1 Clement 47.1-3).
"And account the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all [thirteen of] his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction" (2 Pet. 3.15-16).
I don't know any skeptical scholars who deny Paul's existence as a real living breathing human being just like you and I.
Did Paul exist? He wrote 13 books of the New Testament. Paul identifies himself as the writer in his books. He testified many knew him such as Peter, James and John who themselves talked about Paul in their own books. Paul was killed in the Neronian persecutions in 65 AD. Luke wrote a biography of Paul in Acts. But there was no mention of his death. Death is important to mention in a biography. So Acts was written around 55 AD. Luke says Acts is part two of his former work, which was Luke, perhaps about 45 AD. Luke took from Mark, placing Mark at about 35 AD just two years after the cross.
Clement of Rome in 96 AD referenced Paul (http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/1clement-lightfoot.html): "By reason of jealousy and strife Paul by his example pointed out the prize of patient endurance. After that he had been seven times in bonds, had been driven into exile, had been stoned, had preached in the East and in the West, he won the noble renown which was the reward of his faith, having taught righteousness unto the whole [known] world and having reached the farthest bounds of the West; and when he had borne his testimony before the rulers, so he departed from the world and went unto the holy place, having been found a notable pattern of patient endurance" (1 Clement 5.5-6).
"Take up the epistle of the blessed Paul the Apostle. What wrote he first unto you in the beginning of the Gospel? Of a truth he charged you in the Spirit concerning himself and Cephas and Apollos, because that even then ye had made parties" (1 Clement 47.1-3).
"And account the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all [thirteen of] his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction" (2 Pet. 3.15-16).
I don't know any skeptical scholars who deny Paul's existence as a real living breathing human being just like you and I.