Paul

In fact these Christians were second-hand. Therefore they did not need to be circumcised, and not to obey the food laws of the Old Testament.

Paul had the “luck” that his letters have been saved, and that Acts deals especially with his journeys, but before him there must have been people that preached the gospel. Far before Paul came there christian communities existed in Damascus, Antiochia and Rome, and most likely in other places. These must have been founded by others, but the New Testament does not mention them.

- Saul or Paul.

At first Paul is called Saul in the Acts, only later-on Paul. How and why is not told. I read an interesting theory about this change, which I will present here.

On Cypre the following happened. Paul and Barnabas arrive there on their first missionary journey. Acts. 13: 6-12:

"And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus:

Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.

But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.

Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him.

And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.

Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord."

Before this story the name Saul is used, after it always the name Paul.

So the change of name has nothing to do with his conversion, what is sometimes assumed. His conversion was much earlier, at least 17 years; see Gal. 1 and 2.

In the Roman empire a change of name occurred more often. Usually when somebody was adopted. In our time children are adopted, but in Roman times adoption of adults occurred often. It was the standard way of letting people inherit things which would otherwise not have the right to inherit. Especially people without chlidren, or without sons often adopted an heir.

Gaius Octavius was adopted by Julius Caesar, and was called henceforth Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian, and we know him as Augustus.

Some of the later emperors appointed their successors by adopting them.

So Paul could be adopted by Sergius Paulus.

Paul also had a good reason reden to change his name: as Saul he was known as the prosecutor of the Christian community.

In case of aoption he would receive the name Paul(us) and became a Roman citizen at the same time. Paul proves to be a Roman citizen at several occasions, but at the same time he states to be an out-and-out Jew. This is only possible if he is adopted.

Een objection against this explanation might be, that Paul also states that he is a Roman by birth (Acts 22:28). But adoption was equal to birth, and maybe Paul says it to explain he did not pay a lot of money for it.

Some people think that the remark of the commander was a hint to bribe him. Paul had gone with contributions of other communities to Jerusalem (see next piece), and maybe people said he had money.

About Felix, the governor of Judea is said plainly he wanted money for the release of Paul. (Acts 24:26).

- Paul as a deacon.

In Acts 6 it is described how the Christian community expands, and how the Greek widows were neglected when the gifts were distributed.

Some people think that part of the poverty was caused by the idealistic start of the church. Then many of the converts had sold their properties and given the money to the apostles because they expected the return of Jesus any moment. Later-on this expectation diminished and the worries of daily life returned. Less money came in, and less could be distributed.

7 Deacons were appointed to care for the poor. The two most well-known are Stephen en Philip. Stephen became famous for his talents as a preacher, and he performed miracles.

But a few Jews accused him, brought him to the council, and he was stoned to death.

This lead to the persecution of Saul. The deacons fled. Philip fled to Samaria, where he brought the gospel and crashed into Simon the Magician.

Later he converted the treasurer of Ethiopia.

It is remarkable that in both cases the collecting and distibution of money is not mentioned, nor is it mentioned for any of the other deacons.

The only one who did collect money was Paul. He wrote to the Galateans (2:10):

“Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.”

In other letters Paul also writes about collections for the poor.

E.g. to the church in Corinthe (1 Cor. 16:1-2)

“Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.

Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come..”

And again to the church in Corinthe in 2 Cor. 9:1-2a:

“For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you:

For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many.”.

The purpose of his visit to Jerusalem after the third missionary journey is to deliver the collected money (Rom 15:25-27):

“But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints.

For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.”

This is not mentioned in Acts.

Paul is the only one ever of which the New Testament tells he acted as a deacon!

- Paul and the woman.

Paul was not very woman-friendly. In a previous piece we saw that Paul, when he lists the witnesses of the resurrection, he does not list any woman. (1 Cor. 15:4-7). But according to the gospels they were important witnesses.

And on other occasions as well he indicates that in his opinion women have to play a subordinate role in the church.

He says in 1 Cor 11:3:

But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

And in 11:7-10:

For a man indeed ought not to have his head veiled, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.

For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man:

Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.

For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.

And in 1 Cor. 14:34:

Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law.

In this respect Paul follows the Jewish tradition. In the synagogue a woman had to be silent.

And she could not follow and education to rabbi.

Jewish men thank God they are not born as a woman.

The Jewish tradition follows the Old Testament in this respect. Although the Thora does not have laws of marriage from which this would be apparent there are examples of other laws:

If a man makes a vow, he has to keep it.

If a woman makes a vow, her father or her husband can forbid her to keep it.(Num. 30)

Widows and divorced women have to keep there vows.

Daughters do not inherit, unless there are no sons. (Num. 27:1-11).

But in that case they had to marry in the family. (Num. 36:1-13).

If she gives birth to a boy she is impure for 7 days. Is it a girl than she is impure for 14 days. (Lev. 12:1-8).

Paul follows the general attitude of orthodox Jews in this respects.

In his opinion about homosexuality Paul also follows the Jewish doctrine.