(07-20-2024, 04:31 AM)Ninurta Wrote: Paul begs to differ with Mr. Hauffe, and, after all, Paul was one of the original Christians, one of the ones that formulated the tenets of the sect - something that Mr. Haifle cannot lay claim to.You misunderstand, Hauffe wasn't talking about God or angels, but spirits of the deceased/ demons. Hauffe refuted mediums who believed that the dead (not in Christ) were all-knowing.
(07-20-2024, 04:31 AM)Ninurta Wrote: But, then again, some folks considered Paul to be a pretty disingenuous character, too...[2 Cor. 2:12, Gal. 1:16-17, Phil. 2:20-21] Paul's sincerity and independence from his Jewish-Christian brethren is evinced from these three passages alone.
For comparison:
Richard Wagner wrote in his letters, "I was overcome with such an intense longing to get to work at the music of my Rheingold." / "And as I was seized with a violent longing to begin the musical composition, I gladly gave myself up to my desire, before writing to you." And his Jewish follower Gustav Mahler wrote, "Nor do I think that I have ever worked under such a feeling of compulsion."
Lev Gumilev introduced a novel concept he denoted as passionarity (passionarnost), which he defined as: "an irresistible inner desire (often unconscious) for activities aimed at achieving some goal" / "overriding even our most basic instinct for self-preservation."
Ludwig Borne, who had been extolled by Wagner, did not let the interests of the moment blind him; for him, there was no question of Jewish solidarity (or emancipation from the ghettos). "A pursuit of liberty with only that end in view he looked upon as one-sided and egoistic."
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I will say this about Paul:
He did not falsify Jesus' teachings, but he condemned the first Christians who did in fact betray Jesus; among them were Peter and two sons of Zebedee. We're led to believe Jesus surrounded himself with fanatics who wished to burn down whole cities, who were ready to bear arms, and force a physical kingdom/messiah to come their way by violence and insurrection.
Was it really the Pharisees who obstructed Jesus and his followers?
We are told that Jesus' alleged disciples barred children (Mark 10:13-14) and immature followers from meeting with him. They also obstructed a fellow exorcist (Mark 9:38), because "he was not following us", which is very revealing!
In Paul's letter (Gal. 2:12-13), Paul indicts Peter as the instigator behind the splitting of the church. Jesus indicted Peter (Matt. 16:22-23) as "Satan" and a "stumbling block", but also rebuked James and John (Luke 9:54-55), the sons of Zebedee. The three were reputed to be founding pillars of Christendom (Gal. 2:9). Why was Peter called "the Zealot"? Was it not for his fanaticism (John 13:8-9, 37; 18:10; Matt. 19:13, 18:7)? For what were men like them (Luke 22:31) singled out?
"They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be evident that they all are not of us." (1 John 2:19)
I maintain that Judas' so-called betrayal was a ruse to draw out the traitors from their midst. Was it really Judas who turned Jesus over to the authorities, what about the disciples who fled (Matthew 26:37)? I also doubt that Judas was a real historical person, he doesn't have any lines in his role, perhaps he was just a plot device to propel the narrative forward?
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Also Marcion, who championed Paul's ideas, questioned the authenticity of his published letters and suspected they had been tampered with.
Jewish composer Charles-Valentin Alkan once had an epiphany. "In starting to translate the New Testament, I was suddenly struck by a singular idea – that you have to be Jewish to be able to do it."
Afaik KJV like most translations is corrupt, the most reliable Bible translations have been DRB and YLT; by weighing the two, the Bible allows for an alternative interpretation, similar to Nostradamus.
Jeremiah 27:7 (on the lifetime of empires)
DRB and done service for him many nations and great kings.
YLT and many nations and great kings shall serve him.
Psalm 104:9 (on the extent of empires)
DRB which they shall not pass not over,
YLT neither shall they return to cover the earth.
Personally I prefer NASB for convenience.