31
votes
According to those holding that Jesus was literally born of a virgin, why did Paul not mention it?
The target audience of the writers of the gospels was to people who did not know about or did not believe in Jesus as the Messiah and Risen Lord. They included the virgin birth story because it was an ...
26
votes
Accepted
Which tribe did Paul belong to?
The term "Jew" is an Anglicization of "Judean" which comes from the Greek Ἰουδαῖος (Ioudaios). Technically, it can simply be a regional distinction, that is someone who is from Judea. But it can of ...
- 2,134
20
votes
Accepted
According to those holding that Jesus was literally born of a virgin, why did Paul not mention it?
Advocates for the virgin birth make the following arguments for why Paul didn't mention it:
It wasn't controversial and therefore not worth mentioning
It didn't need to be mentioned in order to ...
- 42.3k
17
votes
Accepted
Why don’t the apostles quote Jesus or reference any gospel events?
If there is a narrow view of what "the gospel" is, then that could explain the confusion in the question. There are four gospel accounts, written between the early 50s through till around 85....
- 27k
14
votes
Accepted
What arguments are given that Ephesians was not written by Paul?
I am aware of four lines of evidence frequently adduced:
Greek syntax and vocabulary
Even a casual read through Ephesians in Greek shows it to be different from the undisputed Pauline letters.1 ...
- 4,322
12
votes
Why does the bible never specifically condemn premarital sex?
The reason premarital sex is not mentioned specifically is because engaging in sex was what consummated a marriage. In essence, the first time a couple engage in sex, they are married.
If a man find ...
- 678
12
votes
According to those holding that Jesus was literally born of a virgin, why did Paul not mention it?
I much prefer Nathaniel's answer to mine (the accepted answer), as it is considerably more thorough and answers more questions. I still believe the Paul's mission to the gentiles is a piece of the ...
- 1,872
11
votes
Accepted
Why did Clement and Eusebius believe that Paul was married?
Clement of Alexander likely was referring to Philippians 4:3
Yes, I ask you also, true companion (σύζυγε), help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with ...
- 7,743
11
votes
Which tribe did Paul belong to?
By the time of the New Testament "Jew" and "Israelite" had effectively become synonyms. This is because the large majority of people who returned from the Exile were from the former Kingdom of Judah. ...
- 19.7k
10
votes
Why did Clement and Eusebius believe that Paul was married?
What an interesting find! The Biblical text in view is indeed 1 Cor 9. The key to understanding how they derived this interpretation is knowing what Clement and Eusebius meant by the words translated ...
- 4,322
10
votes
Accepted
What is the basis for arguing that Paul should have been selected as the 12th apostle instead of Matthias?
Two prominent advocates of this view are Rudolf Stier (1800–62) and Lloyd John Ogilvie (1930–). They argue both that the apostles erred, and that ultimately the evidence points to Paul being the true ...
- 42.3k
10
votes
Accepted
Did any of the Apostolic Fathers know Paul?
A case could be made for Clement of Rome, considered by Irenaeus (Against Heresies III.3.3) and Eusebius (Church History V.6) to be the fourth Bishop of Rome (after Peter, Linus, and [Ana]cletus).
(...
- 13.2k
10
votes
Accepted
According to Catholicism, did St. Paul believe that end of the world was imminent?
The Catholic Church has a nuanced approach to Biblical inerrancy. A dogmatic constitution of the Second Vatican Council states inerrancy applies only to
that truth which God wanted put into sacred ...
- 6,568
10
votes
According to Trinitarians who believe Philippians 2:6 says Jesus is God, why did Paul add the word 'form' ('morphe')?
ος εν μορφη θεου υπαρχων ουχ αρπαγμον ηγησατο το ειναι ισα θεω
Philippians 2:6 [TR - undisputed]
... who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God ... [KJV]
... who, ...
- 23.7k
10
votes
How do those who hold Jesus = God in the Trinitarian sense account for Paul's reticence to state this clearly and consistently?
To summarize, your question is twofold: In the Pauline Corpus...
Why wasn't Paul bold (or why was he reticent)?
Why wasn't Paul clear about Jesus' Divinity?
Let's look at question 2 first:
Why wasn'...
- 1,036
9
votes
Did Paul actually report anything about the life of Jesus?
It's important to note that the video in question is a presentation of the Christ myth theory, which is a fringe academic theory. Very few scholars give it any credence; in fact, New Testament scholar ...
- 15.2k
9
votes
Why does Paul call Peter "Cephas" in his writings?
Πέτρος (Petros) is simply Greek (naturally, because the New Testament was written in Greek) for the name Jesus actually gave him in Aramaic: כיפא (Kefa—Rock).
In Greek, Kepha is transliterated (not ...
- 8,260
9
votes
Accepted
According to the Catholic Church, how did Paul become a saint?
The Catholic Church honors the Apostle St Paul as a Pillar of the Church and as a martyr.
The Church celebrates two major events in the life of the Apostle. On January 25, Catholics celebrate the ...
- 67.9k
8
votes
How do those who hold Jesus = God in the Trinitarian sense account for Paul's reticence to state this clearly and consistently?
Paul clearly states the Deity of Christ and is not at all reticent to do so.
1. Romans 9:5
Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ...
- 23.7k
7
votes
Accepted
Why did Paul Thank God he didn't baptize some individuals?
The First Epistle to the Corinthians opens with an expanded address (1 Corinthians 1:1-7), identifying its writer as the apostle Paul who, with Sosthenes, was writing to the church community in ...
- 14.4k
7
votes
According to Catholicism, what did St Paul mean by "a thorn in the flesh"?
The Catholic Haydock Commentary on 2 Cor. 12:7 says:
A sting of my flesh,[1] an angel, or a messenger of Satan, to buffet me. The Latin word [stimulus] signifies any thing that pricks or stings, ...
- 38.6k
7
votes
Did St. Paul ever claim prophethood?
Paul did not explicitly claim to be a Prophet although there were occasions where he acted as one (cf. Acts 13 & Acts 27), however he did claim to be personally called as an Apostle by the risen ...
- 12.5k
7
votes
Did St. Paul know the doctrine of the Trinity?
Taken from St. Pauls writings:
For in Him (Jesus)all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form Col 2:9
Perhaps one of the clearest indications that Paul thought Jesus was Yahweh comes from the ...
- 900
7
votes
Why don’t the apostles quote Jesus or reference any gospel events?
A simple answer is that the epistles are simply that: letters, originally written to specific churches to tackle specific problems. A lot of background understanding between the letter writer and the ...
- 22.2k
7
votes
Why don’t the apostles quote Jesus or reference any gospel events?
Most churches, and most New Testament scholars, believe that the stories of the life of Jesus and his teachings were first passed down as oral traditions. The Gospel of the life and work of Jesus was ...
- 19.7k
6
votes
What is the basis for the position that only Paul's writings are applicable to the church today?
Mid-Acts dispensationalist here, and yes, we do believe only Paul's letters are applicable to the church today. (So when I say "we", I mean mid-acts dispensationalists)
The main verse we use is 2 ...
6
votes
Why is Saint Paul considered gnostic? (by some)
It seems as though many that assert the possibility are either looking at why the Gnostics believed that Paul was a member of such, as Pagels, they are not Christian, as Massey, or are either ...
- 759
6
votes
Accepted
How did Paul learn the gospel?
Yes, Paul gives an account of how he learned his gospel several times:
2 Corinthians 12:1 1
"It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.&...
- 2,482
6
votes
How do Evangelicals explain when Paul writes "I, not the Lord"?
Evangelical commentators generally hold that Paul is speaking authoritatively in 1 Corinthians 7:12, and only indicating that he was not aware of any direct teaching on this subject by Jesus during ...
- 42.3k
6
votes
Didn't Jesus return to Earth after the resurrection when he appeared to Paul?
I think you might be overthinking this. Going by NKJV, Acts 9:1-9, Christ did not necessarily "appear" physically. Verses 3-4 only indicate that Paul heard a voice and saw a light, and that light ...
- 161
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible