Was the Apostle Paul a Jew or a Gentile?

[mlk0071]

I do not believe he was Jewish at all. He tried to reach out to Jews with no success. He only went out to Gentiles and also trashed the Holy Law of G-d also known as the Law of Moses. Plus the simple proof you used. Also he claimed to be Jewish because he had really no choice in the matter. He had success with non Jews and he also spoke against Jesus Teachings which makes me believe the Disciples ever made him anything in the church, but someone who was dividing the church and later proved to start a war within the church years later.

Paul or Saul not a Jew and had little or no Understanding of Jewish law or G-d's law.

[shunyadragon]

Of course it's possible, but I don't think a writer should ever be accused of lying unless there is compelling evidence for it. If Paul said he was a Jew, then I'm going to suppose he was a Jew until I have a very good reason to think otherwise. And I don't think a good reason is some proof text that could, with some effort, be interpreted as his claiming to be a gentile.

I agree for the most part, Paul was best described as a metropolitan educated Hellenist Jew with very strong Greek and Roman influence. He claimed to be Jewish, so ok he was Jewish from that point of view. Many Jews in general would not accept his claim because of his heritage, and teachings as a result of his conversion to Christianity.

[Cow Poke]

There are some things about Paul that seem troublesome.
He was not married.

Then why did he pray three times to have the pain in his side removed?

[shunyadragon]

Then why did he pray three times to have the pain in his side removed?

Whether Paul was married or not is more a problem than praying three time to remove pain. The Hellenists and Romans tended to rather eclectic about their observance of religion s

[Cow Poke]

Whether Paul was married or not is more a problem than praying three time to remove pain. The Hellenists and Romans tended to rather eclectic about their observance of religion s

It's a joke.

[Jedidiah]

He does not know what jokes are.

[shunyadragon]

It's a joke.

Flag your jokes please. The fact that Paul was not married is distinct problem for being a Jew in his day. I simply in a way take his word for his claim, but by the evidence the claim was rather superficial and suspect in the Jewish world of his day.

[Cow Poke]

Flag your jokes please. The fact that Paul was not married is distinct problem for being a Jew in his day. I simply in a way take his word for his claim, but by the evidence the claim was rather superficial and suspect in the Jewish world of his day.

meh

[michel]

Like I said earlier. Paul is NOT a Jew because he DOES NOT WANT to be one! Period. For me this is enough proof that he was not.

Michel

[robertb]

I do not believe he was Jewish at all. He tried to reach out to Jews with no success. He only went out to Gentiles and also trashed the Holy Law of G-d also known as the Law of Moses. Plus the simple proof you used. Also he claimed to be Jewish because he had really no choice in the matter. He had success with non Jews and he also spoke against Jesus Teachings which makes me believe the Disciples ever made him anything in the church, but someone who was dividing the church and later proved to start a war within the church years later.

Paul or Saul not a Jew and had little or no Understanding of Jewish law or G-d's law.

Do you think that it is possible that Paul was a 'failed' convert to Judaism?

[shunyadragon]

Like I said earlier. Paul is NOT a Jew because he DOES NOT WANT to be one! Period. For me this is enough proof that he was not.

Michel

Before Paul converted do you believe he was a Jew?

[michel]

I read a "bible Novel" titled "Saul L'incendiaire" Saul the Arsonist.

The book is sort of an investigative reporting taking into account the scriptures and other available historical data with some conclusions from the author's part based on all of the above. The interesting thing about the book is that it includes a human and psychological perspective to the subject. I share the author's belief that Saul's mother was not a Jew.

Michel

[Jedidiah]

Flag your jokes please. The fact that Paul was not married is distinct problem for being a Jew in his day. I simply in a way take his word for his claim, but by the evidence the claim was rather superficial and suspect in the Jewish world of his day.

Because there was not mention of Paul being married does not preclude the possibility that he had been married. He may very well have lost his wife young. Lit us not argue from ignorance.

[shunyadragon]

Because there was not mention of Paul being married does not preclude the possibility that he had been married. He may very well have lost his wife young. Lit us not argue from ignorance.

Good point! I will have to do some reading and reflect on it.