Lessons about Paul's Training

[Terry_from_Ypsi]

Merry Christmas to all.

In Acts 13:23-25, an interesting quote from St. Paul:

23 From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus. 24 John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel; 25 and as John was completing his course, he would say, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he.’ Now in the past when I have read this, I missed what I realized is a key question about the formation of the Christian Paul: How did he come to know about this statement of John the Baptist’s ?
We know of it because it is told in the synoptic gospels. Was this taught to Paul by one of the 4 writers of the Gospels or another of the teachers among the believers ?

It also demonstrates how the passaging of teaching in the early church was dependent upon the “oral tradition” until the Gospel accounts were written down.

It is amazing how one passage can highlight a little about teaching in the Early Church.

Regards,

 

[jcrichton]

Merry Christmas to all.

In Acts 13:23-25, an interesting quote from St. Paul:

23 From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus. 24 John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel; 25 and as John was completing his course, he would say, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he.’ Now in the past when I have read this, I missed what I realized is a key question about the formation of the Christian Paul: How did he come to know about this statement of John the Baptist’s ?
We know of it because it is told in the synoptic gospels. Was this taught to Paul by one of the 4 writers of the Gospels or another of the teachers among the believers ?

It also demonstrates how the passaging of teaching in the early church was dependent upon the “oral tradition” until the Gospel accounts were written down.

It is amazing how one passage can highlight a little about teaching in the Early Church.

Regards,

Merry Christmas, Terry!

…I find your question interesting… I believe that there are two answers: a) Divine revelation and (b) shared knowledge…

St. Paul’s conversion was not developed through normal means; he attests to this in Galatians 1:

11I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. 12I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.
13For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. 14I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15But when God, who set me apart from birth[a] and called me by his grace, was pleased 16to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.

18Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter** and stayed with him fifteen days. 19I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother. 20I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie. 21Later I went to Syria and Cilicia. 22I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24And they praised God because of me.**

Of course, just as the Sacred Writings themselves do not include every single bit of information, there were things that St. Paul would learn through non-extraordinary means.

The problem some have with the passage above is that they presume that St. Paul is speaking about a learning period; this is hardly the reason why St. Paul made such statement… St. Paul is very adamant about the source of his spiritual awakening and knowledge: Jesus, not man, taught him about Himself and the Ministry given to both the Apostles and the least of the Apostles, as he eventually calls himself.

Maran atha!

Angel