tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2860023273901948907.post860002957451168993..comments2024-03-08T18:04:37.943-08:00Comments on Paul and co-workers: Luke's silence on Paul's illegal preaching in ArabiaRichard Fellowshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06777460488456330838noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2860023273901948907.post-13653382076720632772015-02-14T13:50:00.404-08:002015-02-14T13:50:00.404-08:00And his disciples took him by night and let him do...And his disciples took him by night and let him down over the wall, lowering him in a basket. And when he had come to Jerusalem he attempted to join the disciples but they are all afraid of him for they did not believe he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists; but they were seeking to kill him. And when the brethren knew it, they brought him down to Caesarea and set him off to Tarsus. (Acts 9:25-30)<br /><br />And (Ananias) . . .said, The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Just One and to hear a voice from his mouth; and you will be a witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now, why do you wait? Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name. When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple I fell into a trance and saw him saying to me, 'Make haste and get quickly out of Jerusalem, because they will not accept your testimony about me. And I said, 'Lord, they themselves know that in very synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believed in thee. And when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I also was standing by and approving, and keeping the garments of those who killed him.' And he said to me, 'Depart; for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.' (Acts 22:14-21)<br /><br />But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and had called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia; and again I returned to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas, and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord's brother. (In what I am writing to you, before God I do not lie!) Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia; and I still was not known by sight to the churches of Christ in Judea; they only heard it said, “He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy. (Galatians 1:15-23)<br /><br />My conclusion: Paul either had a very poor memory, was mentally ill, or lied about what he did in the weeks, months, and first few years after his conversion experience on the Damascus Road. Yet, Christians base their belief in the Resurrection, the pinnacle event of their faith, on this man's testimony, which in his own words, was a "heavenly vision" of a talking, bright light...along with the writings of four anonymous first century authors, writing decades after the alleged event, in a foreign language, in far away foreign lands, for purposes we do not and will never know.<br /><br />That isn't evidence, folks. That is speculation, superstition, and fantasy.<br />Garyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02519721717265344702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2860023273901948907.post-85062027356627162342010-12-22T21:10:02.893-08:002010-12-22T21:10:02.893-08:00Thanks, Larry.
I've just noticed an interesti...Thanks, Larry.<br /><br />I've just noticed an interesting <a href="http://www.ibr-bbr.org/IBRBulletin/BBR_2002/BBR_2002a_04_Hengel_PaulInArabia.pdf" rel="nofollow">paper on Arabia by Martin Hengel</a><br /><br />He writes:<br />"according to contemporary opinion, not only Syria but also Arabia belonged to the promised land of Abraham and to King David's greater kingdom, and therefore to the coming Messianic kingdom." (p61)<br /><br />"A Jewish prophet of entirely new eschatological teachings about the crucified Messiah, who, risen from the dead, is about to return to establish his kingdom and sit in judgment, must have seemed like a dangerous political enthusiast to the king [Aretas], who was suspicious of Jewish claims to power" (p65).<br /><br />From this it seems that Aretas would have had good reason to make it illegal to preach about Jesus in Arabia.Richard Fellowshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06777460488456330838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2860023273901948907.post-27788201511598528192010-11-26T06:11:32.661-08:002010-11-26T06:11:32.661-08:00Well done. Stand up and take a bow. I never notic...Well done. Stand up and take a bow. I never noticed "His disciples" before. OK back to work. Thanks, Larry CarmichaelLarry Carmichaelhttp://www.soyouwanttobeapastor.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2860023273901948907.post-59349956533274095842010-04-19T21:41:49.623-07:002010-04-19T21:41:49.623-07:00Interesting question, Stephen. How extensive was P...Interesting question, Stephen. How extensive was Paul's preaching in Illyricum? The more extensive it was, the more problematic Luke's silence becomes. Also (on most chronologies) there cannot have been many months between Paul's arrival in Macedonia (mid summer?) and arrival in Greece (~January?) for his three month stay there. But if Paul's preaching in Illyricum was not extensive, it becomes harder to explain how he could say that he had no further place in the regions (Rom 15:23).<br /><br />Perhaps the authorities threw him out of Illyricum. This would explain Luke's silence, as well as Rom 15:23. Another possibility, of course, is that the people in Illyricum were unreceptive to Paul's message, but Luke does record Paul's relative failure in Athens.Richard Fellowshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06777460488456330838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2860023273901948907.post-33793982898228399092010-04-19T16:38:53.593-07:002010-04-19T16:38:53.593-07:00Any thoughts on Luke's silence of Paul's p...Any thoughts on Luke's silence of Paul's preaching in Illyricum?Stephen C. Carlsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18239379955876245197noreply@blogger.com