@The Grand Nudger
In my opinion, you're being too generous with the texts.
I think that JoN was an apocalyptic, desert-preaching loon, who was ignored by almost everyone of his day as being a crank. When he decided to take his show on the road, the Romans delt with him, and after that, his scattered followers continued to be ignored. However, after that, Paul came along, and suffering from a Messiah complex and an apocalyptic view of the end of the World, Paul gave the floundering faith a voice with written words, and after the Roman destruction of Jerusalem, came an identity followed by a theology and an organization and hierarchy.
And, the rest, they say, is history. And, so, here we are...
In my opinion, you're being too generous with the texts.
I think that JoN was an apocalyptic, desert-preaching loon, who was ignored by almost everyone of his day as being a crank. When he decided to take his show on the road, the Romans delt with him, and after that, his scattered followers continued to be ignored. However, after that, Paul came along, and suffering from a Messiah complex and an apocalyptic view of the end of the World, Paul gave the floundering faith a voice with written words, and after the Roman destruction of Jerusalem, came an identity followed by a theology and an organization and hierarchy.
And, the rest, they say, is history. And, so, here we are...
