Open debate: What does Jesus teach?

[SteveII]

Paul taught that circumcision and dietary laws (and other things) do not pass on to the gentile Christians.

Marketing, Steve. Recall that the Greco-Romans considered circumcision a barbaric custom. Couldn't sell that idea outside of Judaea so they dropped it.

And no one seems to have heard of any "Paul" prior to the late 2d century. Just another little anomaly for jesus freaks to ignore.

More probable is that since circumcision was a sign of the conenant between God and Israel, early church fathers saw no logical need to extend the practive to Christians (who were not Jews). Making this even more probable is that the Jewish dietary laws (and other requirements) were not ported over to Christianity either which would not be quite the marketing headache that circumcision was.

Are you suggesting that Paul is a myth as well? I think you would be nearly alone in that.

Sources outside the New Testament that mention Paul include:
Clement of Rome's epistle to the Corinthians (late 1st/early 2nd century);
Ignatius of Antioch's letter To the Romans (early 2nd century);
Polycarp's letter to the Philippians (early 2nd century);
The 2nd-century document Martyrdom of Polycarp.

from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_the_Ap...le_sources