Did Jesus exist?

[Catholic_Lady]

Do you guys believe that Paul existed?

[The Grand Nudger]

Which Paul? Mythical Paul, legendary Paul, historical Paul? Early Paul, late Paul? Paul as described by a scribe or Paul the autobiographer?

[Minimalist]

Good question.

Certainly not the story that emerged in the late 2d century.

I'm still waiting for some christian to explain this:

…32In Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, 33and I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands.

2 Cor. 11

One of the few historical markers in any of the "pauline" opus.

[The Grand Nudger]

Paul of Acts is out the window, ofc.  Even the christians know better.  Heres an article for ya CL.  We can work on common ground.

http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily...ical-paul/

1) Authentic or Early Paul: 1 Thessalonians, Galatians, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Romans, Philippians, and Philemon (50s-60s A.D.)
2) Disputed Paul or Deutero-Pauline: 2 Thessalonians, Ephesians, Colossians (80-100 A.D.)
3) Pseudo–Paul or the Pastorals: 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus (80-100 A.D.)
4) Tendentious or Legendary Paul: Acts of the Apostles (90-130 A.D.)

Do you think that the paul you're asking about would be one of these pauls?  Add a category, if not.

[Minimalist]

Either way, this enterprise of writing letters in Paul’s name has been enormously influential, since Paul became such a towering figure of authority in the church.

And yet, Rythm, Justin Martyr, writing 100+ years after "paul" supposedly worked his magic never heard of him.  Odd way to treat a "towering figure of authority."

[The Grand Nudger]

Just as Paul had never heard of the great majority of the jesus narrative.  Paul himself gives the strong impression of what would later be deemed a docetic heretic in the narratives attributed to him.  Supposedly, Marcion had nothing but praise for the man....not that he'd ever met him, of course.

[Jehanne]

Just as Paul had never heard of the great majority of the jesus narrative.  Paul himself gives the strong impression of what would later be deemed a docetic heretic in the narratives attributed to him.  Supposedly, Marcion had nothing but praise for the man....not that he'd ever met him, of course.

Clement of Rome mentions him:

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/te...tfoot.html

[Wyrd of Gawd]

Just as Paul had never heard of the great majority of the jesus narrative.  Paul himself gives the strong impression of what would later be deemed a docetic heretic in the narratives attributed to him.  Supposedly, Marcion had nothing but praise for the man....not that he'd ever met him, of course.

According to the Bible Paul was the first character to preach about Jesus.  Paul created the Jesus character to sell his idea about resurrection and eternal life.  Everything people knew about Jesus they got from Paul.  The Gospel writers developed the Jesus character and showed why he was worthy of being worshiped.  Since life sucked at that time it was easy to gain converts, especially once they dropped the circumcision and communism requirements.  It wasn't a peer pressure religion and there was no expensive rituals or pilgrimages.  It was a religion for the common poor man that taught obedience to the status quo.

[Minimalist]

Just as Paul had never heard of the great majority of the jesus narrative.  Paul himself gives the strong impression of what would later be deemed a docetic heretic in the narratives attributed to him.  Supposedly, Marcion had nothing but praise for the man....not that he'd ever met him, of course.

Clement of Rome mentions him:

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/te...tfoot.html

Peter Kirby's "Early Christian Writings" site is excellent.  You should read more of it....like what he notes in the lead-in to "Clement."

Loisy maintains that the author of 1 Clement was a distinguished Roman elder who flourished 130-140 and that this Clement was named in the Shepherd of Hermas (Vision, 8:3), which is also to be dated to the mid second century. Notably, a writing is mentioned in 1 Clement 23:3 in which the challenge is quoted, "These things we did hear in the days of our fathers also, and behold we have grown old, and none of these things hath befallen us." Because this source document for 1 Clement must have been written when the hope of the imminent parousia was waning, and because 1 Clement itself must have dealt with the same issue, the document can scarcely be dated to the time of the first Christian generation. Other indications of lateness include the tradition in chapter 5 that Paul traveled to the extremities of the west (i.e., Spain) and the emphasis on the appointment of "bishops and deacons" (42:1-5). Most notably, there is stated to be "a rule of succession" for bishops and deacons who have "fallen asleep" (44:2). This suggests a second century date for 1 Clement.

[The Grand Nudger]

According to the Bible Paul was the first character to preach about Jesus.  Paul created the Jesus character to sell his idea about resurrection and eternal life.  Everything people knew about Jesus they got from Paul.  The Gospel writers developed the Jesus character and showed why he was worthy of being worshiped.  Since life sucked at that time it was easy to gain converts, especially once they dropped the circumcision and communism requirements.  It wasn't a peer pressure religion and there was no expensive rituals or pilgrimages.  It was a religion for the common poor man that taught obedience to the status quo.

I suspect that if there was a Paul, he made up alot of stories about "Paul" as well.