Brothers+ Are we back to work from the Holiday? Let us get started on "What St. Paul Really Said" before we lose our opportunity to send questions to N.T. Wright. Again, our thanks to +Mark for the introduction. It may seem a bit awkward at first to make comments and ask questions via email, but give it a try. We can do this. I will plow manfully on with the first inane observations. On pages 25-27 Wright takes up the agendas of Saul of Tarsus and asks the pertinent question, "What kind of Pharisee?" He makes a passing reference to Hyam Macoby, a Jewish scholar who maintains that Jesus is a Pharisee and Saul of Tarsus is not. I have not at hand any of Professor Macoby's books, so I cannot give a direct quote. I know of him through a couple of study groups and think I can present at least part of his argument in this regard. To show that Jesus was a Pharisee, he could quote Matthew 10:5 where Jesus instructs the 12, "Do not take the road to gentile lands, and do not enter any Samaritan town; but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Hyam Macoby could also use these words of Jesus from Matthew 19 in which Jesus refers often to the Law, and especially Matthew 19:16-19, "A man came up and asked him, 'Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?' 'Good?' said Jesus. 'Why do you ask me about that? One alone is good. But if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.' 'Which commandments?' he asked. Jesus answered, 'Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not give false evidence; honor your father and mother; and love your neighbor as yourself." Hyam Macoby could also say that Jesus has no equivalent to Paul's Mars Hill Sermon. Are Jesus and Paul in the same camp? Charles+ ____________________________________________________________ Get advanced SPAM filtering on Webmail or POP Mail ... Get Lycos Mail! http://login.mail.lycos.com/r/referral?aid=27005