Deck 22: Does the Tradition Miscarry Paul in Relation to Jesus, James, Thecla, and Theudas

Question 1

What difficulties are involved in reconstructing Jesus' and Paul's religious views? Being as specific as possible, discuss whether you believe Jesus and Paul preached the same religion.

Answer 1

We do not have anything written by Jesus himself. Our only knowledge of his religious views comes from Christians who wrote decades after his death. Although we do have Paul's own writings, they are occasional in nature, not systematic. Nonetheless, there are some aspects of Jesus' and Paul's religious views that we can be fairly certain about. Both were Jews and believed in the Jewish God. Both were apocalyptically minded and expected the Kingdom of God to come soon. Jesus and Paul, however, had different understandings of some of these points. Jesus, for example, believed that the Son of Man would come during his disciples' lifetimes; Paul believed that Jesus would come during his (Paul's) lifetime. Jesus believed that following the heart of the Law, to love God and one's neighbor, brought salvation; Paul believed that faith in Jesus, not the works of the Law, brought salvation.

Question 2

Paul says very little about Jesus' life and ministry, focusing instead on his death and resurrection. How do you account for the dearth of information about Jesus in Paul's letters?

Answer 2

Ehrman presents three options for accounting for the dearth of information about Jesus in Paul's letters. First, Paul knew a lot about the historical Jesus, but he had no occasion to remind his audience of these stories. The problem with this view is that Paul often does remind his churches of what he has taught them. Paul also cites stories about Jesus to bring authority to his own views. Second, Paul knew traditions about Jesus but thought they were irrelevant to his ministry. Paul, in fact, explicitly states that he preached Christ crucified. Perhaps the stories of Jesus' life and ministry, then, were simply of little importance to Paul. Third, it is possible that Paul included in his correspondence nearly all the information about Jesus he knew. In this case, not only was Jesus' life unimportant in Paul's missionary efforts, but it also was unimportant to Paul himself.

Question 3

Discuss the concepts of faith and works in the epistle of James. How are these related to one another? How does James' view of justification, faith, and works compare to that of Paul?

Answer 3

James seems to be written as a corrective to a misunderstanding of Paul's teachings on justification by faith. In the book of James, "faith" is an acknowledgement of truth, not a commitment to that truth, and "works" are those good deeds that reveal one's faith, not the actions required by the Jewish Law (e.g. circumcision). Once the reader identifies the meaning of each of these terms, it becomes clear that the teachings on salvation in Paul's letters and in James do not contradict one another. For James, a person does not truly have faith if he or she does not show that faith in action. James writes, "Faith by itself, if it has no works (e.g. good deeds), is dead" (2:17). Paul would likely have agreed with this.

Question 4

How do the Acts of Paul and Thecla illustrate a strand of Pauline thought? Do you think that the author of this text understood Paul correctly? Is this a fair interpretation of Paul's teaching?

Question 5

How do later Valentinian Gnostics claim to carry on Paul's legacy? What connections do they have with Paul's teachings, and where do they seem to differ with what we know of Paul's views?

Question 6

Paul frequently cites the words and teachings of Jesus.

Question 7

The epistle of James argues against Paul's view of justification.

Question 8

Paul and Jesus each taught that the love of one's neighbor summed up the Law.

Question 9

In the Acts of Paul and Thecla, Paul teaches that married people should grant one another conjugal rights.

Question 10

Valentinian Christians claimed their interpretations were received from Paul.

Question 11

Which of the following did not appeal to Paul as an authority for their views?

A) Marcionites
B) Proto-orthodox Christians
C) Gnostics
D) Ebionites

Question 12

Paul indicates all of the following things about the historical Jesus except:

A) He was born a Jew.
B) He was born to a virgin.
C) He had brothers.
D) He preached to Jews.

Question 13

Paul refers to all of the following of Jesus' teachings except:

A) People should not divorce.
B) Preachers should be paid.
C) The Beatitudes
D) Jesus' words at his Last Supper

Question 14

Paul wrote to the Corinthians that the only thing that mattered to him was:

A) Christ crucified
B) Following the Law
C) Approval from the apostles
D) Jesus' teachings

Question 15

Jesus and Paul agreed on all of the following issues except:

A) There is only one God.
B) God's will is revealed in the Jewish Scriptures.
C) Jesus will return to earth in judgment and bring in the Kingdom of God.
D) God made a covenant with Israel.

Question 16

Which of the following books seems to stand as a correction to a later misunderstanding of Paul's teaching on justification by faith?

A) The Acts of Paul and Thecla
B) James
C) Matthew
D) Philippians

Question 17

The book of James says that people are:

A) Doomed to eternal judgment
B) Justified by works
C) Justified by faith
D) Justified by baptism

Question 18

In Paul's writings, "works" tends to refer to:

A) Good deeds
B) A person's occupation
C) Requirements of the Law
D) Jesus' saving act

Question 19

In the book of James, "works" refers to:

A) Good deeds
B) A person's occupation
C) Requirements of the Law
D) Jesus' saving act

Question 20

In the Apocryphal Acts of Paul, who is Paul's female companion?

A) Phoebe
B) Lydia
C) Mary
D) Thecla

Question 21

In the Acts of Paul, Paul's central message is:

A) Christ crucified
B) Marriage
C) Celibacy
D) Against arranged marriages

Question 22

Whom of the following was thought by the Gnostics to have been Paul's earthly disciple?

A) Theudas
B) Marcion
C) Valentinus
D) Thomas

Question 23

According to both Jesus and Paul, how can the Law be summed up?

A) Love one another.
B) Obey those in authority over you.
C) Do not question authority.
D) Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (i.e., the Golden Rule).

Question 24

For the historical Jesus, the beginning of the end of the age began:

A) During the lives' of Jesus' followers
B) After Jesus' resurrection
C) Immediately before the Rapture
D) Immediately after Adam and Eve sinned

Question 25

According to Paul's letters, God's covenant with the people of Israel would last:

A) Until they rejected his Son
B) Forever
C) Until the second coming
D) Until Jesus' resurrection

Question 26

Did Paul teach that total sexual abstinence was necessary?

A) Yes. It was necessary for salvation.
B) Yes. It was necessary before one could be baptized.
C) No. Paul said that it was desirable for the sake of the gospel, but that sex was acceptable for married couples.
D) No. Paul said that sex was necessary to multiply and replenish the earth.

Question 27

Which literary character, after hearing Paul preach, terminated her engagement to be married and left home to follow him?

A) Pricilla
B) Mary
C) Sarah
D) Thecla

Question 28

What is one piece of information that Paul does not give his readers about Jesus' life?

A) That he had brothers
B) That he was born a Jew and descended from the line of King David
C) That he was crucified, died, and was resurrected
D) That he turned water into wine

Question 29

What does Paul reveal about Jesus?

A) That he healed people and raised the dead
B) That he told parables
C) That he will return from heaven soon
D) That he cast out demons

Question 30

What did Paul and Jesus agree on?

A) That there is only one God and that God made a covenant with his people, the Jews
B) That the coming judge of the earth is Jesus himself
C) That everyone will be judged by whether they believe in Jesus
D) That the end of the age began at the cross of Jesus

Question 31

Who were the "twelve tribes in the Dispersion" in the book of James?

A) The original twelve tribes of Israel
B) Unnamed Christians living outside Palestine
C) Modern-day Jews who never moved back to Israel
D) Christian Jews living inside Palestine

Question 32

What does James mean by "faith"?

A) Trust in God.
B) The death and resurrection of Jesus.
C) Intellectual assent.
D) A mustard seed of hope.

Question 33

Why did the Gnostics claim Paul as their ultimate authority?

A) Because Paul was the first Christian Gnostic
B) Because Paul preached sexual renunciation, just as the Gnostics did
C) Because Paul helped liberate the Gnostics from the enforced subservience of marriage
D) Because Paul referred to "mysteries" in the gospel that were "hidden" and only available to those who were "mature," just as the Gnostics did

Question 34

The "Son of Man" in Paul's letters:

A) Is a reference to Jesus' birth to a mortal woman
B) Is a reference to Jesus' role as a cosmic judge
C) Refers to the same figure as that taught by the historical Jesus
D) All of the above

Question 35

What term corresponds with Paul's depiction of Jesus as a sacrifice that brings atonement?

A) Expiation
B) Redemption
C) Participation
D) Kosher

Question 36

Which of the following is not an option for why Paul didn't cite Jesus' words more often:

A) He had no occasion to do so.
B) He considered them irrelevant.
C) He didn't know much more about Jesus' teaching.
D) Those traditions came from apostles with whom Paul disagreed.

Question 37

Which book shows that some may have interpreted Paul letters to mean that good works don't matter?

A) Matthew
B) James
C) 1 Thessalonians
D) First John

Question 38

Which book contains the only narrative about Paul in the New Testament?

A) Philippians
B) Luke
C) First Thessalonians
D) Acts