Gospels of Thomas and Philip and Truth - Syriac Christian Church
Gospels of Thomas and Philip and Truth - Syriac Christian Church Gospels of Thomas and Philip and Truth - Syriac Christian Church
excerpts suffice to show that what might be called ‘the Paul paradox’ has been recognized by a remarkably wide spectrum of prominent individuals across the centuries. Here then is the matrix of antinomies, along with a brief statement of the apparent logical contradiction in each case (the original Greek should always be checked, at least via Adolph Knoch's superlative interlinear [Biblio.17], as translations since antiquity have often— intentionally?— blurred these very discrepancies): • 01. Ac 9:7 (cp. Dt 4:12) || Ac 22:9 II In the propositional calculus of modern logic, ‘p & not-q’ is the truth-functional negation of ‘q & not-p’. Thus ‘they heard but did not see’ directly contradicts ‘they saw but did not hear’. Yet that famous event on the Damascus road was the sole original justification for Paul's supposed commission in independence of Peter/Kefa and the other Apostles. (In this instance, it is especially important to consult the Greek text; translated correctly in E. Pagels, 1975/79, in the Appendix below.) • 02. Ac 9:26-29 || Gal 1:17-2:1 Did Paul then travel immediately— or seventeen years later!— from Damascus to Jerusalem in order to meet the entire Apostolic circle? • 03. Mt 1:16, 22:41-45, Lk 3:23 || Rom 1:3 deny. Paul asserts that Christ is descended from David, which the Gospels explicitly • 04. Lk 2:49, 19:45-46 || Ac 17:24 The Gospels endorse the OT designation of the Temple in Jerusalem as the very House of the Lord. Paul nevertheless proclaims to the Athenians that God inhabits no sanctuary made by human hands. • 05. Ac 1:15 || I-Cor 15:6 How can Christ have appeared to over 500 Brothers at a time (prior to the ascension) when the entire Discipleship numbered only 120? • 06. Mt 10:2+40, 16:15-19 || Gal 2:6+11-13 The explicit designation of Simon Peter as the foremost Apostle, with all the delegated authority of the Lord himself, logically precludes any other Disciple or Apostle opposing him ‘to his face’ and (worse yet) calling him a hypocrite. Had Paul 128
indeed nothing to learn from the original Apostles? • 07. Mt 28:16-20, Ac 10:1-11:18, 15:7-8+13-18 || Gal 2:6-9 The Gospel doctrine is clearly that, after the resurrection, the remaining eleven Apostles were sent forth to proclaim the good news to the whole world. Paul nevertheless claims to be the one and only Apostle to the gentiles (‘the’ Apostle as he is often called), while Peter and the others according to this view were to be restricted to evangelizing among the Jews. • 08. Mt 5:48, Lk 1:6, Jn 1:14, 6:53-56 || Rom 8:8 The incarnation of the Logos, and also the injunction to be perfect, entail that those who are in the flesh can indeed please God. • 09. Lk 24:36-43, Jn 11:43-44, 20:27, Ac 1:9-11, Ph 25 || I-Cor 15:50 The evangelists proclaim an incarnate resurrection and parousia (second coming), whereas Paul on the contrary takes an anti-corporeal, frankly gnostic position. • 10. Lk 4:5-8, Jn 18:36, 19:18, Ac 4:26 (Ps 2:2) || Rom 13:1-5 The celestial kingdom is described in the Gospels as of another order from the entire realm of the nations, which are ruled by Satan and whereby Christ was crucified. On the other hand, the secular authorities with all their weaponry (including Mk 15:16 ff.??) are stated by Paul to be God's own army. • 11. Mt 22:21 || Ac 25:11 less!). Christ cedes taxes to Caesar, Paul cedes his personal security to him (Nero, no • 12. Dt 23:15-16, Mt 23:10-12, Jn 8:31-36 || Col 4:1, I-Tim 6:1-2, Philem 10-19 The re-conceptualization in the Gospels promises to emancipate the believers from oppressive relationships, while Paul literally endorses slavery within the Discipleship. • 13. Mt 12:46-50, 23:8-9, Lk 14:25-26, Jn 1:12-13, 3:1-8, 11:52 || Col 3:18-21, I- Tim 5:8 Christ teaches that family ties are to be renounced in favor of— that is, replaced by— the Father/Motherhood of God together with the Brother/Sisterhood of the incarnate Sons and Daughters, whereas Paul adamantly defends the traditional family structure. • 14. Mt 19:10-12, Lk 14:20-26, 18:28-30, 20:34-36, Ph 64! || I-Cor 7:2-16+9:5?!, Eph 5:22-24, I-Tim 3:1-4:3 129
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excerpts suffice to show that what might be called ‘the Paul paradox’ has been<br />
recognized by a remarkably wide spectrum <strong>of</strong> prominent individuals across the<br />
centuries.<br />
Here then is the matrix <strong>of</strong> antinomies, along with a brief statement <strong>of</strong> the<br />
apparent logical contradiction in each case (the original Greek should always be<br />
checked, at least via Adolph Knoch's superlative interlinear [Biblio.17], as<br />
translations since antiquity have <strong>of</strong>ten— intentionally?— blurred these very<br />
discrepancies):<br />
• 01. Ac 9:7 (cp. Dt 4:12) || Ac 22:9<br />
II<br />
In the propositional calculus <strong>of</strong> modern logic, ‘p & not-q’ is the truth-functional<br />
negation <strong>of</strong> ‘q & not-p’. Thus ‘they heard but did not see’ directly contradicts ‘they<br />
saw but did not hear’. Yet that famous event on the Damascus road was the sole<br />
original justification for Paul's supposed commission in independence <strong>of</strong> Peter/Kefa<br />
<strong>and</strong> the other Apostles. (In this instance, it is especially important to consult the<br />
Greek text; translated correctly in E. Pagels, 1975/79, in the Appendix below.)<br />
• 02. Ac 9:26-29 || Gal 1:17-2:1<br />
Did Paul then travel immediately— or seventeen years later!— from Damascus<br />
to Jerusalem in order to meet the entire Apostolic circle?<br />
• 03. Mt 1:16, 22:41-45, Lk 3:23 || Rom 1:3<br />
deny.<br />
Paul asserts that Christ is descended from David, which the <strong>Gospels</strong> explicitly<br />
• 04. Lk 2:49, 19:45-46 || Ac 17:24<br />
The <strong>Gospels</strong> endorse the OT designation <strong>of</strong> the Temple in Jerusalem as the very<br />
House <strong>of</strong> the Lord. Paul nevertheless proclaims to the Athenians that God inhabits<br />
no sanctuary made by human h<strong>and</strong>s.<br />
• 05. Ac 1:15 || I-Cor 15:6<br />
How can Christ have appeared to over 500 Brothers at a time (prior to the<br />
ascension) when the entire Discipleship numbered only 120?<br />
• 06. Mt 10:2+40, 16:15-19 || Gal 2:6+11-13<br />
The explicit designation <strong>of</strong> Simon Peter as the foremost Apostle, with all the<br />
delegated authority <strong>of</strong> the Lord himself, logically precludes any other Disciple or<br />
Apostle opposing him ‘to his face’ <strong>and</strong> (worse yet) calling him a hypocrite. Had Paul<br />
128
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