St Paul of Tarsus, First Early Self-Hating Anti-Semite

 Nadene Goldfoot                                            

               St Paul was the first self-hating Jew who even changed his own name from Saul of Tarsus  to Paul, who was born  about the same time as Jesus (c. 4 BCE) or a little later in a Hellenistic city of Asia Minor. He was converted to having faith in Jesus Christ about 33 CE and he died, probably in Rome in 65 CE.  He had been exposed to Greek philosophy and with the mystery cults popular at the beginning of the Christian era.

Rabbi Gamaliel was the grandson of Hillel and president of the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem.  He was for the betterment of women's positions in society.  

Saul/Paul is said to have studied in Jerusalem under Rabbi Gamaliel  the Elder, but his writings show little comprehension of Pharisaic Judaism. He would have failed the course.  Before his conversion, he was one who was persecuting members of the new Christian sect with zeal which is in contrast with Gamaliel's teachings who taught to have a tolerant attitude.  He was a bully.   

Then Saul had a vision, according to the New Testament, and converted and contributed much of his thoughts to their new Christian theology. He then was known as the "apostle to the Gentile." It was he who brought in thousands of converts who were alien to Jewish beliefs, in that they lacked Jewish loyalty and Jewish observance.  The other disciples had found a different group of people, but Saul found a different group who were exposed to other ideas.                                    

 Eve, persuading Adam to eat the apple they were told not to eat

             Adam and Eve cast out of Paradise (Garden of Eden)

His thinking centered around something new to him, The Doctrine of Original Sin.  "All men were contaminated by the guilt by Adam and can be freed from it only by faith in the atonement consummated by the death of Jesus.    With the atonement made by Jesus, he thought, the Law has been abrogated (to evade-to do away with). As one can see, he didn't think of the Torah as other Jews did.  He thought it was to be followed not as a means to achieve righteousness, but as  a terrible Divine measuring rod which reveals to man his hopeless situation  since no one can properly obey it.  Evidently he certainly couldn't. 

And now I see why he broke away.  He was not living up to the Torah's expectations and so threw it out.  He must have had a hard time following the rules.  

Paul taught that those who believed all the things they were saying about Jesus were the TRUE ISRAEL.  He further taught that Divine election of "Israel After The Flesh" was invalidated when the Jews rejected Jesus.  “Israel according to the flesh” is thus the literal, concrete, historical Israel, while Israel according to the spirit would be the allegorical, spiritual, ontological, and ideal Israel—ultimately the Church. 1 Corinthians 10.  

However, his family were Jews.  He felt an emotional attachment to the Jews.  That was his culture, at least, if not his beliefs.  He kept hoping that they would accept the teachings, the Gospel and be reinstated and become  God's Chosen.  

The Talmudic literature does not mention Saul/Paul, but many statements from rabbis do seem to answer his Pauline doctrine. 

Spanish Inquisition of 1492, having to leave Spain if you were Jewish.  They refused to convert to Catholicism. Those who couldn't leave had to become Hidden Jews.                                                        

Jews have been pressured time and time again to follow the beliefs of other denominations or sects, and they refuse.  We are said to be "stiff necked" and we are.  Our ancestors made a promise to  not discard our 613 laws (at least  the 10 basic ones) and especially that there is only one unseen G-d, and to follow Moses's teachings and not to follow any other person as they would be false.  Our long history  deals with this.  We're still waiting for the Messiah that for us, has never come.  Life only became worse with the death of Jesus for the Jewish people.          

In the recording, aired by the Kan public broadcaster on a Tuesday, Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai, head of the IDF Central Command,  said that Israel “isn’t a normal country.”  He's right.  It's special to us.  We waited 2,000 years for it's 2nd chance to exist.  We have several generals.  Maybe the Messiah won't be a general.  We have to wait to see.  He will be a leader, though.  

Even the concept of Messiah has changed with the Gentile undertaking of the word.  They are not the same.  For Jews, the messiah is a human live person, like a general.  He is the annointed one, like King David had been annointed.  He was to be the ultimate deliverer.  The word is used in the Tanakh as an adjective referring to kings, etc, who have been annointed.  They must have divine sanction and a unique inviolability of status.  

 For the Christian, it will be Jesus who rose again.  Interesting, since some of us Jews  believe reincarnation can happen.  This reincarnated Jesus is going to have to do some mighty great things to convince Jews that he is The Awaited Messiah, for sure.  No one has passed the test yet. 

All 3 religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam are awaiting the Messiah these days.  

Resource:

The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia