2007-06-03 13:11:39 · 8 answers · asked by WWTSD? 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
There were so many rabbinical sects/schools at that time in jewish history.. all of them fighting with one another. Paul, having been raised as a Roman citizen, had been exposed to many different beliefs.. It's pretty obvious that he took from different philosophies and mythos to create his own sect.
2007-06-03 13:15:22 · answer #1 · answered by Kallan 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
These views are tossed about frequently in atheist publications, but the truth is that Paul's ideas were almost entirely of Jewish derivation, and as far as we know he never understood himself to have left Judaism - rather, he understood it to be his role to bring the Gentiles into Israel (albeit without circumcision and other "works of the Law").
Of course, Judaism itself owed a debt to Zoroastrianism, since it was influenced by it during the era the Jews were under Persian rule, and its influence is seen most clearly in apocalyptic literature, which in turn clearly influenced Paul.
No person who speaks a language that has already been spoken and is heir to a religious tradition, Scriptures and a culture will be completely original. I don't think it is any fairer to say that Paul stole his ideas from anywhere than that most of the atheists who make such claims stole their arguments from other sources. But most historians and Biblical scholars will tell you that any Zoroastrian influence on Paul is indirect.
2007-06-03 16:12:38 · answer #2 · answered by jamesfrankmcgrath 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I'm more under the impression that he got it directly from the Mithras religion (which is similar to Zoroaster)... but the religion of Mithras was biggest in Tarsus... Pauls birthplace. Paul also writes more about a cosmic christ concept, an idea about what Christ is.
2007-06-03 14:10:54 · answer #3 · answered by River 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it's... well... true. AND the messiah mythology had been around FAR longer than the Jesus Christ story. Consider:
Attis of Phrygia
Krishna
Prometheus
Adonis
Dionysus
Mithra
Osiris
Quetzalcoatl
2007-06-03 13:13:44 · answer #4 · answered by ZER0 C00L ••AM••VT•• 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
I'd be more surprised to hear that ANY part of the bible is original. Make my day.
2007-06-03 13:15:47 · answer #5 · answered by Resident Heretic 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Seems plausible.
2007-06-03 13:29:32 · answer #6 · answered by Jung Lite 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
He was a Pharisee, enemy of Jesus.
That explains a lot when read in context.
2007-06-03 13:15:43 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
I AGREE
2007-06-03 13:16:53 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋