{"id":2860,"date":"2023-04-23T19:22:14","date_gmt":"2023-04-23T19:22:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/elbespurling.com\/salvation\/?page_id=2860"},"modified":"2024-07-18T01:41:23","modified_gmt":"2024-07-18T01:41:23","slug":"09-james-and-paul","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/elbespurling.com\/salvation\/?page_id=2860","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 9: Peter, James, and Paul"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Chapter 9<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Peter, James, and Paul<\/mark><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Original Appearance to Peter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We have now traced an unbroken line from ancient polytheistic Israelite religion \u2192 Persian-established monotheistic Judaism \u2192 various sects of Judaism active as the first century CE began. We’ve seen that one of these main sects of Judaism then became distinct from the others in its adoption of a great many additional doctrines imported from Zoroastrianism that inspired their many apocalyptic writings. And we have now connected these Zadokites\/Essenes with the earliest Christian writings both in terms of unique theology, worldview, rituals, doctrines, areas of concern, and specific language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Artist depiction of a heavenly Jesus appearing to many at once<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If, as it would seem, Christianity did not start with a historical person named Jesus of Nazareth, can another specific person be named as the founder of this new religion? Though the epistles of Paul are the earliest known Christian writings, it is clear from his own writings that Paul himself did not <\/em>found the religion that he is preaching. Paul identifies himself as an \u201capostle\u201d, but also acknowledges that he was the last among all the apostles to whom Christ appeared.1<\/a><\/sup>1 Corinthians 15:7-8<\/a>. The Bible. New International Version.<\/span> Paul\u2019s specific choice of words concerning these \u201cappearances\u201d are noted by scholars of ancient Greek to be those someone would use to describe visionary experiences rather than seeing someone in person, and this applies not just to his own experience, but also when he is describing the \u201cappearance\u201d of Jesus to the others who came to the faith before him.2<\/a><\/sup>Doherty, E. (2005.) The Jesus Puzzle: Did Christianity Begin with a Mythical Christ? Age of Reason Publications.<\/span> At one point when he provides a list of apostles to whom The Lord appeared, the only specific names he supplies are that of a man named Peter (the Greek form of \u201cCephas\u201d in Aramaic) and another named James.3<\/a><\/sup>1 Corinthians 15:3-8<\/a>. The Bible. New International Version.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elsewhere in his letters, Paul also speaks of a trio of men named James, Peter, and John, with whom he has occasional interactions. He refers to these three men as the \u201cpillars\u201d,4<\/a><\/sup>Galatians 2:9<\/a>. The Bible. New International Version.<\/span> and it is clear from context that they are authority figures within the movement Paul has joined as a late-comer, and he may even see them as the founders of the sect. In addition, Paul also lists an appearance of Christ to a collective he calls \u201cThe Twelve\u201d,5<\/a><\/sup>1 Corinthians 15:5<\/a>. The Bible. New International Version.<\/span> but never names any individual members of this group or gives any indication of the meaning of this designation. Given the great many overlaps we have noted between Essenes and earliest Christians though, and given that we saw that the Dead Sea Scrolls also describe the highest governing body of their community as consisting of three priests called \u201cpillars\u201d and a council of twelve men, it is hard to escape the conclusion that Christianity sprang directly from the Essenes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Artist depiction of James the Just<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We can go a little farther than this. Several later Christian writings portray this James figure as the very first leader of the church in Jerusalem, sometimes referring to him as \u201cJames the Just\u201d (equivalent of \u201cJames the Righteous\u201d or \u201cJames the Zadokite\u201d). In line with being an Essene leader, James is described as abstaining from all alcohol, eating no meat, using no ointments, and never cutting his hair. He is also one of the few figures connected to earliest Christianity who is mentioned outside the Bible by a historian of the time who wrote concerning a \u201cJames the Just\u201d, who is described as a very popular and influential religious leader among the people of Judah in the 50s CE. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

James is not described as a \u201cChristian\u201d by the historian, but that term was not used among the earliest believers. The term \u201cEssene\u201d, in fact, was actually a name only used by outsiders when referring to the sect. The self-designations they used varied but strikingly overlapped with those of the earliest Christians, including The Way, The Poor (\u201cEbionites\u201d), The Saints, and The Ekklesia (\u201cchurch\u201d).6<\/a><\/sup>Magee, M.D. Christianity Revealed: Christianity and the Essenes. AskWhy! Productions.<\/span> James would first and foremost have been seen by his contemporaries as a fanatically devout Jew, obsessed with keeping every facet of the Law of Moses and mastering his emotions to avoid sin. His idiosyncratic views concerning the messiah would not have prominently stood out since, as already noted, the messianism of the Jewish people at this time, though fevered, was not especially focused and certainly not anything like settled dogma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Artist depiction of Peter having a vision of Lord Jesus crucified<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When Paul wrote of an associate who was caught up to the third heaven in a vision 14 years ago, this is likely a reference to Peter whom he credits as being the first person to whom Jesus appeared.7<\/a><\/sup>1 Corinthians 15:5-8<\/a>. The Bible. New International Version.<\/span> While we can\u2019t know the exact content of this vision, we get a rough idea from the theology presented by Paul\u2019s letters and The Ascension of Isaiah<\/em> since they represent the earliest known distinctly Christian theology and worldview. Peter, as we’ve seen, was very likely one of the three pillars of the Essene community, and would surely have excitedly shared his amazing vision, first with the other two pillars James, and John, and then with rest of the brothers in the community.8<\/a><\/sup>1 Corinthians 15:5-8<\/a>. The Bible. New International Version.<\/span> All of them, writes Paul, soon had their own appearances of Jesus, and a new religion was born. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can’t know exactly how novel the content of Peter’s vision was. While key details like existence of Lord Jesus, his crucifixion and subsequent raising from the dead may well have originated with Peter. On the other hand, it’s possible that The Ascension of Isaiah<\/em> predates the appearance of Jesus to Peter, and that his transformative vision simply verified its contents, convincing him that now, on the eve of the End Times, he and his brethren must announce the existence of the savior Christ to all Jews. It was an urgent message, for one notable constant through all early Christian writings is the absolute conviction that the End Time would arrive within the lifetime of the writer. The time left to avoid damnation was rapidly running out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Artist depiction of two apostles evangelizing to a crowd<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The very idea of apostles (literally \u201cone who has been sent out\u201d to spread a message, e.g.) implies a significant change took place at this time among the Essenes. The community that had intentionally separated itself from society and seemed to stay generally inward-looking, now began to disseminate a message to their fellow Jews that they saw as profoundly vital. The same community that had traditionally required an incredibly strict three-year initiation period to join the fold was now actively proselytizing with more minimal membership requirements in what they believed were the final days before the cataclysmic end. Even the public-facing ministry of John the Baptist demonstrates such a change was underway by 30 CE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

A Crucified Messiah<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Assuming it\u2019s correct that Jesus of Nazareth was not a historical person executed by Roman authorities, we are left to ask: why would Peter’s vision have been of a heavenly messiah who was killed and very quickly restored back to life? And of all the methods by which he could die, why crucifixion specifically? We can\u2019t know the answers to these questions with certainty\u2014some aspects of visionary experiences are merely fantastical and random like the content of dreams\u2014but there are some considerations worth noting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Artist depiction of Ezekiel denouncing Israelite women ritually mourning the death of the ancient dying-and-rising god Tammuz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Though we can\u2019t know what level of knowledge Peter possessed concerning other dying-and-rising deities popular in his day, it\u2019s certainly worth pointing out that they were quite popular throughout the Roman Empire at this time, and each variation on such a god was believed by their followers to have undergone a particular and notably non-heroic death, suffering through a \u201cpassion\u201d (the same word adopted by Christians) before triumphantly returning to life and thereby ensuring the future resurrection and salvation of their adherents. Adonis was believed to have been killed by a beast, Dionysus was dismembered, Attis cut off his own testicles and bled out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Artist depiction of the Sumerian goddess Inanna hung by a nail in the underworld<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Similar to crucifixion, these are not triumphal deaths by any means. When the first-known dying-and-rising Sumerian god, Inanna, was killed, her corpse was \u201chung on a nail\u201d for three days before being resurrected, whereupon she was fed the \u201cwater and food of life\u201d to revive her.9<\/a><\/sup>Leick, G. (2002). A Dictionary of Ancient Near Eastern Mythology. Routledge.<\/span> Glory and triumph were achieved by their passing through these humbling ordeals, with each such god returning to life massively empowered to save believers.10<\/a><\/sup>Carrier, R. (2020). Jesus from Outer Space: What the Earliest Christians Really Believed about Christ. Pitchstone Publishing.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From writings found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, we know that the Essenes were fanatically anti-Roman and looked forward to a world-ending war against the empire in the Last Days.11<\/a><\/sup>Vermes, G. (2004). The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English. Penguin UK.<\/span> We also know that the Essenes\u2014like their Zadokite predecessors and the Maccabees\u2014celebrated the act of martyrdom, and would pass that trait on to early Christianity. We know as well that the standard Roman punishment for any act of rebellion against the state was death by crucifixion. It may well be that these three facts best explain why the leader of the Essenes would see glory and great meaning in the messiah\u2019s willingness to undergo crucifixion as a martyr, thereby (through some mysterious means) guaranteeing salvation to those who believe in it. Having their heavenly savior set such an example for his adherents does have a certain logic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Artist depiction of insurrectionists crucified by the Roman Empire <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We further know that the Essenes of this time, particularly their Teacher of Righteousness, were combing through the Jewish scriptures for out-of-context passages they interpreted as revealing secret information about the coming messiah.12<\/a><\/sup>Qumr\u0101n literature (Dead Sea Scrolls). Encyclopedia Britannica. https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/biblical-literature\/Qumran-literature-Dead-Sea-Scrolls#ref597947<\/span> It could be that Peter had his vision of Lord Jesus being crucified first and then afterward sought to find passages in scripture which supported the veracity of his vision. Conversely, it may have happened in the opposite order\u2014Peter’s regular and intense scrutinizing of scripture may well have shaped the nature of his world-changing religious vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Psalms and the book of Isaiah were the two scriptures most poured over by both the Essenes and the earliest Christians. The single verse from Psalms that may be most responsible for suggesting a death by crucifixion was verse 22:16, which states \u201cthe assembly of the wicked has surrounded me and pierced my hands and feet.\u201d That this was a redemptive death found support in verses pulled from Isaiah 53 which speaks of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Artist depiction of a vision of a savior crucified in the firmament<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n