Week 11

This week's readings are not connected and shed a different light onto two influential writers in the Bible. Marcus Borg lives on! The First Paul, written by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, is an insight into the apostle Paul who has been hailed as one of the most controversial figures of the Church. The first chapter jumps immediately into arguing if Paul is appealing or appalling. It claims that, "Paul's importance extends beyond the New Testament into the history of Christianity" (Borg and Crossan 3). His letters shaped various religions and theologians perspectives, therefore extending his appeal beyond Christianity. Paul was predicted to live around the time of Jesus, and his presence extends into roughy half of the New Testament. The appalling aspect of Paul is varying appreciation that has been embraced by religions (Protest, Lutheran, Judaism, Catholic, or Christian), therefore losing the uniformity of his role. The view of Paul can be seen from three foundational statements explained in the chapter:
1. "Not all of the letters attributed to Paul were written by him-- there is more than one Paul in the New Testament"
2. "It is essential to place his letters in their historical context"
3. "His message-- his teaching, his gospel-- is grounded in his life-changing and sustaining experience of the risen Christ" (Borg and Crossan 13).
I think its important to critically take all three foundational statements into account when reading Paul and understanding his character.
The second reading was John's gospel. John's gospel mentions Abraham, and seems to focus on the miracles and teachings of Jesus. His gospel begins with the miracle at the wedding at Cana and ends with the miracle of Jesus appearing to his disciples. My favorite aspects of John's gospel are the miracles (wedding at Cana, Jesus heals a blind man, Jesus walks on water, and feeding of the five thousand), and the lessons that Jesus shares about how to survive a earthly life. He offers advice about trusting in God, loving each other, and dealing with hatred. I found his gospel to be the most applicable to answering our questions about the faith. Overall, I think Paul and John offer different perspectives that without the other would value to the Bible and the reader's connection.