{"id":6729,"date":"2021-01-25T14:22:02","date_gmt":"2021-01-25T18:22:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/messyinspirations\/?p=6729"},"modified":"2021-01-25T14:22:02","modified_gmt":"2021-01-25T18:22:02","slug":"paul-never-converted","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/messyinspirations\/2021\/01\/paul-never-converted\/","title":{"rendered":"Paul Never Converted"},"content":{"rendered":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><head><meta http-equiv=\"content-type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"><meta http-equiv=\"content-type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"><\/head><body><h1><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6736\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/1251\/2021\/01\/PaulNever.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"404\"><\/h1>\n<h1><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">That Paul never converted (he never switched religions) makes for a fascinating discussion on the Feast of his Conversion.<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Today is the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, Apostle, and challenging person to be around.\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink decorated-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/messyinspirations\/2020\/01\/conversion-paul\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The only problem is a little fact that Paul never converted<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. Paul was born Israelite and encountered Jesus, messiah, as an Israelite. Then, he labored as an Israelite slave for Jesus. Also, Paul expected Israelite theocracy all his days. And finally, Paul died an Israelite. So no conversion! See?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Here\u2019s a great resource\u2014600 video presentations and Scripture aides!\u2014for helping you see things better about Jesus, the Bible, and Paul.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"What Can Bible Alive Presentations Do For You?\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/K3L56qAjkyE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>What Do You Mean By Paul Never Converted??<\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cBut didn\u2019t Paul convert to Christianity?\u201d I can think of two good reasons why Paul never converted to Christianity. First, because Christianity didn\u2019t come into existence until 325 CE. Second, because \u201cconversion\u201d means to transfer from one group to another, already existing group. All his days, Paul was Israelite, before, during, and after his experience with the Risen Jesus.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">We call today the Feast of the Conversion of Paul. But it really is the celebration of his commissioning by God in Alternate Reality (<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink decorated-link\" href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/galatians\/1?15\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Galatians 1:15-17<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">).\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Not only Paul never converted, meaning himself, but Paul never converted anyone else as well! Contrary to rampant spurious familiarity, Paul wasn\u2019t \u201cwinning converts\u201d in Thessalonika or Corinth to another group competing with first-century Israel. Instead, Paul disseminated an innovation (the Gospel, or \u201cgood news,\u201d he shared. He worked among Israelites so that they would adopt the innovation.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>If Paul Never Converted, What Was He Doing Then?<\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Paul proclaimed a new stage the corporate history of Israel. The God of Israel had launched something new. Paul communicated this innovation, the \u201cGospel of God,\u201d to his own people. Therefore, what happened to those Israelites who adopted this innovation is not conversion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">When theologians and preachers talk about Paul converting souls or about his own conversion, it\u2019s a mess. This is because our look at such \u201cconversions\u201d is anachronistically psychological. It is also ethnocentric, presuming a similar experience to what happens when people today \u201caccept Jesus\u201d and are \u201csaved.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">This is usually how we romanticize Paul and his evangelizing. We imagine that Paul would go from city to city. Upon reaching a Gentile town, Paul would begin urging everyone to join the Christian Church there. We imagine he was urging Gentiles to abandon their \u201cpagan\u201d religious group and commitments, and join the Christian group, hence transferring from one group to another. Scholars Bruce Malina and John Pilch are right to call this model \u201cmisplaced.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Messy with Paul\u2019s \u201cConversion\u201d<\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">First off, no Jesus groups existed yet in the Mediterranean urban centers. Paul proclaimed the innovation of what God did in Israel. Paul never converted anyone because social conversion involves an either\/or choice between this or that group. In contrast, Paul presented a yes or no, an option to adopt an innovation within the same Israelite group. Paul never converted anyone because he didn\u2019t offer anyone a choice between different groups\u2014there was no other group!<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_6784\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6784\" style=\"width: 680px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-6784\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/1251\/2021\/01\/Chronology-of-Paul.jpg\" alt=\"Paul Never Converted in his life\" width=\"680\" height=\"957\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6784\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em><strong>In His Biography, Paul Never Converted \/ Fellow Dying Inmate, with information from Bruce Malina and John Pilch \/ All rights reserved <\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">When a \u201cGreek\u201d Israelite \u00e9migr\u00e9 accepted God\u2019s revelation articulated by Paul in his Gospel, this was not a \u201cconversion.\u201d What was it then? It was nothing more than merely giving continued obedience to the God of Israel. Hence, those who accepted Paul\u2019s innovation, Israelites, remained obedient to their Patron God before, during, and after Paul! Paul never converted anyone in the Mediterranean world, least of all himself.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Paul Never Converted &amp; His Name Change<\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Getting back to Paul himself, we find more spurious familiarity Christians bring to the book of \u201cActs.\u201d This is especially true concerning its reports of Paul\u2019s so-called conversion where he, presumably, received a change of name,\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink decorated-link\" href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/acts\/13?9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Acts 13:9<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">). However, Saul of Tarsus never changed his name to Paul. In fact, Paul always had two names, one for barbarian Israelite insiders (\u201cShaul\u201d), and the other for \u201cGreek\u201d Israelite outsiders (Paulus).<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Paul Never Converted, But He Was Transformed!<\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Now, saying Paul never converted himself or anyone does not suggest that he and his clients did not experience profound transformation in Jesus messiah. Paul was transformed in and by Christ and commissioned to spread the innovation. Even though he didn\u2019t really care about Non-Israelites, Paul\u2019s work eventually, after centuries of unpacking in the Spirit, did work out to make for a Gentile Church. Ultimately we are still unpacking this. Who are the outsiders and the insiders? Who are those out of bounds, and who are those who belong (e.g., LGBTQ folks)?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">There is so much spurious familiarity concerning St. Paul. Messy Inspirations can help you sort it all out. Here are a few resources to challenge and support you this week in which we are (hopefully) mindful of Paul and his \u201cconversion.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Clearing Up Spurious Familiarity about Paul:<\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Who Was Paul Really?<br>\n<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Who was Paul, Really?\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/57-Q5yVMdXk?list=PLpvbtNpcitxyI0PdzR_G21_yNKUicw4ck\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">Concerning Paul\u2019s Commissioning<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Paul's &quot;Conversion&quot; Experience\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/muobQRN_B_Y?list=PLpvbtNpcitxxyA1NXONRfwp7PprUYlC9p\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Paul's Ecstatic Trance\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/P5dKwVwZMiU?list=PLpvbtNpcitxxyA1NXONRfwp7PprUYlC9p\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Paul Is Called By God\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/j8s0FVYC2sA?list=PLpvbtNpcitxxyA1NXONRfwp7PprUYlC9p\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Paul: Shaman in Six Steps\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CfhQLCtDvmg?list=PLpvbtNpcitxxyA1NXONRfwp7PprUYlC9p\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">Was Paul Really a \u201cJewish Christian\u201d?<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Was Paul a Jewish Christian?\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Gpwo1qXfsKI?list=PLpvbtNpcitxyI0PdzR_G21_yNKUicw4ck\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">Is the Paul Presented by \u201cActs\u201d Historically Accurate?<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Luke the Spin Doctor?\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2qD0NCHXuoA?list=PLpvbtNpcitxyI0PdzR_G21_yNKUicw4ck\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">Concerning Documents Written or Attributed to Paul<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Crazy Arrangement of Paul's Letters!\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/62vzXeaxf_Y?list=PLpvbtNpcitxyI0PdzR_G21_yNKUicw4ck\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Real Paul's Letters\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/riBVuGjCOoE?list=PLpvbtNpcitxyI0PdzR_G21_yNKUicw4ck\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Can a Forgery be Inspired?\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-E1E9Wsx9qY?list=PLpvbtNpcitxyI0PdzR_G21_yNKUicw4ck\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Paul Wrote in High Context\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4WKOH25RW5g?list=PLpvbtNpcitxyI0PdzR_G21_yNKUicw4ck\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">Paul\u2019s Evangelization: Who, What, Where, and Why?<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Who Did Paul Evangelize?\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vj99EU8wbNI?list=PLpvbtNpcitxyI0PdzR_G21_yNKUicw4ck\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Math Doesn't Lie About Paul's Gospel\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dRibDE-FFRw?list=PLpvbtNpcitxyI0PdzR_G21_yNKUicw4ck\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How Paul Viewed Gentiles\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nmemteI33lg?list=PLpvbtNpcitxyI0PdzR_G21_yNKUicw4ck\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Gospel of Paul VS Gospel of Jesus\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XFK82pQLtdc?list=PLpvbtNpcitxyI0PdzR_G21_yNKUicw4ck\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How Paul Became Apostle to the Gentiles\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/TSUXEUV9ntg?list=PLpvbtNpcitxyI0PdzR_G21_yNKUicw4ck\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"But Paul Said He Was...!\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ks1jMVK_-c8?list=PLpvbtNpcitxyI0PdzR_G21_yNKUicw4ck\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">The Life of Paul Up Until His \u201cConversion\u201d<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Life of Paul One, the Early Years\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sIiRufdqQ28?list=PLpvbtNpcitxyI0PdzR_G21_yNKUicw4ck\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>That Paul never converted (he never switched religions) makes for a fascinating discussion on the Feast of his Conversion. Today is the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, Apostle, and challenging person to be around.\u00a0The only problem is a little fact that Paul never converted. Paul was born Israelite and encountered Jesus, messiah, as [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4218,"featured_media":6736,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3113,1927,2405,3694,3706,3688,360,3685,3709,3700,3697,3691,3121,3703,3107,3712],"class_list":["post-6729","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-acts-of-the-apostles","tag-apostle-paul","tag-apostle-to-the-gentiles","tag-feast-of-the-conversion-of-st-paul","tag-how-saul-became-paul","tag-jewish-christian","tag-paul","tag-paul-never-converted","tag-pauls-conversion","tag-road-to-damascus","tag-saul-of-tarsus","tag-was-paul-a-jew","tag-was-paul-apostle-to-the-gentiles","tag-when-did-paul-convert","tag-who-was-paul","tag-who-was-st-paul"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Paul Never Converted, Period. And He Wasn&#039;t Jewish-Christian, Either!<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"January 25 is the Feast of the Conversion of Paul. But what if I told you that Paul Never Converted? Who was Paul really? What does &quot;conversion&quot; mean?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/messyinspirations\/2021\/01\/paul-never-converted\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Paul Never Converted, Period. And He Wasn&#039;t Jewish-Christian, Either!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"January 25 is the Feast of the Conversion of Paul. But what if I told you that Paul Never Converted? Who was Paul really? 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