The Pulling the Thread Podcast

The theory that Paul was invented by Marcion is based on the similarities between the two men. They both spent time in the wilderness and worked for Rome to pacify the Zealots. Some scholars believe that these similarities are too great to be a coincidence. They argue that Marcion may have created Paul as a fictional character based on Josephus’s writings. This would have allowed Marcion to promote his own theological views.

In his book “James the Brother of Jesus,” Robert Eisenman delves into the parallels between Josephus and Paul. Eisenman suggests that Paul could have been influenced by the Dead Sea Scrolls and might have even been associated with the Qumran community. Various theories are put forward concerning the origin of Paul. One possibility is that Josephus or someone related to him invented Paul, while another is that someone post-Josephus era might have created him.

Richard Carrier, in “On the Historicity of Jesus,” extensively explores the theory that Paul was a product of Marcion’s modification in the second century CE. Carrier argues that Paul’s writings lack historical reliability and may have been craftily edited by Marcion to serve his theological purposes. Moreover, Eisenman presents the idea that Paul was a fictional character created by Marcion, drawing inspiration from Josephus’s writings as a source for his own work. These theories present intriguing possibilities, although a consensus among scholars regarding Paul’s existence remains elusive.

Some scholars suggest that potentially Marcion, a second-century Christian theologian, may have invented Paul or even someone from the Marcion Camp. There is not a consensus among scholars about whether or not Paul was a real person. However, the parallels between Josephus and Paul are certainly intriguing.

The hypothesis of “Caesar’s Messiah” and “Creating Christ” proposes that Rome could have either invented or redacted Paul’s story. This theory suggests that Paul was shaped by the Roman government to create a more compliant and controllable form of Christianity. Paul’s writings often seem to promote Roman values and interests, advocating for obedience to the government, payment of taxes, and avoiding political involvement to maintain order and stability in the empire.

John Dominic Crossan also discusses the parallels between Josephus and Paul in “The Historical Jesus,” arguing that Paul’s writings were influenced by the Roman imperial cult. While Crossan believes Paul to be a real person, he acknowledges that Paul’s writings were shaped by Roman imperial ideology. These authors concur that there are significant parallels between Josephus and Paul, suggesting that Paul’s writings might have been influenced by Josephus’s works. Both Josephus and Paul were Jewish men who their writings extensively explore the relationship between Christianity and Rome.

Bart Ehrman’s perspective in “Misquoting Jesus” proposes that the New Testament underwent redaction by various individuals over time, with Marcion being one of the influential redactors. Furthermore, the redaction of the New Testament involved multiple layers of edits over generations. This process aimed to align the New Testament with specific theological views and make it compatible with Roman culture, possibly involving Marcion and the Roman government.

The authors also agree that Marcion may have played a role in the redaction of Paul’s writings. Marcion rejected the Hebrew Bible and argued that the only true gospel was the teachings of Jesus as found in the letters of Paul. Marcion edited Paul’s writings to make them more consistent with his own views. Roman redactors and early Roman Catholicism continued the tradition of theological redaction. These are just a few of the authors who have seen parallels between Josephus and Paul, and who have suggested that Marcion may have invented or redacted Paul.

The redaction of the New Testament refers to the process by which the original texts of the New Testament were edited, modified, and even rewritten over time. This process was often done by people who wanted to promote their own theological views or to make the New Testament more compatible with Roman culture. As a result, the New Testament that we have today is not a completely accurate representation of the original teachings of Jesus.

The theory that Marcion and Rome added layers of redaction to the New Testament is a more controversial one. However, there is some evidence to support this theory. For example, the New Testament contains a number of passages that seem to promote Roman values and interests. These passages may have been added by later editors who wanted to make the New Testament more palatable to the Roman government.

In his book The Historical Jesus, Crossan argues that the Roman government was responsible for redacting the New Testament in order to make it more compatible with Roman values and interests. Richard Horsley has written extensively about the role of Rome in the suppression of early Christianity. In his book Jesus and Empire, Horsley argues that the Roman government was responsible for redacting the New Testament in order to make it more compatible with Roman values and interests.

The co-opting of Rome to modify the narrative refers to the way in which the Roman government was able to influence the development of Christianity by sponsoring the spread of Paul’s writings and by supporting the early Christian church. This allowed the Roman government to exert some control over the direction of Christianity and to ensure that it did not become a threat to the empire.

The theory that Paul was created based on the life of Josephus is just one of many theories about the origins of Paul. The idea that Rome might have added layers of redaction to the New Testament remains contentious. However, there is some evidence supporting this theory, it is a theory that is worth considering, such as passages promoting Roman values and interests, which might have been added later by editors to appease the Roman government.

In conclusion, the theory that Paul was invented or redacted by Marcion, Rome, or a combination of influences is a complex and debated topic. While it raises thought-provoking questions about the origins of Christianity and the potential influence of external factors, it remains a subject of ongoing scholarly discussion. The arguments put forth by these scholars are intricate and multifaceted, shedding light on the complexities of early Christian history and the role of Rome in shaping its development.