The apostle Paul, when he was still called Saul, was the great antagonist of Christianity. Paul hated Christians and actively persecuted them. What could turn him around other than the fact, as he writes to the Corinthian church, that he had met Jesus alive? He said he was one born out of due time, one not even fit to be called a follower of Christ, because he himself had persecuted the church. Paul, committed to the destruction of the Christian church, met Jesus and was dramatically changed. We learned about the life of Paul in our discussion series, “Book of Books.”
In our study of the New Testament we discuss the Gospel of Mark, which is the shortest of the four Gospels and it begins and ends abruptly. This abruptness, together with its quick pace characterized by the connector word immediately (Gk. euthus) between scenes of action, suggests a story about Jesus that is adapted for a specific audience and setting, very likely a tense situation of persecution and suffering where the slower pace and more expansive style of the other Gospels are inappropriate. It must not be assumed, however, from its relative brevity and lack of a birth story at its opening and resurrection appearances at its closing that this Gospel is doctrinally simpler. It is popular in critical circles to infer that Mark is the earliest of the Gospels because it lacks the theological developments and ornamentations of later Christian communities represented by Matthew, Luke, and John. However, this reflects a theological bias not in keeping with the high Christology of the Gospel. The hypothesis that Mark is chronologically the earliest of the Gospels may be supported on other grounds, however, though there is less evidence for thinking so than was formerly the case. In any event the current discussion on the chronology of the Gospels is in a state of flux.
There are many things in life that may appear to be unfair or unjust, the explanation of which the Lord has not given, either in the book of Job or in any other book of the Bible. Vindication is not always granted in time, but why God has reserved that for eternity remains a secret with him. For explanation of these questions and discussions, listen to the “Book of Books” programs on Job.
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