Slides, Q&A

.1 Paul's Church and Contributors: The speaker explains the success of Paul's church and thanks January PayPal contributors (Charles Reynolds, Ariel Tiara Molina, Katherine Brian, Eleanor, CI Rosie, Sher Donald Stedman, Ray Paul, Ralph Lebcusher, Anne Elliott, Brie Valdez, William Gibson) and lecture contributors (Ron Wagner, Dave Anderson, Sydney Santel, Dan Howard, Carney Defoe, Mark Long, James Sweeney, Cheddar B, Baby Bloated Warlock, Michael Rogers, Daryl Scott).

.2 Genuine Pauline Epistles: Julie Bazooki asks about genuine Pauline Epistles. The speaker refers to a chart distinguishing universally accepted, debated, and post-Pauline letters.

.3 Apostles' Deaths: Ron Wagner asks about a book on apostles' deaths. The speaker notes a previous lecture on historic apostles, stating that most accounts are legendary and lack good historical narrative, except for James, the brother of Jesus, whose death is narrated by Josephus.

.4 Synagogues vs. Temple: Jan Gun asks about the difference between first-century synagogues and the Temple. The Temple was the sole place for certain Mosaic law rituals, including animal sacrifices, serving as the central focus of second-century Judaism. Synagogues, initially meaning congregation, became buildings for prayer, reading the law, debate, and sharing experiences, similar to modern churches, but without cult statues unlike pagan temples.

.5 Credibility of Paul's Letters vs. Gospels: Jeff INFJ asks if Paul's letters should have more credibility than the Gospels due to earlier manuscripts. The speaker states that historians should give more credibility to Paul's letters as contemporary historical documents. However, religiously, the Gospels are more important for Christian worship as a sacred story pointing to God, not as history books.

.6 Historical Resources for Bible Era: Sandra Burn asks for historical resources on life during Bible times. The speaker recommends "A Marginal Jew," a five-volume series, for contextual information.

.7 Paul's "Tria Nomina": Michael Loose asks why Paul, as a Roman citizen, didn't have a "tria nomina" (triple name). The speaker explains that not all Roman citizens had these noble names; citizenship could be a legal status without adopting such naming practices. Josephus adopted "Flavius" through his patron, but Paul likely adopted "Paulus" to be more relatable as a missionary, similar to Chinese Canadians choosing English names.

.8 Lecture Engagement: Day Landro notes over 400 live viewers and 188 YouTube likes, encouraging more likes.

.9 Early Christian Apologists vs. Modern Apologetics: James Sweeney asks about the relation between early Christian apologists and modern apologetics. The speaker states they have different agendas. Modern apologists, influenced by the academic discipline of history, focus on biblical inerrancy and historicity, which wasn't a concern for ancient apologists.

.10 James Ministry Communication: Carney Defo asks if the original James Ministry used writing for communication. The speaker explains they primarily communicated orally, through traveling apostles and prophets. Paul's letters were an innovation to maintain contact with churches he founded later, prompting Jamesian and other groups to also produce writings in Greek.

.11 YouTube Likes: L notes 226 likes after a cut.

.12 Traditions about Luke: Brian Bunan asks about traditions regarding Luke being a physician. The speaker explains that a later New Testament letter attributed to Paul identifies Luke as a physician. It was Irenaeus, a Christian writer from the end of the second century, who identified the anonymous Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts as being written by Luke the Physician. These traditions are often late, appearing in the writings of Church Fathers from the late first to the fourth centuries.

.13 Sacrificial Meals Controversy: Cheddar B. Baby asks if eating sacrificial meals was the first controversy for Paul with the Jerusalem Church and its scandal to Jews. Paul was pragmatic; he advised not to inquire about meat origins unless told it was sacrificed, acknowledging that Christians believe pagan gods don't exist. He prioritized the "spirit of the rule."

.14 Gratitude: Matild Hman expresses gratitude for the lectures, finding them valuable for her faith.

.15 Peter's Leadership Tradition: JB asks why Peter is considered a founder despite seeming a minor leader compared to Paul, James, and John. The tradition of Peter as the church leader comes from Matthew's Gospel. Different early Christian groups elevated various leaders, and Matthew's community clearly looked to Peter as an authority.

.16 Peter and Cephas: Donny Lee Gringo and Bloated Warlock ask about Paul explicitly stating Peter and Cephas are the same person. The speaker clarifies that "Peter" is a translation of "Cephas," both meaning "rock," and they are universally identified as the same person (also known as Simon or Simeon bar Jonah).

.17 Meaning of "Gospel": Austin Lewis asks about the history of "gospel" and what gospel was shared before the written Gospels. "Gospel" means "good news." The early apostles shared the "good news of Christ," which Paul summarized as "Christ was born according to the scriptures, lived, died, and was raised again on the third day in accordance with the scriptures."