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I don't have a lack of evidence -- Paul specifically says that he wasn't married. That is evidence. You have no evidence, because nowhere is it stated that he was married.
Galatians 1:14
14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely azealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.
Funny that your source there cited the article I did just above your post, where McArthur demonstrated that the teaching that a Jewish male had to be married came after Jesus and Paul's time. I guess he didn't read through to the end, lol.
So I take it you didn't read the article, either.
Oh well, I tried
it is startling that three of the best-known Jews of the first century C.E. appear to have been unmarried-three Jews, moreover, who
were prominent in connection with the beginnings of the Christian movement: John the Baptist (forerunner), Jesus (founder), and Paul (Saul) of Tarsus (a chief apostle)
Since, so far as is known, the Essenes were the major organized group in Palestinian Judaism with an ambivalent attitude toward
marriage, it is tempting to suggest a link between them and John the Baptist or Jesus or Paul. But since it is not clear that an unmarried man was as abnormal in first-century Palestine as might be assumed from rabbinic literature, the temptation should be resisted unless there are other strong links between these individuals and the Essene-Qumran community
Because he was widowed!
The Jewish marriage tradition comes from the Torah!
Where does the Bible say that Paul was widowed? Chapter and verse, please.
ME
The Jewish marriage tradition comes from the Torah!
YOU
And where does the Bible say that Jewish males must be married? Chapter and verse, please.
"Be Fruitful and Multiply"
The Torah commands every man to father at least one boy and one girl (Yevamoth 61b). Supporting themselves upon the verse "He did not create chaos; He formed it to be inhabited" (Isaiah 45:18), the Sages added a Rabbinic ordinance to have even more children. In other words, the purpose of creation is to add life, and every Jew is called upon to take part in this goal.
In addition, the Sages taught that even if one managed to fulfill his obligation to have children while still young, he should continue having children when he is older, as the verse states, "In the morning sow your seeds, but in the evening do not allow your hand to rest, for you cannot know which one will be worthy - this one, the other, or both of them" (see Yevamoth 62b).
www.israelnationalnews.com...
The first mitzvah in the Torah is "to be fruitful and multiply." As the verse in Genesis1 states: "And G‑d said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth...'" After the Flood, G‑d repeated this commandment to Noah: "And G‑d blessed Noah and his sons, and He said to them2: 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.'"3
This mitzvah is considered a "great mitzvah" and in some cases even overrides certain other laws.4
Furthermore, by having children one is actually hastening the ultimate redemption. In the words of the Talmud,5 "The son of David [Moshiach] will not come until there are no more souls in the [Heavenly storage house called] guf." In a similar vein, the Midrash6 tells us: "Just like the Jews were redeemed from Egypt in the merit of their having children, so too they will be redeemed in the future in the merit of having children."7
One who intentionally does not fulfill this mitzvah is considered analogous to a murderer – for he, too, has depleted life – and is said to be minimizing the Divine presence in this world. From this we understand that one who does fulfill this mitzvah is increasing the Divine presence in this world.
The Basic Mitzvah
The minimum requirement of this mitzvah is to have a son and a daughter.9
But if possible one should try to have as many children as possible. In the words of Isaiah10: "He did not create [the world] for a waste, He formed it to be inhabited." From this verse we learn that gentiles too have a mitzvah to have children.11
In the words of Rabbi Yehoshua:12 "If one had children when he was young, he should continue to have children when he is old. As the verse13 states: 'In the morning, sow your seed, and in the evening, do not withhold your hand, for you know not which will succeed, this one or that one, or whether both of them will be equally good.'"
www.chabad.org...
Shiloh7
reply to post by bobs_uruncle
Cheers back to you Dave
I do have my view on Apollonius as you have probably gathered, but if I am wrong, I don't really see why they could not have existed at the same time because I think there were a number of holy men around in those days. Peter is recorded as having had a clash with a man called Simon who levitated and then fell down.
Jesus stayed it appears in Palestine and Apollonius travelled extensively to India, China, Egypt etc and even Jerusalem I think. We know that Jesus's ministry only lasted some 3 years but Apollonius, who is reported as having been born the same year as Jesus, lasted well into old age and his travels have been documented etc We also know he settled for his last years on Patmos which again is interesting because Revellation was written by a well educated man and most of the disciples were not and we don't know if they could even write. To have the knowledge that is accredited to John, whom Christians attribute Revellation to, would have meant I suspect that John would have needed to have educated, travelled and been able to read and write a document of the complexity of Revelation.
Read the eight books of the Life of Apollonius of Tyana by Philostratus of Tyre. His style is clear, agreeable, concise, and full of charm, due to his fondness both for archaisms and for novel constructions.
He tells similar stories, equally foolish and preposterous, and these eight books are so much study and labor lost.
In no other manner, I believe, can one exhibit a fitting respect for the Divine being, beyond any other men make sure of being singled out as an object of his favor and good-will, than by refusing to offer to God -whom we termed First, who is One and separate from all, as subordinate to Whom we must recognize all the rest- any victim at all; to Him we must not kindle fire or make promise unto Him of any sensible object whatsoever. For He needs nothing even from beings higher than ourselves. Nor is there any plant or animal which earth sends up or nourishes, to which some pollution is not incident. We should make use in relation to Him solely of the higher speech, I mean of that which issues not by the lips; and from the noblest faculty we possess, and that faculty is intelligence, which needs no organ. On these principles then we ought not on any account to sacrifice to the mighty and supreme God.
In fact, we can be certain of its existence, since it is quoted in a treatise On abstinence (2.34) by the above mentioned philosopher Porphyry and also by the church father Eusebius (Preparation for the Gospel 4.13). (Source - Article at livy.org by Jonas Landering)
[since ancient times ... ] Jesus and Apollonius have been compared. Although there are certain similarities (a charismatic teacher performing miraculous healing), the differences are larger. After all, the notion of a 'divine man' is distinctly pagan and not Jewish.
Where in the Bible does it say that he wasn't?
Since when did "rabbi" come to mean all Jewish males?
Neither was Paul a traveling preacher in his youth, he was tentmaker. And, persecuting Christians is hardly a "teaching" job. There would be no excuse for Paul not to have been married, under Jewish tradition.
Where in the Bible does it say that Paul wasn't a space alien? Are we thus to conclude that Paul was a space alien?
The correct answer to my question is "No, the Bible doesn't say that Paul was a widower."
Make up your mind. First, he's a Rabbi. Then he's a tentmaker. Now you're saying that only Rabbis had to be married, yet you previously said this:
Galatians 1:14
14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely azealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.
The bit that you quoted in answer to my question doesn't say that Jewish men were required to be married, it just talked about siring children.
The correct answer to my question is "No, the Bible doesn't say that Jewish males were required to be married."
For when he arrived at the confines of Ethiopia and Egypt, and the name of the place is Sycaminus,[3] he came across a quantity of uncoined gold and linen and an elephant and various roots and myrrh and spices, which are all lying without anyone to watch them at the crossways.
I will explain the meaning of this, for the same custom still survives among ourselves. It was a market place to which the the Ethiopians bring all the products of their country; and the Egyptians in their turn take them all away and bring to the same spot their own wares of equal value, so bartering what they have got for what they have not.
Now the inhabitants of the marches are not yet fully black but are half-breeds in matter of color, for they are partly not so black as the Ethiopians, yet partly more so than the Egyptians. Apollonius, accordingly, when he realized the character of the market, remarked:
"Contrast our good Hellenes: they pretend they cannot live unless one penny begets another and unless they can force up the price of their goods by chaffering or holding them back; and one pretends that he has got a daughter whom it is time to marry, and another that he has got a son who has just reached manhood, and a third that he has to pay his subscription to his club, and a fourth that he is having a house built for him, and a fifth that he would be ashamed of being thought a worse man of business than his father was before him. What a splendid thing then it would be, if wealth were held in less honor and equality flourished a little more and 'if the black iron were left to rust in the ground,' for all men would agree with one another, and the whole earth would be like one brotherhood."
Arrogant much? Correct in your mind, you mean. Again Lack of evidence doesn't reflect Evidence of absence.
"The Bible says it; I believe it; that settles it!" Am I right? Right?
You missed the point that no Rabbi can lead a congregation who is not married - it was against Jewish Law which Paul and Jesus followed.
daskakik
reply to post by adjensen
You also seem to be overlooking the catch 22 in your claim. Winword pointed it out before, Jewish males were obligated by law, prior to the Talmud, to procreate. How is that done, in a society where having sex with a woman makes her your wife, without ending up married?
Since, so far as is known, the Essenes were the major organized group in Palestinian Judaism with an ambivalent attitude toward marriage, it is tempting to suggest a link between them and John the Baptist or Jesus or Paul. But since it is not clear that an unmarried man was as abnormal in first-century Palestine as might be assumed from rabbinic literature, the temptation should be resisted unless there are other strong links between these individuals and the Essene-Qumran community.
adjensen
reply to post by Gryphon66
"The Bible says it; I believe it; that settles it!" Am I right? Right?
She doesn't believe the Bible, but that's beside the point -- Genesis does not say that a Jewish man must be married.