DUELING EPISTLES

 Dueling Epistles, Galatians and James, and the consequences reflected in the books of Corinthians.

     Letter to the Galatians definitely proves Jesus existed , shows the doctrines Paul persecuted and converted to and Paul's emphasis from the Christ prophesies that Paul thought the earlier church did not realize, and, if we read Galatians, James, and the Corinthian letters as sequential history instead of as harmonious static Scripture, we might gain a larger keyhole than we have had to view the first century church.

      The letter to the Galatians proves Jesus existence by showing us how early Paul persecuted and converted to the church. He mentions that when he was converted he went to Arabia for 3 years, then he met Peter and James Jesus brother and 14 years later he returned to Jerusalem but he does not write directly after that but his writing of the letter to the Galatians corresponds with a dateable Roman official, putting the writing of the letter at 52. Figuring backwards he must have persecuted and converted in the middle 30s. He had authorization to persecute from the temple officials. Not only is Paul convinced there was a Jesus crucified only years before, but the temple officials who authorized him were convinced also obviously.

           In Galatians, Paul is defending his political standing to aa church he started that had visitors from Jerusalem who put down Paul and some of his teachings. From Galatians 1.11 to 2.16  Paul  writes a contextual autobiography of his relations with the early church pillars, insisting on his independent Witness, and the equality of believers to God, including so called pillars Peter, James Jesus's brother,  and John. Paul insists on salvation from grace alone  and that works don't count. He brings up Abraham's faith,  and prophesies on faith.

     James agrees that personalities do not count but he takes issue on Paul's severity and engages him that works matter also. 

     Both these letters because of the conflict went viral in the church and people started taking sides, so Paul writes to a naval node town, Corinth, to calm down the Partisanship and to reassert his own position with changes. 

     ( it is the insistance in the way scripture is read that does not allow changes, that may hinder some readers from understanding my points here -  in pointing out a maturity in a later letter one must agree the former letter less mature.  This is more specific to how we read than pointing out his moods in the prison letters.)

          James writes to the general church and no only about Paul. Paul's letter went viral and implicated at least James if not Pete and John in Paul's complaint. James differs from Paul's faith not works in Jm 2.14-26, bringing up that Abraham did a work of faith by showing he was ready to sacrifice Isaac.   James's references to the tongue most likely are aimed at Paul's anathema at the beginning of Galatians but perhaps he has other people's harsh words also in mind.

     James writes to the richer Christians with the themes from Amos, but the social contract among us should be closer, we are under love. This shows that, contrary to modern critics kneejerk belief all early Christians were poor, some believers were rich but maybe needed reminder of the eye of the needle. 

          In the Corinthian letters Paul  deals with partisanship between advocates for him and advocates for Peter. It is common for first religious schisms to be family vs cult pillars, see Islam or Mormonism, but here we have the top family member identified with the cult core against a potentially rogue preacher. Paul sides with a middle quietist 'Christ' party rather than with his more zealous followers.

     Paul also deals wth licentiousness that followers may have been reading into saved by grace alone.

     The Corinthian letters were probably collected later, as they are in a bit of disarray. Some parts may have been picked out and published like 1Cor12, etc. 

     Galatians is probably in its initial viral condition, as probably also Paul's letter to the Romans which written about 58 had ony 8 years to be published to the general church or be lost in the massacre or all the Christians in the city of Rome. In Paul's prison letters he speaks of his letters being shared, but i think the collection of the thought definitive Pauline corpus came later, though from the position of Philemon, i think the collection was largely made before the Christian use of the leaf book form allowed the anthology of books in one package.