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Acts 13

Posted: Sat May 14, 2016 11:26 pm
by MrMacSon
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Acts 13 reflects various interesting well-known biblical names, as well as a few less known ones. There are also interesting dynamics, such as reference to a "certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus"; the mention of a second 'magician' seemingly in opposition to 'Saul', with Paul magically making him blind. Paul is at times depicted as a messiah saviour in his own right -

Acts 13 (ESV)
Barnabas and Saul Sent Off
1 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

Barnabas and Saul on Cyprus
4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them. 6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. 7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? 11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12 When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.
Acts 13 then goes on with Paul/Saul recounting OT stories of Saul and David that seem to relate to the NT stories of Paul and Jesus; so seemingly is further evidence that many of the NT narratives are based on OT stories - -
21 " ...Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22 And, when he had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’ 23 Of this man's offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised... "

27 "The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets[/b that are read every Sabbath ..

32 “ ...We tell you 'the good news': What God promised our ancestors 33 he has fulfilled for us, their children, by 'raising up' Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm:

  • “‘You are my son;
    • today I have become your father.’
34 "God raised him from the dead so that he will never be subject to decay. As God has said,
  • ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.’"
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Re: Acts 13

Posted: Sun May 15, 2016 7:41 am
by Charles Wilson
MrMacSon wrote:8 But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
9 But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him
10 and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?
11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand.
12 When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.
Suetonius, 12 Caesars, "Nero":

"He [[NERO]] planned but two foreign tours, to Alexandria and Achaia; and he gave up the former on the very day when he was to have started, disturbed by a threatening portent. For as he was making the round of the temples and had sat down in the shrine of Vesta, first the fringe of his garment caught when he attempted to get up, and then such darkness overspread his eyes that he could see nothing..."

The "Magicians" including Vitellius, dba "Simon Magus" are the "old" Emperors that are to be swept away as the Julio-Claudians are to be replaced by the Flavians.
You need not look to Acts to find the "Glorious Metaphysics" of the savior/god. Acts is a Political Document to insure that the Flavians are seen in the proper godly light.

CW

Re: Acts 13

Posted: Sun May 15, 2016 5:08 pm
by arnoldo
Suetonius, Life of Nero
During his [Nero's] reign many abuses were severely punished and put down, and no fewer new laws were made: a limit was set to expenditures; the public banquets were confined to a distribution of food; the sale of any kind of cooked viands in the taverns was forbidden, with the exception of pulse and vegetables, whereas before every sort of dainty was exposed for sale. Punishment was inflicted on the Christians, a class of men given to a new and mischievous superstition. He put an end to the diversions of the chariot drivers, who from immunity of long standing claimed the right of ranging at large and amusing themselves by cheating and robbing the people. The pantomimic actors and their partisans were banished from the city


Re: Acts 13

Posted: Sun May 15, 2016 10:23 pm
by Stuart
arnoldo wrote:Suetonius, Life of Nero
During his [Nero's] reign many abuses were severely punished and put down, and no fewer new laws were made: a limit was set to expenditures; the public banquets were confined to a distribution of food; the sale of any kind of cooked viands in the taverns was forbidden, with the exception of pulse and vegetables, whereas before every sort of dainty was exposed for sale. Punishment was inflicted on the Christians, a class of men given to a new and mischievous superstition. He put an end to the diversions of the chariot drivers, who from immunity of long standing claimed the right of ranging at large and amusing themselves by cheating and robbing the people. The pantomimic actors and their partisans were banished from the city

This line in red was most probably an interpolation. I would disregard it as evidence of anything. Or at the very least note it as highly suspect.

The subject of the Laws are people defrauding for the most part or being offensively lavish (similar to Communist China laws against using gold leaf in banquets, and other things - generally ignored). Even the last part about pantomines and are today similar to street performers, and their "partisans" are not fans so much as hustlers running an unregulated commerce competing with theater. The Christian regulation makes no sense here, except from the Christian narrative of Nero the man who burned Christians.

The archetype manuscript for our copies of Suetonius is from the late 8th or early 9th century. So some 750-800 years of transmission is unrecorded. My hunch is that line was added two hundred fifty to three hundred fifty years after Suetonius wrote. There is plenty of motive, and such Christian interpolations abound the surviving historical accounts.

Re: Acts 13

Posted: Mon May 16, 2016 5:28 am
by Charles Wilson
Stuart --

Our Poster Jay Raskin, in Christs and Christianities, argues precisely that. It is a very good read and his discussion of this Interpolation is compelling.

CW

Re: Acts 13

Posted: Tue May 17, 2016 9:07 pm
by Stuart
Thanks CW.

Too bad it's not available in electronic form. But looks worthwhile to add to my collection.

- Stuart