Paul Was Not a Christian: The Original Message of a Misunderstood Apostle

by Pamela Eisenbaum

God’s election of Israel and deliverance from Egypt was not due to any particular merit on Israel’s part:

Disobedience and the failure to fulfill all the commandments perfectly do not imply dismissal from the covenantal community, as long as repentance is expressed and there remains a freely willed desire to participate in the covenant.

punishment is understood as a sign of God’s favor toward Israel.

The covenant between God and Israel is understood to be eternal; it cannot be abrogated because in principle God cannot break God’s promises—

To claim that one had spent time in the company of Pharisees is the ancient Jewish equivalent of bragging about having had an Ivy League education.

The frequency with which Paul engages in one-upmanship with other leaders and teachers who circulate among Christ-believing communities indicates that Jewish identity carries with it a certain cachet.

Paul’s point in Philippians is not terribly complicated or subtle: people should not be impressed by claims to privilege and status, especially when such claims allow some people to wield special forms of influence in the human realm.

biblical holiness may be defined as the space within which God can dwell.