Wamma Jamma

 Saint Paul writing one of his trademark epistles. Note that he already has a paper book, about 1400 years before this was made possible by the invention of the printing press. If that does not spell "Saint", I don't know what does......

There seems to have been a lot of dinosaurs-related news the last couple of days. But seeing as how I have not cared about dinosaurs since I wet the bed with alarming regularity, you don't either, and we can all move on to higher concerns. "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me", and all that. 1 Corinthians 13:11. Written by Saint Paul, formerly known as Saul of Tarsus, the jolly jew persecutor.

Let's talk a little bit about the Bible. The letters, or epistles for the higher educated (which by default means you, since you know how to read this consecrated digital verse), of Paul are actually the oldest writings of the New Testament, coming even before the Gospels, which kind of/sort of/definitely implies that these were not written by the actual apostles of Christ, if these even existed at all, that is. But egad! More of that another time. Your labile frontal lobes cannot handle the pressure of all this magnificent revelation, and are threatening to collapse your meager brain stems!

Are you reading this at work, by the way? Because if you happen to live in a Catholic country, I would label this post as Not Suited For Work. But stand strong, devout adherents! Pioneering is hard work! "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair." (2 Corinthians 4:8)

The dating of the Pauline epistles ranges from 53 to 64 CE, though they refer to event that happened prior. Of all13 letters, we can be certain that seven are undoubtedly Paul's handiwork (Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, Philemon). Six (Colossians, Ephesians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, and Titus) are disputed, and the Epistle to the Hebrews is certainly not his. In any case, Paul was somewhat of a maverick in the history of early Christianity, and he never really fitted into the environment and working of those first congregations. He also never mentions anything in his letters about the life of Jesus as we have come to know from the Gospels.

Enough! Or: too much!

Check back soon for more!