What does Paul mean when he says that scripture is divinely inspired?
Paul writes to Timothy (who by now fully engaged in the work of training leaders in the city of Ephesus, the gathering of believers that Paul himself built up and passed on to Timothy), reminding him of "the sacred writings being breathed out by God."
What sacred writings? Surely Paul's remark pointed not to his own letter (which we know today as 2 Timothy), but to a collection of writings both he and Timothy studied.
What of Paul? Paul, a student of Gamaliel, studied in the School of Hillel before the period of tannaim. During tannaim, written records of important Jewish rabbis (such as Hillel the Elder's "House of Hillel" and Beit Shammai's "House of Shammai") were collected and deposited into what became known as "the Mishnah", in an effort to transform the Oral Torah into a form of written Torah.
Hillel's teachings encouraged the conversion of "gentiles" into Judaism, unlike Shammai's teachings (which while not discouraging such practices, demanded more principled and fundamental reasons for conversion).
What do we know about the Oral Torah and the Written Torah? We know both, for practicing Jews, carried similar weight. However, during the period of the Second Temple, the Sadducees (a prominent and important group of Jewish rabbis) rejected the Oral Torah in favor of the Written Torah. Hence, compiling the Oral Torah into a written book makes sense, to bridge the two together, as the battles between Hillel and Shammai surely did not help the struggles of the tannaim period.
What of Timothy? Timothy, raised in a family with Jewish mother Eunike and grandmother Lois, alongside a gentile (possibly Roman) father, grew up in the Roman colony Lystra (built as a military garrison for security against the mountain tribes to west between Lystra and Ephesus, and against the southern hill tribes) and later relocated to Ephesus.
Both his mother and his grandmother joined Timothy's church in Ephesus, a plausible reason why he decided to stay and carry on Paul's work rather than plant more churches. I feel the likelihood of his father marrying a Jewess carries more weight than a local marrying a Jewess, given the popularity of Roman citizens marrying Jewish wives (if Nero's marriage to Poppaea indicates a growing trend among Roman elite, and because Paul as a Roman citizen, finding such a strong connection to Timothy, most likely stems from the both of them being Jewish Roman citizens).
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In addition, Paul's heart, trained from his teacher Gameliel (the grandson of Hillel the Elder) prepared him for a life of converting Gentiles into the Jewish faith. However, Paul (possibly as a result of the death of his wife and a rethinking of his purpose) converted to a faith in Christ Jesus and continued the work he trained to do as a young man, albeit with a totally new purpose.
How does this relate to the passage in 2 Timothy? The sacred writings both Timothy (through the schooling his mother and grandmother required him to pursue) and Paul understood existed as the Oral and Written Torah (during a time before the existence of the Mishnah - or during the compilation period of the Mishnah). The Oral Torah consisted of rabbinical responses to the Written Torah, a non-systematic teaching curriculum that currently does not exist in any verifiable form (that I can find). The only collections I found, the Tosefta and the Midrash, only exist almost 200 years after the period discussed in the letter. Hence, to assume a written component for the Oral Torah? Foolish.
This finally relates to the second portion of the discussion of the sacred scriptures - that of God "breathing out" scripture, in divine inspiration. The word referred to in the passage, theo-pneu-stos (θεόπνευστος), exists as a creative innovation using the words "God" (theo) and "breathe" (pneo), used only by Paul.
You can find similar references to the concept of inspiration and interpretation scattered in the teachings of Hillel, who quite famously stated that even if a convert to Judaism converted out of necessity or insincerity ("standing on one foot"), interpretation of the Scriptures eventually might transform that individual into someone of value to God (as compared to Beit Shammai's statement that he would push the fellow standing on one foot over with a large block of wood generally used to make measurements in the construction of buildings - and refuse to convert the man). Furthermore, with regarding to the Oral versus the Written Torah, Hillel taught that the Oral Torah, while somewhat inconsistent, with interpretation and good teaching would not hinder understanding (while Beit Shammai believed both Torahs to be valuable, although his unwillingness to rely on anything other than the Torah showed his total reliance on tradition).
The last point: Hillel (Shabbat 31a:9) taught the power of what Jewish tradition coins, "the Divine Presence" (which when translated in the English version of the Bible, equates to the Holy Spirit). However, we know from other passages in the New Testament that many Jews received no education in the Divine Presence empowering or engaging with people (most likely because of the opposition of thought between Hillel and Shammai). So Paul's reliance on the Divine Presence (or Holy Spirit) directly refers to his study in the Hillel School, and seems to correlate with his invention of the word theo-pneu-stos.
At the time of writing this letter, Paul wrote to Timothy privately and therefore his letter (while inspired by God) could not account for the material he mentions in the letter itself. Therefore, the graphe (γράφω, or "Holy Writ/scripture) referred to must be referring to both the Oral (תורה שבעל פה) "Torah that is on the mouth" and Written Torah (תורה שבכתב) "Torah that is in writing", and not explicitly Paul's own letter of direction for Timothy's training of leaders in the Ephesus church.
If Paul referred to his own letter to Timothy as graphe, the amount of hubris exhibited at such a statement, just overwhelms. (And does not mirror the image of humility shown by Paul at other significant moments of his life throughout the New Testament).
Why do I care about this? To understand Paul, we need to re-evaluate how we perceive Paul and his writings. If his letters were just letters (at the time of writing), then his letters should be evaluated according to the tradition that both he and Timothy were raised (as well as the continued tradition that many orthodox Jewish children receive in our day and age).
Today, we look back upon the letters of the Disciples and the Apostles as divinely inspired scripture. Well and good. More importantly though, I believe understanding where Paul came from, how he learned to study the Scripture, what Scripture he actually studied (ie: Paul and Timothy were not reviewing the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke or John), and then re-understanding Paul's Hillelian interpretation of either the Oral/Written Torah in lieu of how Jesus himself understood those same passages (as Paul, in the Christian tradition, often referred to the words or actions of his Lord, who himself referred to either the Oral or Written Torah).
After doing this somewhat short study, I can say for sure that I am not of the same school as Beit Shammai but there is a place for putting value on tradition as a source of stability, just as Hillel's demands for interpretation should equally be listened to especially as context continually shifts. Paul appears in his letters a fiery but humble servant, who seeks first to empower, secondly to teach, and thirdly to reprimand (and reluctantly, at that).
I don't know how long this set of articles will last; I do know it's important to me. To carefully evaluate the texts without prejudice is paramount to me.
If you have any comments about anything you read, feel free to comment here and I would be happy to have a conversation with you. In the meantime.
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus."
"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Paul writes to Timothy (who by now fully engaged in the work of training leaders in the city of Ephesus, the gathering of believers that Paul himself built up and passed on to Timothy), reminding him of "the sacred writings being breathed out by God."
What sacred writings? Surely Paul's remark pointed not to his own letter (which we know today as 2 Timothy), but to a collection of writings both he and Timothy studied.
What of Paul? Paul, a student of Gamaliel, studied in the School of Hillel before the period of tannaim. During tannaim, written records of important Jewish rabbis (such as Hillel the Elder's "House of Hillel" and Beit Shammai's "House of Shammai") were collected and deposited into what became known as "the Mishnah", in an effort to transform the Oral Torah into a form of written Torah.
Hillel's teachings encouraged the conversion of "gentiles" into Judaism, unlike Shammai's teachings (which while not discouraging such practices, demanded more principled and fundamental reasons for conversion).
What do we know about the Oral Torah and the Written Torah? We know both, for practicing Jews, carried similar weight. However, during the period of the Second Temple, the Sadducees (a prominent and important group of Jewish rabbis) rejected the Oral Torah in favor of the Written Torah. Hence, compiling the Oral Torah into a written book makes sense, to bridge the two together, as the battles between Hillel and Shammai surely did not help the struggles of the tannaim period.
What of Timothy? Timothy, raised in a family with Jewish mother Eunike and grandmother Lois, alongside a gentile (possibly Roman) father, grew up in the Roman colony Lystra (built as a military garrison for security against the mountain tribes to west between Lystra and Ephesus, and against the southern hill tribes) and later relocated to Ephesus.
Both his mother and his grandmother joined Timothy's church in Ephesus, a plausible reason why he decided to stay and carry on Paul's work rather than plant more churches. I feel the likelihood of his father marrying a Jewess carries more weight than a local marrying a Jewess, given the popularity of Roman citizens marrying Jewish wives (if Nero's marriage to Poppaea indicates a growing trend among Roman elite, and because Paul as a Roman citizen, finding such a strong connection to Timothy, most likely stems from the both of them being Jewish Roman citizens).
G. Muzziola (1876), "Poppea brings the head of Octavian to Nero"
In addition, Paul's heart, trained from his teacher Gameliel (the grandson of Hillel the Elder) prepared him for a life of converting Gentiles into the Jewish faith. However, Paul (possibly as a result of the death of his wife and a rethinking of his purpose) converted to a faith in Christ Jesus and continued the work he trained to do as a young man, albeit with a totally new purpose.
How does this relate to the passage in 2 Timothy? The sacred writings both Timothy (through the schooling his mother and grandmother required him to pursue) and Paul understood existed as the Oral and Written Torah (during a time before the existence of the Mishnah - or during the compilation period of the Mishnah). The Oral Torah consisted of rabbinical responses to the Written Torah, a non-systematic teaching curriculum that currently does not exist in any verifiable form (that I can find). The only collections I found, the Tosefta and the Midrash, only exist almost 200 years after the period discussed in the letter. Hence, to assume a written component for the Oral Torah? Foolish.
www.nccg.org, www.mesacc.edu
This finally relates to the second portion of the discussion of the sacred scriptures - that of God "breathing out" scripture, in divine inspiration. The word referred to in the passage, theo-pneu-stos (θεόπνευστος), exists as a creative innovation using the words "God" (theo) and "breathe" (pneo), used only by Paul.
You can find similar references to the concept of inspiration and interpretation scattered in the teachings of Hillel, who quite famously stated that even if a convert to Judaism converted out of necessity or insincerity ("standing on one foot"), interpretation of the Scriptures eventually might transform that individual into someone of value to God (as compared to Beit Shammai's statement that he would push the fellow standing on one foot over with a large block of wood generally used to make measurements in the construction of buildings - and refuse to convert the man). Furthermore, with regarding to the Oral versus the Written Torah, Hillel taught that the Oral Torah, while somewhat inconsistent, with interpretation and good teaching would not hinder understanding (while Beit Shammai believed both Torahs to be valuable, although his unwillingness to rely on anything other than the Torah showed his total reliance on tradition).
The last point: Hillel (Shabbat 31a:9) taught the power of what Jewish tradition coins, "the Divine Presence" (which when translated in the English version of the Bible, equates to the Holy Spirit). However, we know from other passages in the New Testament that many Jews received no education in the Divine Presence empowering or engaging with people (most likely because of the opposition of thought between Hillel and Shammai). So Paul's reliance on the Divine Presence (or Holy Spirit) directly refers to his study in the Hillel School, and seems to correlate with his invention of the word theo-pneu-stos.
At the time of writing this letter, Paul wrote to Timothy privately and therefore his letter (while inspired by God) could not account for the material he mentions in the letter itself. Therefore, the graphe (γράφω, or "Holy Writ/scripture) referred to must be referring to both the Oral (תורה שבעל פה) "Torah that is on the mouth" and Written Torah (תורה שבכתב) "Torah that is in writing", and not explicitly Paul's own letter of direction for Timothy's training of leaders in the Ephesus church.
If Paul referred to his own letter to Timothy as graphe, the amount of hubris exhibited at such a statement, just overwhelms. (And does not mirror the image of humility shown by Paul at other significant moments of his life throughout the New Testament).
Why do I care about this? To understand Paul, we need to re-evaluate how we perceive Paul and his writings. If his letters were just letters (at the time of writing), then his letters should be evaluated according to the tradition that both he and Timothy were raised (as well as the continued tradition that many orthodox Jewish children receive in our day and age).
Today, we look back upon the letters of the Disciples and the Apostles as divinely inspired scripture. Well and good. More importantly though, I believe understanding where Paul came from, how he learned to study the Scripture, what Scripture he actually studied (ie: Paul and Timothy were not reviewing the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke or John), and then re-understanding Paul's Hillelian interpretation of either the Oral/Written Torah in lieu of how Jesus himself understood those same passages (as Paul, in the Christian tradition, often referred to the words or actions of his Lord, who himself referred to either the Oral or Written Torah).
After doing this somewhat short study, I can say for sure that I am not of the same school as Beit Shammai but there is a place for putting value on tradition as a source of stability, just as Hillel's demands for interpretation should equally be listened to especially as context continually shifts. Paul appears in his letters a fiery but humble servant, who seeks first to empower, secondly to teach, and thirdly to reprimand (and reluctantly, at that).
I don't know how long this set of articles will last; I do know it's important to me. To carefully evaluate the texts without prejudice is paramount to me.
If you have any comments about anything you read, feel free to comment here and I would be happy to have a conversation with you. In the meantime.
