I'm in New Orleans on Mission Trip with our Youth Community, and our groups are heading back to the University of New Orleans after their very hot Wednesday. Quickly, while they're wandering in and getting cleaned up, I thought I might try to direct any of you to a "just for fun" quiz that, when you complete it, will provide you with a pretty comprehensive outline of the conclusions(so far) of the scholars who have worked together on the "Jesus Seminar."
Go to www.westarinstitute.org . At the upper left of your screen you'll see a graphic about the Jesus Seminar. Just below it will be a link inviting you to take a biblical literacy quiz. Click it, take the quiz (it's not tough -- even I did pretty well!), check your results, and then keep clicking to find a really thorough summary of this group's conclusions about all manner of things.
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I don't mean to change the subject, but I have found this other online site - http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/index.html... which then led me to an analysis/criticism/explanation of 1 Thessalonians. I have had a lot of trouble with Paul's words, only recently finding that perhaps they are not all his words after all. But I digress.
This is what I came across as interesting - "...First, Judaism in Paul's time associated porneia with Gentile idolatry (cf. Wis. 14:12-31; Jub. 25:1; and esp. Rom 1:24-27, which echoes a typical synagogue polemic against Gentile corruption). Adopting this same tack, Paul would naturally have associated the threat of an idolatrous cultural encroachment with a warning to abstain from porneia.35 But more importantly, the principal cults in Thessalonica incorporated sexual participation into their ritual.36 Having "turned to God from idols," this could be the most alluring aspect of reassimilation to a pagan ethic." from http://www.sundoulos.com/articles.aspx?in=13
I wonder first if this author is reliable. If so, then it seems that Paul's primary concern was for members of the Thessalonian flock falling away, back to the pagan rituals of their community, lured by "porneia".
And as the author writes, the Thessalonian Christians were facing harsh criticism from the general community. Much as our group would face if we told everyone we were worshipping plastic rubber ducks that made small squeaky noises.
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